The Irish Vendéen Sheep Society held its annual premier show and sale in Roscommon Mart on Saturday, 15 July. A strong entry of good-quality ram lambs, shearling rams, ewe lambs and shearling ewes saw just under 80% of the female lots find new homes, while the male lots met a 93% clearance.
Big crowds brought an air of optimism to the northwest auction centre, as the day’s proceedings were kicked off with the pre-sale show.
Taking on the task of judging was Mayo breeder Michael Oliver. Michael, who is no stranger to the show ring himself, tapped out Longford breeder John Lynch’s ram lambs as the overall champion and reserve overall champion of the pre-sale show on the morning.
Securing titles such as these are no small feat. However, this is the sixth time that Lynch’s Ballinascraw flock scooped the title.
Plaudits
Taking the plaudits on the day was the homebred ram Ballinascraw Ben. Ben is sired by Kilbride Warrior, making him a paternal half brother to the 2022 top-priced ram, who also came from the Ballinascraw flock.
Ben proved to be the star of the day as he won the Pat Oliver production cup for five-star rams, as well as the Harry Browne memorial cup for scooping overall champion. Homebred Ballinascraw Barron, sired by Ballinascraw Aramis, was then tapped out as the reserve champion.
Both rams went on to fetch the highest prices in the sale; reserve champion Ballinascraw Barron sold for €1,380 to the Dunganny Vendéen flock in Co Meath. However, it was sale champion Ballinascraw Ben’s big day, as he broke the record for the highest-priced Vendéen ram sold at auction in Ireland.
The previous record of €1,760 was held by the Killeen Vendéen flock in Co Meath and has stood since the premier sale in 2003. After 20 years this record was broken, as the hammer fell for Ben at €2,060, as he sold to the Kiltoome Vendéen flock in Co Westmeath.
High prices
Other high prices at the sale included Ciaran Coughlan’s Noggus Braveheart that sold for €1,040. Braveheart was sired by the French imported ram, Noggus Whiskey King.Cheryl O’Brien’s all-Ireland champion ram lamb, Quitrent Blythe, sold for €900.Ann Ford’s Kilbride Bowie also sold for €900, to the Four Winds Vendéen flock in Co Galway.Ewes
The top-priced female was Sessiagh Alyssandra, originally bred by the Sessiagh Vendéen flock in Co Donegal, and sold by Andrew Gilmore of the Valley View flock in Co Cavan; Alyssandra sold to the Stonepark Vendéen flock in Co Roscommon for €720.
The Irish Vendéen Sheep Society held its annual premier show and sale in Roscommon Mart on Saturday, 15 July. A strong entry of good-quality ram lambs, shearling rams, ewe lambs and shearling ewes saw just under 80% of the female lots find new homes, while the male lots met a 93% clearance.
Big crowds brought an air of optimism to the northwest auction centre, as the day’s proceedings were kicked off with the pre-sale show.
Taking on the task of judging was Mayo breeder Michael Oliver. Michael, who is no stranger to the show ring himself, tapped out Longford breeder John Lynch’s ram lambs as the overall champion and reserve overall champion of the pre-sale show on the morning.
Securing titles such as these are no small feat. However, this is the sixth time that Lynch’s Ballinascraw flock scooped the title.
Plaudits
Taking the plaudits on the day was the homebred ram Ballinascraw Ben. Ben is sired by Kilbride Warrior, making him a paternal half brother to the 2022 top-priced ram, who also came from the Ballinascraw flock.
Ben proved to be the star of the day as he won the Pat Oliver production cup for five-star rams, as well as the Harry Browne memorial cup for scooping overall champion. Homebred Ballinascraw Barron, sired by Ballinascraw Aramis, was then tapped out as the reserve champion.
Both rams went on to fetch the highest prices in the sale; reserve champion Ballinascraw Barron sold for €1,380 to the Dunganny Vendéen flock in Co Meath. However, it was sale champion Ballinascraw Ben’s big day, as he broke the record for the highest-priced Vendéen ram sold at auction in Ireland.
The previous record of €1,760 was held by the Killeen Vendéen flock in Co Meath and has stood since the premier sale in 2003. After 20 years this record was broken, as the hammer fell for Ben at €2,060, as he sold to the Kiltoome Vendéen flock in Co Westmeath.
High prices
Other high prices at the sale included Ciaran Coughlan’s Noggus Braveheart that sold for €1,040. Braveheart was sired by the French imported ram, Noggus Whiskey King.Cheryl O’Brien’s all-Ireland champion ram lamb, Quitrent Blythe, sold for €900.Ann Ford’s Kilbride Bowie also sold for €900, to the Four Winds Vendéen flock in Co Galway.Ewes
The top-priced female was Sessiagh Alyssandra, originally bred by the Sessiagh Vendéen flock in Co Donegal, and sold by Andrew Gilmore of the Valley View flock in Co Cavan; Alyssandra sold to the Stonepark Vendéen flock in Co Roscommon for €720.
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