Offaly sheep farmer snaps up Beltex ram for 45,000gns

Lurg Grand Slam ET which sold for 45,000gns to a partnership between two buyers in Co Offaly and Northern Ireland

A Co Offaly sheep farmer has snapped up a 45,000gn Beltex ram at Carlisle in partnership with a breeder in Northern Ireland.

New records for ram lambs and shearling ram averages were achieved at the Beltex Sheep Society’s Premier Sale in Scotland last weekend.

With many pedigree breeders investing in new stock sires, no fewer than 12 shearling rams sold for five-figure prices as 575 shearling rams cashed in to average £1,865 (€2,218) - a rise of £365 on the year for 94 fewer when 669 averaged £1,500 (€1,784) in 2021.

Similarly, four ram lambs broke the five-figure barrier as 131 lambs levelled at £2,044 (€2,431) - up nearly €500 on the 2021 sale when 145 averaged £1,666 (€1,981).

Females, however, met a stickier trade and were led by two at 3,500gns as 188 traded to average £675 (€803), against 250 at £991 (€1,178) last year.

The top prices reflected the placings in the pre-sale show, with the Supreme Champion, Alan Miller’s Lurg Goliath ET, soaring to the top price of 50,000gns with his full brother, Lurg Grand Slam ET, selling for 45,000gns just two lots later.

The sale-leading duo from Alan, wife Rachel, and daughter, Ellie, from Midmar, Inverurie, are the result of a flush from the 16,000gns Woodies Explosive bought back in 2020, and the 3000gns Sinclair’s Daisy, a Kingledores Battleaxe daughter bought the previous year and a favourite of Rachel’s.

Goliath also had a successful summer show season, standing Reserve to his dam at Banchory and Turriff shows, as well as at the Scottish National at Perth Show the week prior to Carlisle.

His embryo brother, Lurg Grand Slam ET, attracted nearly as much attention when sold on the phone to two breeders from the Emerald Isle – Gary Beacom, Lakeview, Fivemiletown, Co Tyrone, and Brian Mathews, Quarrymount, Tullamore, Co Offaly – for 45,000gns. Incredibly, Alan’s pen of 10 shearlings averaged €18,424, with plenty more in the top prices.

A total of six shearlings realised 8000gns, with the remaining two coming from Wade and Alison McCrabbe’s Ardstewart pen from Raphoe, Co Donegal.

First up was Ardstewart Gee Whiz ET, a son of Topflite Al Pacino bred from another Iglo daughter in the shape of Ardstewart Dior. He caught the eye of David Brown for his Brownville Flock near Newry, Co Down.

Ram Lambs

Ram lambs proved the star attraction on the first day, with trade peaking at 25,000gns for the Reserve Supreme Champion and 20,000gns for another by the same sire.

Hitting the high note was Brilley Hulk ET from Jamie and Richard Jerman, from Witney-on-Wye, who welcomed a cracking average of £12,333 (€14,671) for three lambs from the same flush – the 12,000gns Ardstewart Fred Flintstone on to the 5,000gns Hackney Dior, a Topflite Al Pacino daughter.

Hulk caught the eye of Wade and Alison McCrabbe who will take him across the water to their Ardstewart Flock in Donegal.

A further two lambs broke the five-figure barrier, and at 16,000gns was the second prize ram lamb, Muirton High and Mighty ET, from Jimmy Young’s Aberdeenshire-based flock. Sired by the Heatheryhall Fast and Furious ram shared between four Aberdeenshire flocks and selling to Northern Ireland’s Matt Burleigh for his Matt’s Flock, his dam is the Langlands Bruiser-sired Muirton Dee Dee.

Another three lots later and Gordon and Lynsey Carroll’s Edendiack Hitman ET sold to Elizabeth and William McAllister’s Artnagullion Flock from Kells, Ballymena, for 14,000gns. Bred from the Airyolland Choco daughter, Edendiack Franchesco, his sire is the 7000gns Kingledores Einstein.

Recouping some of his expenditure, Matt Burleigh received 8000gns from the Jerman brothers for his Matt’s Hercules ET. Full of home breeding on his dam’s side, being out of the Matt’s Defender-bred Matt’s Equipped, he is by the privately purchased Buckles Fizzy Pop.