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Thirteenth Annual Official Show & Sale of MV Accredited Pedigree Beltex Sheep
Thursday 12th & Friday 13th August 2004

Growing demand for the Beltex as a terminal sire was once again endorsed on Friday August 13th 2004 when shearling rams made the breed’s second and third highest prices at 13,000gns and 12,000gns at the official society sale in Carlisle.

The ram lamb record was broken at 6,800gns - more than 3,000gns than the previous high - and shearling and lamb ram averages were both up on the year, up £297.61 and £130.74 respectively, while shearling gimmer averages rose by £183.65 on the year.

Airyolland Galahad - 13,000gns

Sale topper was Neale and Janet McQuiston's 13,000gns shearling ram Airyolland Galahad from their 80-ewe flock at High Airyolland, New Luce, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire

It sold to pedigree Beltex breeder Gordon Belcher for his Puleston flock at Lilliehurst Farm, Sherriffhales, Shifnal, Shropshire paying the breed's second highest price ever at 13,000gns. Breed records were smashed last August at 34,000gns and previously the highest price was 10,500gns.

The home-bred scrapie genotype one shearling is by a Belgian ram out of a Belgian ewe. The McQuistons are re-building their flock and using ET on their best ewes after losing their sheep in the 3km cull during foot and mouth.

Young Northern Ireland Beltex enthusiast Elizabeth McAllister paid the second top price of 12,000gns for an imported shearling ram from Gavin Shanks and Alan Thom’s Garrion flock at Bowmanhurst Farm, Brownlee Estate, Carluke, Lanarkshire.

The scrapie group one ram joins Elizabeth’s Artnagullion flock at Parkgate Road, Kells, Ballymena, Co Antrim.

There was a packed ringside for most of the two sales. Beltex Sheep Society secretary Helen Ashton said: “The breed is going from strength to strength with more sheep registered - registrations are up 30 per cent on the year.

“ The interest in the sales was reflected in the crowd and both commercial and pedigree breeders pushing up the averages.”

Pentland Hero - 6,800gns

The ram lamb record breaker Pentland Hero from Graham Craig Burke, of Easter Balado Farm Cottage, Easter Balado, Kinross, which sold for 6,800gns to father and son pedigree breeders John and Nick Frazier, of Coningswick, Kidderminster.

The ram lamb is by The Rustler, and grandson of the breed record priced ram Tullygarley Elite which sold for 34,000gns last August.

While John and Mervyn Currie, of Whitesides Road, Ballymena, Co Antrim, who bred and sold the record breaking Tullygarley Elite failed to match their top price of last August, they went home to Northern Ireland with the overall championship and a run of good shearling ram and female prices.

Judge at the previous day’s show, John McIlwraith, of Balig, Ayr, was vindicated in his choice of overall champion, a shearling gimmer shown by the Curries which went on to make the joint top price of the female sale that evening with another of their shearling gimmers.

Tullygarley Georgia is maternal sister to last year's record breaking 34,000gns ram Tullygarley Elite. Georgia sold for the joint top female price of 3,200gns shared by a group one daughter of Elite, Tullygarley Gemma, also from the Curries.

Elite was the sire of three of four shearling rams which sold well for the Curries. Tullygarley Gregg, a scrapie genotype group one ram by Elite and also this year’s Ballymena Show champion, made the top price of 6,000gns to G Forsyth, of Bishopton Farm, Whithorn, Wigtownshire.

He was the sire of one of two which made 5,500gns - Tullygarley Goldie, champion at Balmoral Show this year, to A Bishop, Allan Bank, Walwyn Road, Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire.

Tullygarley Graham, another group one ram which shares the same granddam as Elite, also made 5,500gns this time to commercial breeder Paul Slater, of Whiteley Hay Farm, Butley, Cheshire.

Such is Mr Slater’s faith in the Beltex to produce cross-bred tups and quality prime lambs that he paid another 5,500gns for Ardstewart Galaxy from Wade and Alison McCrabbe, of Gortaquigley, Raphoe, Lifford, County Donegal. Mr Slater bought a third tup from Mary Dunlop, of Broughton, Biggar, for 1,400gns.

Wade McCrabbe’s top price from his 30-ewe flock has been 7,000gns for Ardstewart Charles, the then highest price for a home-bred Beltex.

The fourth shearling sold by the Curries at 5,000gns Tullygarley Genus went to Les and Sian Hewitt, of Penyffordd, Chester who also paid the second top price for ram lambs at 3,500gns - both of which were sired by Tullygarley Elite.

The ram lamb Beachy Hercules, from John Barclay, a group one ram also by Elite from one of the Beachy flock’s best ewes based at Mid Brockloch Farm, Maybole, Ayrshire.

