All classes of Lleyn stock were in huge demand at the Lleyn Sheep Societies annual Ballymena sale, at Ballymena Livestock Market, where prices for shearling ewes soared to £405 per head for a pen of five from A Bothwell, Derryvree House, Maguiresbridge.

Managing to secure this pen was W Oliver, Dundalk, Co. Louth.

Next best at £400 per head was a pen of three from A F Cunningham, Ballywolfy Road, which were bought by N McIlroy, Coleraine.

A pen of nine shearling ewes from J Coulter, Co. Down, secured £365 per head when selling to J Short, Moneymore, whilst another pen from the Mr Coulter was knocked down to the same buyer for £360.

A Bothwell was back in the money with her pen of five attaining £360 per head, being snapped up by S Killen, Co. Down.

J & C Kennedy, Ballyclare, sold their third prize pen of shearling ewes to £355. Purchasing these was Earls Abbey Ltd, Newtonabbey.

Prices for individual ewes were sky high, with the first prize individual shearling ewe from C & A Kennedy being knocked down at £570 to W Oliver.

The same buyer then purchased the following two individual ewes at £470 and £460 apiece, from J Coulter and A Bothwell, respectively.

B Latimer’s third prize individual shearling ewe secured £450 when selling to P Bobbett, Dublin.

In the ewe lambs, trade remained strong throughout with a top price of £230 being achieved for a pen of six from A Bothwell. Taking home these girls was D Morgan, Kilcoo.

F Leonard, Co West Meath, purchased the first prize pen of five ewe lambs from G Calwell, Ballymena for £225, whilst another pen from the same home secured £220 and were knocked down to A & P Brown.

Twp more pens of ewe lambs attained £220, the first coming for a pen of five from D Mason, Loughisland, selling to D Scullion.

The second pen at £220 was produced by A Bothwell and was purchased by D Mason.

Rams saw one of the best trade’s of the day, with two rams securing the top price at 4400gns.

The first came from B Latimer, Trillick in the form of Girgadis Napoleon (01694/2405847). Sired by (00983/2016623) he is out of a Steew bred ewe. He sold to R Martin, Co. Londonderry.

Matching that 4400gns price tag was Mileview No.1 (01618/2404024) from J & C Kennedy. Sired by a Lluest ram (00599/2113019), he was knocked down to D Beattie.

Next in the trade stakes at 3800gns was another from the same home, in the form of Mileview North (01618/2403932). Sired by Knightsbridge (01618/2103249), he was snapped up by G Calwell.

G Calwell then recouped some of his outgoings when selling two rams for 2600gns and 2500gns apiece. Making 2600gns was Daisylane Nitro (02449/2400802) who sold to J Short. No stranger to the show ring, he stood second in his class at Balmoral Show, and is sired by (02022/2203384).

Making 2500gns was Daisylane Nimbus (02449/2400871). Sired by (01694/2104670), he went under the hammer to J Bradley.

Averages

Aged ewes to £240 av. £240

Shearling ewes to £405 (£570) av. £320.71 (+£63)

Ewe lambs to £230 av. £185.80 (+£17)

Rams to 4400gns (x2) av. 1656gns (+591gns)

Top Prices

Aged ewes

A F Cunningham, £240

Shearling ewes

A Bothwell, £405

A F Cunningham, £400

J Coulter, £365

J Coulter, £360

A Bothwell, £360

J & C Kenndy, £355

C & A Kennedy, £350

J & C Kenndy, £350

C & A Kennedy, £345

J Coulter, £345

Ewe lambs

A Bothwell, £230

G Calwell, £225

G Calwell, £220

A Bothwell, £220

D Mason, £220

C Quigley, £210

C & A Kennedy, £205

A Bothwell, £205

A Bothwell, £200

J Coulter, £200

Rams

B Latimer, 4400gns

C & A Kennedy, 4400gns

C & A Kenndy, 3800gns

G Calwell, 2600gns

G Calwell, 2500gns

B Latimer, 2100gns

C & A Kenndy, 2000gns

B Latimer, 1800gns

B Latimer, 1800gns

C & A Kenndy, 1600gns

Show Results

Judge: Colin Price, Wales

Shearling ram

1st - G Calwell

2nd - C & A Kennedy

3rd - B Latimer

Pen of 5 shearling ewes

1st - C & A Kennedy

2nd - A Bothwell

3rd - J & C Kennedy

Pen of 5 ewe lambs

1st - G Calwell

2nd - C & A Kennedy

3rd - C Quigley

Individual shearling ewe

1st - J & C Kennedy

2nd - A Bothwell

3rd - B Latimer