The Zwartbles Sheep Breeders of Ireland held its second annual sale of Zwartbles sheep at the Midland and Western Livestock Improvement Society showgrounds in Carrick-on-Shannon last Saturday. The sale was conducted both ringside and online on martbids.ie. Northern Ireland-based breeder Elaine Anderson had the difficult task of lining up the winners in each class. She tapped out a ewe lamb, Twighlight Blaze Nella from Noel Conroy’s Twighlight flock as her overall champion, having come out top in a tough class of ewe lambs.

New female breed record was set by the Twilight Blaze, a Zwartbles ewe lamb. Twilight Blaze Nella was bought by Ariana Bell for €2,000. (In the pic from Left to right: Ariana Bell, Paul Conroy, Éanna Conroy, and Mary Stewart). \ Sean McCarthy; theagriphotographer

She later sold for a new Zwartbles female record price of €2,000 selling to Ariana Bell of the Bluebell flock. The reserve champion went to a senior ewe, Oakvale Kendra from the Oakvale flock of Ellis von Cramon. She sold to Ruadhri Duggan for €950.