The NI Rouge Club held its premier sale on bank holiday Monday 26 August in Dungannon Mart. The judge for the day was Ian McConnell from Dumfries. With 49 sheep catalogued for the sale, trade remained consistent throughout the day with the sale achieving an 80% clearance rate.

Taking top honours of overall champion in the pre-sale show was Ballyhivistock Clinker, the last ram lamb to be sold from the Ballyhivistock flock of the late Robert Calvin. Following on from his success in the show ring, this tremendous lamb went on to sell for the top price of the sale, 1,600gns (€1,998).

Ram lamb prices remained consistent throughout the day with an average of £590 (€700) obtained.

The overall reserve champion of the day came from the Tullyvallen flock of AJ Graham.

This shearling ewe went on to sell for 1,000gns (€1,250), making her the day’s top-priced female.

The next top price in the female section also came from the Tullyvallen flock with another shearling ewe selling for 850gns (€1,062).

There was a larger demand for females than previous years with the females present selling to average £594 (€706).

Shearling ram prices remained strong throughout the sale with the top price of 1,150gns (€1,437) coming from the Fairyglen flock of S&J Kerr.

The Oldwood flock of James Houston also had great success with his pen of shearlings picking up first and second in the pre-sale show and going on to sell his three rams for 1,100gns (€1,374), 1,000gns (€1,249) and 820gns (€1,025). The overall average of the seven shearlings rams forward was £855 (€1,017).