The Hewitts also boosted their flock of seven females with six gimmer shearlings, including the third top female price at 1,900gns for Headlind Gee Gee from Allan Jackson, of Covington Mill Farm, Thankerton, Biggar.

At 5,200gns was a group one shearling ram from John Scott’s 40-ewe pedigree flock at Fearn Farm, Tain, Ross-shire.

By Headlind Ee By Gum which has bred consistently well, out of Brickrow Excelcius, Fearn Gladiator sold to JA Cox, of Newcome Farm, Headcorn, Ashford, Kent.

Mr Scott, who runs 800 pedigree and commercial sheep, also sold a shearling ram by Brickrow Dazzle out of his successful female Cowerslane Beryl for 3,800gns to A Bishop, of Malvern.It was another group one Elite-sired shearling ram Artnagullion Gobstopper from Elizabeth McAllister’s Arnagullion flock which made 3,200gns to Keith Harryman, of Keskadale, Newlands, Keswick, Cumbria.

John Cowan, of Brickrow, Auchincruive, Ayr, had a successful run with ram lambs selling to 3,000gns for Brickrow Haystacks, again a group one, by Headlind Ee By Gum.

Leading prices:-
Rams
Neale and Janet McQuistin, High Airyolland, New Luce, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, Airyolland Galahad (lot 115), 13,000gns to G & J Belcher and Son, Lilliehurst Farm, Shifnal, Shropshire; Shanks and Thom, Bowmanhurst Farm, Brownlee Estate, Carluke, Lanark, Fakkel Van Treinhof (lot 309), 12,000gns to E McAllister, Parkgate Road, Kells, Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland; Graham Craig Burke, Easter Balado Farm Cottage, Easter Balado, Kinross, Pentland Hero (lot 572), 6,800gns to HS Frazier and Son, Coningswick Farm, Rock, Kidderminster, Worcestershire; JK Currie and Sons, Whitesides Road, Ballymena, Co Antrim, Tullygarley Gregg (lot 387), (reserve male champion) 6,000gns to G Forsyth, Bishopton Farm, Whithorn, Wigtownshire; W McCrabbe, Gortaquigley, Raphoe, Lifford, Co Donegal, Ardstewart Galaxy (lot 242), 5,500gns to GE Slater, Whiteley Hay Farm, Butley, Cheshire; JK Currie and Sons, Whitesides Road, Ballymena, Co Antrim, Tulleygarley Gregg (lot 388), 5,500gns to GE Slater; JK Currie and Sons, Tullygarley Goldie (lot 389), 5,500gns to A Bishop, Allan Bank, Walwyn Road, Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire; J Scott and Partners, Fearn Farm, Tain, Ross-shire, Fearn Gladiator (lot 256), 5,200gns to JA Cox, Newcombe Farm, Lenham Road, Headcorn, Ashford, Kent; JK Currie and Sons, Tullygarley Genus (lot 390), 5,000gns to L and SE Hewitt, Woodlane Farm, Penyffordd, Chester; J Scott and Partners, Fearn Grand Slam (lot 255), 3,800gns to A Bishop; John J Barclay, Mid Brockloch Farm, Maybole, Ayrshire Beach Hercules (lot 500), 3,500gns to L and SE Hewitt; Elizabeth McAllister, Artnagullion Gobstopper (lot 436), 3,200gns to KD Harryman, Keskadale, Newlands, Keswick, Cumbria; John Cowan, Brickrow, Auchincruive, Ayr, Brickrow Haystacks (lot 540), 3,000gns to B Arthurs, Dunlevy Road, Portaferry, Newtonards, Co Down, Northern Ireland.

Females
JK Currie and Sons, Tullygarley Georgia (lot 62), (supreme and female champion) 3,200gns to JF Allan, Burgh Muir, Biggar, Lanarkshire; JK Currie and Sons, Tullygarley Gemma (lot 68), (reserve female champion) 3,200gns to JE Curry, Overdene, Ovington, Prudhoe, Northumberland; Allan Jackson, Covington Mill Farm, Thankerton, Biggar, Headlind Gee Gee (lot 75), 1,900gns to L and SE Hewitt.

Averages:
7 aged rams, £1,050 (no comparison); 282 shearling rams, £936.01 (plus £297.61); 71 lamb rams, £887.32 (plus £130.74); 78 shearling gimmers, £633.97 (plus £183.65).

The supreme champion, left, a gimmer shearling from J Currie and Sons, and the reserve supreme, a ram from Colin Barnes, both Northern Ireland breeders at Thursday's Beltex Show and Sale at Borderway Mart, Carlisle. Left to right, standing, John Hall, Dalston, who awarded a cup to the supreme champion, John Currie, the judge John McIlwraith, of Ayr, and Colin Barnes, with Mervyn Currie holding the champion and Paul Barnes with the reserve supreme.

The show ring is packed with the huge shearling ram class watched by a full ringside.

more photos>>