By Sarah:

Stockton Almighty

There was a strong demand for Suffolk females with prices soaring to a top of 5,200 Euros at the 14th annual production sale from the noted Baileys flock.

Buyers travelled from throughout Ireland and the UK to the County Meath farm of Tom Bailey.

The sale leader was a January 2010 born gimmer by the flock’s jointly owned stock ram Cairness Kanine, and bred from a ewe by the 26,000gns Glenisla Syndey – reserve champion at Edinburgh in 2000. This much sought-after gimmer attracted a tussle of bids from the packed salering, with the successful bidder being David Duncan from Crumlin in County Antrim. This outstanding gimmer is in-lamb to the breed’s 2010 Sire of the Year Cairness Liam, which has produced sons to a top of 90,000gns.

Next best at 3,500 Euros was a Cairness New Approach daughter bred from a ewe by the 70,000gns Rhaeadr Rossi. This gimmer is bred from the same dam as the noted 8,000gns Baileys BMW – supreme champion at the Royal Highland and Royal Welsh shows last year. Carrying in-lamb to Cairness Kanine, she was snapped up by Patrick Grant from Kilcoo near Newry, County Down.

Cairness New Approach was also behind the breeding of a gimmer which caught the eye of Francis Mangan, Cappoquinn, County Waterford, at 3,000 Euros. This one was bred from a ewe by the 45,000gns Boreland Buddah. She is in-lamb to Rhaeadr Rossi – the 2006 Edinburgh and Royal Highland Show champion.

Also selling at 3,000 Euros was a Cairness Kanine daughter bred from a Perrinpit ewe by Davishill Dambuster. She was AI’d to Cairness Liam and sold to Geoffrey Douglas from Limavady, County Londonderry.

Ewes from the Baileys consignment sold to a top of 1,800 Euros, realised by a January 2009 born Cairness Almighty the Second daughter. She was bred from a Strathisla ewe by Strathisla Kingsway, and is in-lamb to the 70,000gns Rhaeadr Rossi. Buyer was English breeder C J Holmes from Rookery Farm, Broadway, Worcestershire.

Next best at 1,600 Euros was a January 2006 born Boreland Buddah ewe which goes back to the noted 10,000gns Kinmundy T1 ewe. She is in-lamb to the Baileys Bacchus son, Cairness Crean.
An entry of ewes from guest consignor Gerry Killilea from County Galway, reached a ceiling of 3,000 Euros. Leading the Carragh flock’s offering was a January 2009 born ET daughter of Baileys Masterpiece, bred from a ewe by Glenhead Glint O Gold. She won numerous prizes as a lamb and as a shearling. Scanned with twins by Ardlea Action, this one caught the eye of James Browne from Letterkenny, County Donegal.

Carragh gimmers peaked at 2,000 Euros, realised by an ET Baileys Masterpiece daughter, out of a ewe by Carragh Romeo. She is carrying twins by the Fordafourie President son, Cairness Direct Line. Buyer was Iain Barbour who runs the noted Solwaybank flock based at Beechgrove Farm in Annan, Dumfries.

An ET gimmer by the Strathisla Schumacher son, Debura Deezer, sold for 1,000 Euros, leading the guest consignment from Trevor Burke’s DeBruca flock based at Tuam in County Galway. Bred from a stylish Knockeroghery King daughter, this one is scanned in-lamb to Chessy James.

Averages: Baileys flock, 24 gimmers 1,609 Euros each and 13 ewes 900 Euros each; Carragh flock, 10 gimmers 1,050 Euros each and 12 ewes 1,158 Euros each; De Burca flock, 12 gimmers at 683 Euros each.

Auctioneers: JP and M Doyle Ltd.