Suffolks draw the crowds in Meath
By FWi staff
TOM BAILEY, one of the biggest spenders to hit the Suffolk sheep world in recent years, staged a successful reduction sale from his Glenho and Baileys flocks in Eire last weekend (1-2 December), where prices reached 8500gns.
A packed house of over 400 breeders, including a contingent from the mainland, gathered at Tattersalls, Fairyhouse, Co Meath, to see the results of some of Mr Baileys hefty investment.
In 1998, he paid the record price of 75,000gns for Stockton Almighty bred by John Sinnett, Worcs, and went on to invest another 50,000gns in Stockton Caesar whose sons have sold to 20,000gns.
It was a son of Caesar, aptly named Stockton Caesarson, that sired the sales top priced gimmer.
She is bred out of a Cairness ewe that cost 13,000gns by Cairness Golddust, with the million earning ram Pankymoor Prelude as grand-sire.
The gimmer, bought by Cairness flock owner Jimmy Douglas from Aberdeenshire, is in-lamb to service sire Glenisla Sydney, a 26,000gns ram by Crosemanor Commandeur.
Jimmy Douglas invested another 4000gns in a gimmer by Stockton Almighty and out of a Cairness Court ewe.
She had been served by Glenho Genereux, who is bred from Sydney and one of the best Suffolk rams Mr Bailey says he has ever bred.