Looking ahead to Friday’s Beltex action

As I mentioned last week, this Friday is a bumper day for sheep sales at Carlisle and finding myself with a brief few spare minutes earlier today I’ve had a quick look through the catalogues for the massive Beltex sale of 988 head and the Muiresk dispersal.

First here are my thoughts on the Beltex catalogue; overall there’s a wealth of quality stock on offer and none less so than in the females, indeed the first lot in the ring from the McNeills looks promising, being by Belgian sire The Rustler and out of a Belgian dam too, she is ET bred and was champion at Armagh earlier this year. Also worth a look maybe Mary Dunlop’s last lot, a daughter of Viagrow out of a homebred dam.

Always worth a look is Gavin Shanks’ pen and this year he’s a couple of daughters of noted sire Clary King-Pin out of dams by Ulysses. And Allan Jackson has one of interest too, a daughter of last year’s 5000gns sire Headlind Lackey out of a Belgian dam. I liked Lackey a lot last year, so I’ll be intrigued to see her.

Sticking with Ulysses is Elizabeth McAllister’s entry from her Artnagullion flock. With a stack of ET bred Ulysses daughters out of Artnagullion Genniel this pen is sure to sell well, one was first prize ewe lamb at Balmoral last year, while a full sister from the flush was champion there this year and a full brother was reserve there too.

John and Heather Barclay’s Beachy flock also has one worth a look, the first prize shearling ewe and reserve female champion at the Highland this year. She’s by Kaiser Chief and out of Beachy Just Perfect. And continuing the Highland theme is Jock McMillan with last year’s Highland first prize ewe lamb, another Kaiser Chief daughter.

Switching to the males the shearlings make for good reading and Jock has a good run here too, notably with a string of Kaiser Chief sons. And Mary Dunlop’s first look’s fair too, being the second prize shearling from the Highland. He’s by Broughton Lachman and carries an index of 238 and a gigot score of 37.5. The Artnagullion pen contains a stack more from the same ET flush as the females, including the reserve breed champion from Balmoral.

Also from Northern Ireland is Fergus Harbinson’s entry and his first is the reserve male champion from Balmoral, a Glenkeen Kealey daughter.

Last year’s top price female came from the Airyolland pen and I’m certain their pen of shearling tups this year will offer every bit as much promise. Of particular note is Airyolland Maximus, a Kingsize son he has the highest recorded gigot score in the breed CT scanning this year. And just two lots later is an Airyolland Liberty son with the highest eye muscle score too. Anyone wanting proven muscle knows where to look!

Back to Mary Dunlop’s entry for the next and another Kingsize son stands out being out of the 2004 Highland champion and having an index of 215.

I’m also intrigued to see what the lambs by last year’s sale topper Ardstewart Lord Almighty are like and Peter Kenyon has three forward which will no doubt attract interest. And Doreen Mair has a run by the same sire too, including some from Belgian dams. Late in the sale is Steve Gibbons’ entry, including this year’s Royal Welsh breed champion, he’s a fair lamb worth a peak in my mind.

So, that’s pretty much my thoughts, now no doubt I’ve missed something from the catalogue and of course I’ve not seen the stock on offer. Any other thoughts on what I’ve missed?