There was a sharp trade throughout the day for the 70 sheep put forward for sale in Dungannon at the NI Beltex breeders club sale on Monday last. A clearance rate of 75% was achieved on the day.

The average price was also well up on last year’s sale with shearling rams averaging 949gns (€1,184) up 307gns (€382) on last year’s average of 642gns (€801).

Lakeview Jet Off ET a shearling ewe started the day off very successfully for breeder Gary Beacom picking up female champion and overall champion of the presale show.

Later in the day following on from her successful morning in the show ring the Lurg Grand Slam daughter went on to sell for the top price of the day, 3,500gns (€4,365).

The days reserve female champion came from breeder John Harbinson and sold for 2,000gns (€2,494), both of these top-class females selling to Douglas Nisbet.

The next top price of the shearling ewe section came from Gary Beacom, with a half sister to the days top priced lot. She sold for 1,000gns (€1,247) to Hugh O’Neill. Matt’s J20 a shearling ewe from Mathew Burleigh also sold for 1,000gns (€1,247) to Donegal breeder Alan McCandless.

The overall Champion of the day went to Glenview Jaguar a shearling ram from Sean Daly, where he then went on to sell for 3,000gns (€3,742) to breeder Kenny Preston.

Sean Daly’s Glenview flock continued their successful day selling another Ardstewart Galileo son for 2,800gns (€3,492) to Elizabeth McAllister, Gary Beacom and Russell Symton. The five shearling rams brought forward from Sean Daly sold to average 1,656gns (€2,065).

The Derryogue flock of Edward Nicholson also had a great day selling with his pen of shearling rams topping at 1,800gns (€2,245) to Elizabeth McAllister, and achieving a pen average of 1,100gns (€1,306) for his 7 Artnagullion Fergus sired rams.

The ram lamb section was topped at 600gns (€713) from Joshua Keys with Bolies King a January born lamb sired by Muirton High and Mighty.