Over the last eight years, the lamb section at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) Beef and Lamb championships has gone from strength to strength.
This year was no different, seeing both record prices and a record entry.
The large entry made it no easy task for the day’s judge, Christian Wilson from Donegal.
Standing out as the overall champions for the Co. Donegal man was a super pair of commercial lambs from Christopher McCrea from Co. Tyrone.
This champion pair of lambs weighed 23.5kg and sold for a price of £800 each. It was judge Christian Wilson that purchased the pair, backing up his judgement.
Topping the sale and setting a new record price for lambs was the reserve overall champions from Stewart Ferris from Co. Down.
This super pair of Texel ewe lambs weighed 30.8kg and sold for the record-breaking price of £820 each to Jonathan Neill.
Ferris also claimed first in the highly contested breeding ewe lamb class, with another cracking pair of ewe lambs.
It was the day’s judge Christian Wilson that purchased these first prizewinning breeding ewe lambs that weighed 30.3kg for £500 each.
In the Suffolk-sired class over 42.5kg, it was Jack Smyth’s pair of Suftex ewe lambs that took the top honours.
They weighed 16.6kg and went on to sell for £520 each to Christian Wilson.
Young farmers champion
Competition in the young farmers section of the RUAS Beef and Lamb Championships is always fierce, and this year was no different with a quality entry of pairs.
However, there can only be one winner of the coveted young farmer title and this year it was Jaden McCutcheon from Co. Tyrone that claimed back the title for the second year in a row.
McCutcheon’s Beltex-sired lambs weighed 24.8kg and sold for £500 each to the section judge Christian Wilson.
