The West of Ireland Registered Pedigree Suffolk Sheep Breeders Club held its 53rd annual show and sale in Roscommon Mart last Friday night.
Judge for the show was Jim Jeffery of the renowned Bawnard Flock, Co Cork.
The ewe lamb class kicked off proceedings where a stylish Malinhead Al Capone-sired lamb was tapped out at the top of the line. This lady went on to sell through the ring for €1,000.
Judging in the ram classes commenced with the novice class. In what was a very strong line-up of rams, it was a Finnvale Bushwacker-sired lamb from James Murray’s Cornboy Flock which caught the attention of the judge right from the start.
He showed himself exceptionally well and claimed the red rosette over the second-placed ram - a Limestone Paddywhack-sired lamb from Charles Hughes’ Lankill Flock.
Gigot winner went to Michael Hastings of the Western flock, which later sold for the top price of €2,650.
Both these rams went on to compete in the open where they once again stood first and second in the class.
The gigot class saw a super carcased lamb from Michael Hastings’ Western Flock top the class.
This strong lamb was sired by Limestone Bugatti, the same ram which had sired Michael’s novice class winner at the Suffolk Sheep Society national premier sale in Blessington the previous week.
Second in the gigot class was an Errigal Enzo-sired lamb from the Lisakillen Flock of John Oakman.
In the final line-up, it was the first- and second-placed prizewinners from the novice and open which Jim tapped out as his supreme champion and reserve of the show.
Sale
A huge crowd had gathered for the sale and it began under auctioneer Tom Cox’s expert eye, with each ram having been veterinary inspected prior to the sale.
Kicking off proceedings in the ram sale was a strong lamb from the Ballygarris pen.
This Sheep Improvement Scheme-eligible (SIS) ram was knocked down at €940 to a commercial breeder and it set the trend for the remainder of the sale.
Bidding for good-quality SIS-eligible rams was fierce both online and ringside, with huge demand from commercial breeders in particular.
Winner in the ewe lamb went to Coote and Trevor Geelan of the Lough Rynn flock, which later sold for €1,000.
The champion of the day from the Cornboy flock saw two ringside battle hard until it was eventually knocked down at €2,300 to a Co Offaly commercial breeder.
The reserve champion went under the hammer at €1,250, once again to a commercial breeder.
However, it was Michael Hastings' Limestone Bugatti-sired lamb which topped the sale.
This double-five-star scheme-eligible ram was in demand with a number of breeders ringside, but it eventually went under the hammer to Suffolk breeder Mark Miley of the Milo Flock in Roscommon for €2,650.
Other leading prices on the night were €1,440, €1,300, €1,100 and €1,060, with 93% of the rams sold heading into the commercial sector.
With almost every ram sold on the night, demand was outstripping supply and the ram sale resulted in an overall average of €1,075, with Tom Cox describing trade as "exceptionally strong with top-quality rams driving demand".
The next club sale will take place in Athenry Mart on Friday 16 August, where there will once again be a large selection of SIS-eligible rams.
The West of Ireland Registered Pedigree Suffolk Sheep Breeders Club held its 53rd annual show and sale in Roscommon Mart last Friday night.
Judge for the show was Jim Jeffery of the renowned Bawnard Flock, Co Cork.
The ewe lamb class kicked off proceedings where a stylish Malinhead Al Capone-sired lamb was tapped out at the top of the line. This lady went on to sell through the ring for €1,000.
Judging in the ram classes commenced with the novice class. In what was a very strong line-up of rams, it was a Finnvale Bushwacker-sired lamb from James Murray’s Cornboy Flock which caught the attention of the judge right from the start.
He showed himself exceptionally well and claimed the red rosette over the second-placed ram - a Limestone Paddywhack-sired lamb from Charles Hughes’ Lankill Flock.
Gigot winner went to Michael Hastings of the Western flock, which later sold for the top price of €2,650.
Both these rams went on to compete in the open where they once again stood first and second in the class.
The gigot class saw a super carcased lamb from Michael Hastings’ Western Flock top the class.
This strong lamb was sired by Limestone Bugatti, the same ram which had sired Michael’s novice class winner at the Suffolk Sheep Society national premier sale in Blessington the previous week.
Second in the gigot class was an Errigal Enzo-sired lamb from the Lisakillen Flock of John Oakman.
In the final line-up, it was the first- and second-placed prizewinners from the novice and open which Jim tapped out as his supreme champion and reserve of the show.
Sale
A huge crowd had gathered for the sale and it began under auctioneer Tom Cox’s expert eye, with each ram having been veterinary inspected prior to the sale.
Kicking off proceedings in the ram sale was a strong lamb from the Ballygarris pen.
This Sheep Improvement Scheme-eligible (SIS) ram was knocked down at €940 to a commercial breeder and it set the trend for the remainder of the sale.
Bidding for good-quality SIS-eligible rams was fierce both online and ringside, with huge demand from commercial breeders in particular.
Winner in the ewe lamb went to Coote and Trevor Geelan of the Lough Rynn flock, which later sold for €1,000.
The champion of the day from the Cornboy flock saw two ringside battle hard until it was eventually knocked down at €2,300 to a Co Offaly commercial breeder.
The reserve champion went under the hammer at €1,250, once again to a commercial breeder.
However, it was Michael Hastings' Limestone Bugatti-sired lamb which topped the sale.
This double-five-star scheme-eligible ram was in demand with a number of breeders ringside, but it eventually went under the hammer to Suffolk breeder Mark Miley of the Milo Flock in Roscommon for €2,650.
Other leading prices on the night were €1,440, €1,300, €1,100 and €1,060, with 93% of the rams sold heading into the commercial sector.
With almost every ram sold on the night, demand was outstripping supply and the ram sale resulted in an overall average of €1,075, with Tom Cox describing trade as "exceptionally strong with top-quality rams driving demand".
The next club sale will take place in Athenry Mart on Friday 16 August, where there will once again be a large selection of SIS-eligible rams.
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