All roads to Beatties’ Pedigree Centre, Co. Tyrone, on Friday, April 28th, 2023, for the Springtime Sparklers Sale, which is now firmly established as a “must go to” event for pedigree and commercial sheep breeders, writes farming journalist, Catherina Cunnane.
According to organisers, the catalogue is “bursting at the seams” with top bloodlines from proven successful lines within the noted flocks of:
- Derg;
- Springhill;
- Bodoney;
- Bessiebell;
- Little Whisker;
- Johnstown flocks.
Guest consignors:
- Knockmult;
- Dynawhite;
- Tullynagowen.
It includes:
- Ewes with lambs at foot;
- Dry hoggets;
- Recipients with pedigree ET lambs at foot;
- Ram lambs.
Breeds include:
- Charollais;
- Chartex;
- Blue Texel;
- Badger Face Texel;
- Dutch Spotted;
- Suftex;
- Texel.
Charollais
Graham Foster has drafted 10 ET Charollais ewe lambs and 2 Chartex ewe lambs for the Springtime Sparklers Sale.
The Charollais ewe lambs are by Springhill Aston Martin (first prize ram lamb Balmoral 2022), Ballynoe House Playboy and Springhill Adonis (sold 2022 to Jim Neil and Stuart Ramsey for 8k).
Dams include Wernfawr ewe, which bred ewe lambs to 1900gns last year at Springtime Sparklers, and 7500gns Tullyear Uptown Lady. Also included are maternal sisters to 10k Boyo Walk This Way and a maternal sister to Springhill Viper.
Two Chartex ewe lambs are January-born triplets suitable for showing in commercial classes, according to the sales catalogue.
The dam was purchased privately from Boyo Flock, and the sire is Kilduff Ethan, a Loosebeare Chief son.
Little Whisker
Janet Carson, Little Whisker, has two Badgerface ewes with 2 lambs at foot, each sired by Little Whisker Cypress.
An ET Badgerface ewe lamb out of Cypress and the flock’s reserve champion ewe at Omagh, along with a black ewe lamb carrying Badgerface genetics out of an imported 90-point ewe and sired by Little Whisker Scar.
The flock’s offering also includes a Dutch imported shearling Badgerface ewe, a Dutch Spotted imported shearling ewe and a home-bred ewe lamb sired by the £3000 Tiptop Faberge.
There is also a home-bred Blue Texel shearling ewe sired by the £5000 Saltire Earthquake and an ET ewe lamb out of the renounced Little Whisker Cora and sired by the imported ram, Bagheera.
Dutch Spotted
Chris Johnson of the Johnstown flock has 1 set of twin ET Dutch spotted ewe lambs, which are by his new stock ram, Espresso Martini, and out of his “most consistent” breeding ewes, Charlene.
Meanwhile, Seamus Killen of the Ballintur flock has two Dutch Spotted imported shearling ewes.
Stephen and Paddy Fee of the Tullynagowan flock will have 2 Dutch Spotted ewe lambs and 2 ram lambs sired by the successful ram, Carluston Extrovert.
Texels and Blue Texels
Nathan Armstrong will put Texels – 2 ewe lambs and 1 ram lamb, along with single ET outfits – under the hammer.
Allen Shortt of Derg Flock has 3 Blue Texel ET lambs, sired by 30,000gns Sunnybank Fergus – which previously made headlines on That’s Farming after setting a new record price for the breed – out of some of the top breeding ewes in the flock.
Meanwhile, Russel Millen will offer 2 Badgerface ewe lambs out of 4500 Sunnybank Colourful, One by 8k Duhonw Frank the Tank and one by a Workman import, for sale.
Also, a ram by Brown and a Mason ewe by Duhonw Frank the Tank is catalogued.
He will also have a blue ewe lamb out of 4500 Derg Fantasy by Drumard Ed And one by Derg Fantasy by Cleenagh Fandabadozy, and a ram lamb with the same breeding as the aforementioned Knockmult flock.
Badger Face Texel
Andrew McCutcheon has Badgerface gimmers, and a Dutch Spotted gimmer for sale next week, while an entry of Suftex will be forwarded from Jack Smyth, featuring eight ewe lambs and one shearling ewe.
Several of these are sired by the 25k Frongroy Rocket and include two full sisters to the All-Ireland ewe lamb champion 2022.
More information
For pre-sale enquiries, contact Richard Beattie on 07984694616
The sale kicks off at 7 pm with viewing at 109 Glenpark Road Omagh from 5 pm on Friday evening, April 28th, 2023.
