The Virginia Show Society, Carnaross Mart and the North East Texel Club jointly hosted a special sale of pedigree Texel sheep in the society’s impressive show arena on Saturday last, September 11.

The show and sale comprised 10 pedigree Texel females and 80 Texel rams.

Robert Walker received the top price of €1,020 for lot 80, the reserve champion. This was a double 5-star ram sired by Harestone Commander, who was also the sire of Robert’s champion at Blessington's premier sale.

The next highest price was €1,000 for lot 55 from John and Colm McHugh. Again, this was a double 5-star ram, by Greenstar Dynamite.

The McHugh’s also sold lot 52, a Procters Class Act son for €960.

Enda Kearney’s champion ram lamb by Procters Cocktail sold for €820. Two other rams were sold for €820; Sean and Peter McGee’s lot 10 and Irene and Iris Brazil’s lot 11.

Robert Walker was in the money again with lot 82 making €740.

Sean and Peter McGee’s first placed ram lamb in the LambPlus class sold for €620.

Terry Dolan’s two prize-winning hogget rams made €660 and €600 respectively, with Matthew Murray’s hogget ram selling for €640.

Overall, there was a 70% clearance with ram prices averaging out at €475.

There was a brisk trade for the females forwarded on the day, with a clearance of over 90%.

Aidan and David Craig’s second-placed hogget achieved the top price of €740.

Noel and Barry Gallagher’s hoggets sold for €680 and €540 respectively, while Mervyn Steenson’s ewe lamb sold for €500.

There was a pre-sale show comprising five different classes. The judge on the day was Wexford-native John Neville, the vice chairman of The Irish Texel Sheep Society.

The results of the classes were as follows:

Females:

Shearling ram:

Novice ram lamb:

Open ram lamb:

LambPlus class:

Overall champion

Reserve champion

The society plans on making this sale a major annual sale for pedigree Texel sheep at this venue in future years.