The Belclare Sheep Society held its premier sale in Kilkenny earlier this month. Record prices were achieved on the day with the previous record being surpassed on two occasions.
Attendees did not have to wait long for the records to be broken as lot 10, a shearling ram, Oltore Fred from the Oltore Flock sold for €3,700.
This ‘stylish’ ram created a lot of interest prior to the sale. Oltore Fred was bred by Tim Keady who runs the Oltore Flock in Caherlistrane, Co. Galway.
Oltore Fred had power, length and conformation and Eurostar values of €7.49 (top 3%) and €1.32 (top 16%) for replacement and terminal indexes, respectively.
After rapid bidding, auctioneer George Chandler dropped the hammer at €3,700. This record price follows on from the previous record of €3,000 set in 2019 by a ram from the Tubber flock of Liam and Eoin Dunne. The successful bidders were Christopher McLaughlin and Liam and JJ McDermott from the Beltra and Glenagivey flocks in Donegal.
Ram lambs top out at record €3,100
Securing top price in the ram lamb section was the Kilmeany Flock of Larry Barrett. Sired by Silverbrook Fabio from a homebred ewe, Kilmeany Ganger, a stylish ram, boasted Eurostar values of €8.09 (top 1%) and €1.45 (top 11%) for replacement and terminal indexes respectively.
After a lot of intense bidding, both online and ringside, the hammer fell at €3,100 – a new breed record for a ram lamb.
The second-highest price in the ram lamb section went to Knockcroghery Gram from the flock of Declan, Mark and Joe Miley in Co. Roscommon. This ram had earlier secured reserve champion in the show and boasted Eurostar values of €6.86 and €1.43 for the replacement (top 14%) and terminal (top 12%) indexes, respectively. The hammer fell on this ram lamb at €1,700.
Closely following up on this was lot 99, Coolgarragh Gio, bred by Liam Delaney Ballylinan, Co. Kildare. This ram also had power and length and boasted Eurostar values of €6.81 and €1.62 for the replacement (top 15%) and terminal (top 6%) indexes, respectively. The hammer fell at €1,600.
Both John Mctigue, Mayo and Jeramiah Anthony Collins, Cork secured €1,300 for the top rams from their Ballynulty and Level Crossing flocks respectively.
Champions
Tasked with judging was Sheena Mc Carty. The supreme champion was awarded to lot 74, Tubber Golden, a ram lamb from the flock of Liam and Eoin Dunne. This is the second time the Tubber Flock won overall champion in the past three years. This ram lamb sold for €550.
The yellow rosette went to John Mctigue’s lot 105, Ballynulty Garcia, which was sired by Violet Hill Eurylochus and from a homebred ewe.
The champion shearling ram, went to lot 7, Coolkellure Fidal, which was shown by Declan, Mark and Joe Miley. Sired by Knockcroghery Eldorado, the hammer fell on this ram at €800.
The yellow rosette in the shearling ram lamb section went to lot 13, Oltore Fantastic, bred by Tim Keady.
Judge Sheena McCarty awarded female champion to a ewe hogget from the Oltore Flock of Tim Keady. The Oltore Flock was also awarded the yellow rosette for a hogget ewe sired by Oltore Elvis from a homebred ewe.
The reserve female champion was awarded to a ewe hogget from the Coolkellure Flock of Michael Gottstein.