Ballymena – 23rd September 2023

Ballymena Sale – Saturday 23rd September 2023

Show & Sale Kindly Sponsored by James Delargy Farm Supplies

Number of entries were down by nearly a hundred on the year at the Ballymena, and the averages fell too as trade was a tad more cautious than last year and a derth of five figure sales. That said, one more lamb was sold than last year, with the average for 174 lambs a very respectable £1036, down from £1090 last year. The shearlings levelled out at a remarkably similar figure, with 209 tups averaging £1037. The ring was packed most of the day with buyers and onlookers, but it did thin out towards the end of the sale, which started around 10.30 and finished around 7pm, as buyers from the mainland had to leave to catch the 8pm ferry from Larne.

Topping the day’s trade was a very smart lamb from the very impressive pen Dominic McCrystal had forward. The Sale topper belonged to Dominic’s Grandfather Geard, who turned 94 on Sunday and was over the moon with his early birthday surprise which netted him 6800gns! The lamb, which stood 4^th in the pre-sale show, was by the Beeches Wingman, bought out of Hawes last year for £14,000 and the sire to 27 tup lambs entered at the sale, underlying how well he has done over here for the flocks who invested in him. His mother is one of the best ewes in the flock and by the Tievebuailie Farm M2, he was knocked down in a joint purchase to William Adams, Holm View and Michelle Wright, Mullaghwee. The McCrystals, who run around 25 BFL ewes alongside their Blackie flock and dairy herd, enjoyed a good trade with their run of tup lambs, which saw another Wingman son make 4000gns, this selling to William Adams, as well as a son of another Beeches tup, fetching 3000gns, selling to Declan Molloy, Co. Galway.

The run of the day had to go to local farmer, Ian Montgomery with his Mistyburn flock. He took the first and second prize places in the show and took the days Championship, judged by Paul Brown from the Oak House flock, who also awarded the Mistyburn pen the cup for best pen of sheep. It was a long wait for them to come through the ring as they were the second last lot through, but the anticipation built all day, with plenty of lambs catching the eye. The Champion, full of power and colour, certainly caught the eye, and was bid to 5800gns. This boy was the son of the Mistyburn Champion last year, which Ian retained a share and is a quad out of the flocks show ewe, Mistyburn P23, a daughter of the Yore House Maverick.  He sold to Mairead Coyne, Co Galway. Paul Brown, the judge, had a job splitting the top two lambs and when it came to selling there was nothing between them either, with the second prize lamb also going on to sell for 5800gns. This one, another son of Beeches Wingman, headed back over the Irish sea back to the Beeches flock, with Finlay Roberston buying back in some of his genetics. This April born lamb was out of a Blarnavaid ewe which was bought at the Lockdown Ladies sale, and has bred exceptionally well already, breeding his champion last year. Another Wingman son from this 15 ewe strong flock fetched 2600gns and rounded off a great day.

Martin Kelly from the Freehall flock enjoyed a good trade, following on from his successful mule lamb season, which saw him take the top average of £132 at Ballymena with his gimmer lambs. A brace of lambs by his homebred tup, Freehall R5 were in the top pen, and when he was offered for sale through the ring there were plenty of takers, with the final bid for the son of the 10,000gns Temain Boss going to Messrs Coyle, Strabane, who forked out 5000gns for his services, making him the top priced shearling on the day. Martin also saw a bid of 4400gns for his leading lamb, as son of another Temain tup, R31, a son of Carry House Ronaldo and out of a Temain bred ewe. This one sold to J Doharty, Limavady.

Graham and Julie Loughry from the Temain flock are usually there or thereabouts when it comes to this sale and once again, they didn’t disappoint, with a cracking pen of both tup shearlings and lambs, full of power style and just oozing quality. Their pen topper in the shearlings sold for 4600gns. This son of Carry House Ronaldo is the full brother of last year’s 7500gns lamb and out of a daughter of  Temain Ruby, one of the flock’s top sheep, mother the Gambler and others. He sold to Samuel Anderson, Kilwaughter. They saw another shearling, a son of L6 Firth make 2900gns and another son of the homebred Dynamite made 2800gns, making a good average for the pen. The top priced lamb from the Temain flock saw a bid of 3600gns for yet another son of Beeches Wingman, this one out of the same ewe as the shearling, selling to Michelle Wright. Another brace of embryo brothers hit 3200 and 2800gns too.

In the female section it was the female and reserve overall champion which topped the trade, with a bid of 1400gns for this smart, alert gimmer from Brian McAllister, Aughaboy. She is by Temain P24, a son of Temain Dark Horse and out of a Dawyck bred ewe by the L1 Riddings. She sold to the Skeagh flock.