This is a subscriber-only article
The Northern Ireland Dorset Horn and Polled Dorset premier show and sale was topped at 2,000gns in Ballymena on Monday evening by a ram lamb from Raymond Hill from Doagh’s Olivertree flock. The September 2015-born ram Olivertree X-Saviour is sired by Polgreen S603 and from the dam Olivertree U191.
Auctioneer Graham Loughery sold Beechmount Xander for the second-highest price on the night at 1,100gns. The September 2015-born ram was exhibited by Amy McConnell from Templepatrick and is sired by Ballytaggart Ouma and from the dam Beechmount T160.
Ram prices
Prices for rams on the night dropped off from the highest-selling lots, with 40 ram lambs selling for an average price of 425gns. Overall, 12 ram lambs were not sold due to either being passed by exhibitors or failing to reach the society’s minimum ram sale price of 250gns.
Judge David Lewis from Narberth, Wales, placed Michael and Catherine Maybin from Ballymena’s ram lamb Galgorm X26 as supreme champion. The September 2015-born ram sold for 550gns and is a Pembroke Timebomb son and from the dam Galgorm P25.
Islandview XCel was the third-highest-selling ram lamb at 780gns and was exhibited by W and C Johnston from Crumlin. Two shearling rams were sold for 600gns and 320gns and were both shown Laura Weir from Ballymena.
A steady trade for ewes
Ewe lambs appeared to be a steadier trade with almost a full clearance. Across 117 lots, the average ewe lamb price was 229gns. The highest-selling female by 350gns was Hilltop X1126, which sold for 900gns. The September 2015-born ewe was exhibited by Richard Currie from Ballymena and is a Sandelford Shendar daughter and from the dam Maine Valley.
Shearling ewes that were mostly in-lamb or had been running with rams were sold off with 19 lots averaging 173gns and four senior ewes born before September 2014 sold for 210gns on average.
SHARING OPTIONS: