The North Eastern Texel Club’s annual sale of in-lamb hoggets is now firmly in the diary of Texel breeders up and down the country - with the sale regularly seeing some of the highest prices of the year.

This year’s was no exception with some big prices paid for the top hoggets in the sale.

Top call went to the Kilduff flock from James and Robert Dunne who farm just outside Belturbet in Co Cavan.

Their February 2023-born daughter of Loosebeare Everest went back to a Loosebeare Chief sired homebred ewe.

Along with the pedigree lines she also came with the figures, five stars on the terminal index and five stars on the replacement index.

She was also in the top one per cent of the breed on both indexes.

Record price

She was AI’d on 8 September to the £30,000 Hilltop Golden Eye ram which the Dunnes purchased in partnership in Lanark in September 2023. She sold for a record price at the North Eastern Texel club sale of €5,100.

The father and son duo had a strong pen of 11 hoggets which achieved a 100% clearance and a pen average of €2,972/head. They also sold a recipient hogget carrying a pedigree Texel pregnancy selling for €1,500 with the proceeds going to the charity Embrace Farm.

Their next best price went to a February 2023-born daughter of Loosebeare Chief going back to a homebred Strathbogie Boss sired ewe. This ewe was also a double five-star ewe with her indexes putting her in the top three ewes on the country. She was scanned in-lamb with a single to the £30,000 Hilltop Golden Eye and with auctioneer Rodney Windrum dropping his hammer at €4,000.

Homebred ewe

Another ewe that crossed the €3,000 mark was a February-2023 daughter of Loosebeare Chief off a Strathbogie Boss homebred ewe.

This hogget was scanned in-lamb with a double to Hill Top Golden Eye and sold for €3,850. Their next highest price of €3,150 went to a February 2023-born daughter of Drumderg Five Star going back to a homebred Loosebeare bred ewe. She was scanned with a single to Hilltop Golden Eye.

Another father and son duo also had a good night in Carnaross.

Meath men Pat and Barry Farrell took home €4,400 for their February 2023-born daughter of the £24,000 Rhaeadr Entrepreneur going back to a Knockem Ambassador bred ewe. This hogget came with stacks of breeding with her full sister selling for €3,500 at the Leading Ladies sale. Her full brother was also All-Ireland champion male in 2023 and sold for €2,000. She was Ai'd to the €30,000 Hilltop Golden Eye scanned with a single. The Farrell’s next highest price went to another Rhaeadr Entrepreneur daughter. This hogget was full sister to the 2023 Reserve Champion in Blessington, Oberstopwn Goliath, who sold for €2,000. She was scanned with a double to Hilltop Golden Eye and sold for €2,350. The Farrells pen of 11 hoggets sold to average €1,823 with a 100% clearance.

John, Colm and Michael McHugh also achieved a 100% clearance for their pen of eight hoggets from their Carrickmacross based Greenhill flock.

Their top price went to a Shannagh Forever daughter going back to a Donnelly Alonso sired homebred ewe. She was placed third in the Junior ewe lamb class at the All Ireland Championships in 2023. She was scanned with a double to Annaghdown Houdini and sold for €2,000. Their next highest price went to a March 2023-born daughter of the €10,000 Kilcurley Ed going back to a Mainview Will I Am homebred ewe. She was scanned with a double to the €6,000 Silverhill Helpful. The McHugh pen of hoggets averaged €1,157/head.

The sale achieved a 92% clearance with 61 of the 66 sheep brought out selling on the night for an average price of €1,541/head. This was up €303/head on the same sale in 2023.

Lot 28 from the Oberstown flock sold for €4,400.

Lot 18 from the Kilduff flock sold for €4,000.

Lot 17 from the Kilduff flock sold for €3,150.