A 16,000gns double was achieved at the recent Northern stars in-lamb sale in Ballymena for Texel females coming from Sportsmans, Mellor Vale and Auldhouseburn, along with a sale average of £2159.81 for 79 sold.

First of the sale leaders came from the Boden and Davies family of the Sportsmans and Mellor Vale flocks, this gimmer is sired by Garngour Craftsman and out of a Clintery Yogi Bear sired dam. Adding to her future potential she is in lamb with a single to the 22,000gns Haymount Eye Of The Beholder, purchased at Lanark this year, having found a new home with Sean McCloskey, Glenroe flock, Claudy.

The same transaction was completed for another gimmer by the same sire on the 7000gns price tag, she is also in lamb to Eye Of The Beholder.

Next to take home some of the Sportsman’s bloodlines at 6000gns was Martin Warnock's Straidarran flock, Limavady, this came in the form of a Fourdaourie Amalert daughter out of the 130,000gns Sportsmans A Star dam having also been in lamb to Eye of The Beholder.

Rodney McLoughlin, Clonmany, forked out 5000gns for another Craftsmans daughter, out of a Teiglum Younggun dam and adding to her future potential she is in lamb to the 7000gns Seaforde Empire King.

Also making the top price of 16,000gns was a gimmer from Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn. An Usk Vale Corker daughter out of the Rhaeadr Best of the Best dam, she sold carrying a pair of lambs to the 100,000gns Auldhouseburn Expression and joins S and J McCollams, Carmavy flock, Crumlin.

Read more: Tercrosset Texel hits 3200gns with Beltex to 2200gns at Carlisle

Next best for the same home was 5000gns which was paid for a Sportsmans Chieftain daughter, out of a 15,000gns Knock gimmer and sells in lamb with Salcotes E Class to William Ridge Shropshire.

Richard Henderson’s Ballynahone pen achieved 8000gns on two occasions, both being Procters Cocktail daughters out of Scotsman Avicii dams. The first sold across to Scotland to the Auldhouseburn flock, being in lamb to Garngour Emerald, the latter found a new home with Jonny Cubitt’s Long Mountain flock, this one was due to Rhaeadr Edge, a son of the 48,000gns Sportsmans Dare Devil.

Also hitting the 5000gns mark was the best from Roger Strawbridge’s Tamnamoney pen. This gimmer is a daughter of Tamnamoney Casanova with a Scotsman Avicii dam, she comes scanned in lamb for twins to Garngour Emerald and sold to Dennis Taylor Coleraine as part of his foundation flock.

Flock averages

Sportsmans (11) 4692

Auldhouseburn (7) 4449

Ballynahone (19) 2045

Forkins and Cherryvale (14) 1399

Tamnamoney (19) 1163

Largy (5) 1102