RECORDS were broken both for top prices and averages at the annual Beltex Sheep Society sale in Carlisle on Friday of last week when a home-bred shearling ram made 10,500gns for Northern Ireland breeder Fergus Harbinson. The ram was bought by Gavin Shanks and Alan Thom, of Lanarkshire.

The February 2001 born Glenkeen El Doradorado entered the record books for current Northern Ireland Sheep Farmer of the Year, Fergus Harbinson, of Co Londonderry, who also bred and exhibited the female and reserve supreme champion. Selected by judge Tudur Wyn Jones, the shearling ewe, Glenkeen Ellisa sold for the joint top female price of 2,000gns.

The sale averaged £754.34 for the 237 shearling rams sold, an increase of £164 on the 2000 sale average.

The top priced ram was out of a home-bred 1996-born ewe Glenkeen Vanity which was by the flock's first ram, Ronus, an imported sire bought in 1993.

It was a poignant moment for Lanarkshire breeder Mary Dunlop when she took the Broughton flock shearling through the ring for the sale's third top price of 3,500gns to PG Slater, Cheshire. The ram was one of a consignment of nine which had been entered for Springbox Management company's Broughton flock by her partner Dave Stanley, who died suddenly before the Carlisle sale.

Another of the Springbox shearling ram consignment made 2,000gns to M Bindloss, Shap Abbey, Shap.

Wade McCrabbe, of Co Donegal, sold the full brother to Ardstewart Charles, the Carlisle 2000 champion, for 2,600gns to Brian Atkinson, of Plumpton, Penrith. One of three shearling rams which sold for 2,000gns was bought by Shanks and Thom, Brownlee Estate, to JE Jackson, Cockermouth.

The second top price in the female section of 1,700gns went to another shearling bred by Fergus Harbinsonand the purchaser of both of Mr Harbinsons's top females was J Smithson, Kirkby Stephen.

Averages: 15 aged rams, £1,367.43; 237 shearling rams £589.77; 31 lamb rams, £487.06; 107 shearling gimmers, £419.24.