A Donegal-based pedigree Dutch Spotted breeder has set what is understood to be a new breed price record in the Republic of Ireland with a ewe lamb.
Lot 25, Mc Dermott’s Gigi ET, from the flock of Kevin McDermott, Gleneely, sold for €5,550 at the second Spring Superstars Sheep Sale at Ballybofey and Stranorlar Co-op Livestock Mart on Saturday, June 3rd, 2023.
Gigi, according to McDermott, is “the most heavily muscled female offered for sale from the flock to date”.
“She is a flashy, young lamb with a great skin, carcass, loin and end,” he remarked.
Mc Dermott’s Gigi ET
The February 2nd, 2023-born ewe lamb is sired by £5,000gns. DIAMOND ELECTRO, who has bred the overall champion & reserve overall champion Irish Dutch Spotted Sheep Association’s premier sale in 2022.
DIAMOND ELECTRO, according to McDermott, has sired males and females to €5,000, with an Irish record price for both males and females.
Her dam, GLENCOY DANDELION, is sired by CHALLOCH BARESKIN, who bred to females to £11,000gns.
Her full ET sister stood fifth in her line-up last year at the association’s official premier sale last year, while her full maternal sister went on to sell for €1,700 at the inaugural Spring Superstars Sale last year.
Gigi herself now heads across the waters to the Sunnybank Flock of Henry Jewitt in Durham in the UK.
[Video credit – LSL Auctions]
Previous breed price record
Local and overseas purchasers were active at the Irish Dutch Spotted Association’s second annual premier show and sale last year.
Two entries sold for a joint top call of €5,000 at the sale at Midland and Western Livestock Improvement Society LTD’s venue at the Showgrounds in Carrick-on-Shannon.
First up was the overall champion, McDermott’s Fast & Furious, a Diamond Electro-sired ram lamb bred by Kevin McDermott from Gleneely, Donegal.
At the same price tag was the reserve champion, a ewe lamb, Cashel Hill Faydell, by the same sire as the champion bred by Joseph Harkin from Gleneely, Donegal.
Read more on this mart report.
