Dungannon Texels top at 28,000gns

Trading on mainland UK may be held up by foot-and-mouth restrictions, but for Northern Irish breeders there has been no let up in the sales season, with last week’s premier Texel sale at Dungannon showing just what the province has to offer.

Leading the way with a 28,000gns sale were the ram lambs. The sale topper, Forkins Nijinsky, is by Douganhill McFly and out of a dam by Knock Impulse which is famous for having sired the highest priced ram lamb in the UK, Tophill Joe for 122,000gns. Bred in Alistair Gault’s flock at Newtownabbey, Nijinsky was purchased by Tom Bailey from Co Meath, Eire.