Scottish breeders made their presence felt a Bluefaced Leicester Association sale at Ballymena, buying the top two highest priced lambs at 23,000gns and 19,000gns.

Dearest and setting a new Northern Ireland breed record was a lamb from Declan McKillop’s Giants Causeway flock, which sold to four Scottish breeders – Mrs Obie Sharp, for her Newbiggins Walls flock, from Lauder; Colin Campbell, Easter Happrew, Stobo; Jim and Colin Dick, Hamildean, Peebles; and Malcolm Thornborrow and sons, Craig and Gary, Easter Dawyck, Stobo. A fifth share sold to Melvin and Kevin Ridley, of the Shitlington flock, Wark.

The lamb, a son of the £10,000 L1 Farden Popeye is out of a K14 home-bred ewe that goes back to an E1 Hewgill.

The breeder of that sire, Alan Shennan, Farden, Girvan, and Jamie Pirie, Blarnavaid, Drymen, then went to 19,000gns for a lamb from Graham and Julie Loughery’s Temain flock. He is by the £20,000 Yore House Maverick bought last year at Hawes in a five-way split and bred from a home-bred ewe by a Hewgill sire.

His two ET brothers made 10,000gns and 5500gns, with the first selling to T Wray, M Kelly, and M Conway, with the Lougherys retaining a quarter share. The 5500gns lamb was knocked down to Sarah Jane Loughery, Gortnarney.

A flying trade throughout for the Temain flock, from Limavady, saw the fourth lamb, again by the Yorehouse sire, make 6500gns to the Maskview flock owned by the Staunton family, with another from the Loughreys making 4200gns.

Temain also sold shearling rams at 3600gns, 3400gns and 3200gns.

Another personal best was achieved by Brendan McAlister’s Aughaboy flock, which sold to 14,000gns for a ram lamb son of Giants Causeway M04 that goes back to the L1 Farden Popeye and out of a Drimsynie ewe. He was bought by W Adams, Holmview and Alister Christie, The Fields.

His full ET brother made 5500gns selling to Hartside Farms.

There was more big money to come when Dominic McCrystal’s top Drummock lamb came into the ring. He is by a Tievebuaile ram renowned for Mule breeding and sold for 12,000gns in a two-way split to Adam Porter and Michelle Wright, Mullaghwee.

The Blaney Brothers’ Tievebuaile flock also had a good day with a top price of 7500gns paid for a lamb by a L6 Hewgill purchased by Brendan McAllister, with another at 4600gns for a son of a Hewgill ram selling to James and Jason Mills.

Top price for Seamus Laverty, Orraview, was 6500gns for lamb by a M1 Penhill selling to Paul Sammon, Tipperary.

Ian Montgomery, Misty Burn received 5200gns for his pen leader, again by Popeye selling to James Warnock and Son, Dreva, Biggar.

Dougie and Lynda Graham, Mains of Burnbank, Stirling, went to 4000gns for a lamb from William Adams, Holmview.

averages: 183 shearling rams, £971.05; 191 ram lambs, £1606.50; 30 females, £574.35.