Demand was of the charts at the Northern Ireland Suffolk Premier Show and Sale in Ballymena Livestock Mart on Saturday 18 July.
Records were smashed across the board, as 147 pedigree Suffolks sold to a total of £559,098, averaging £3,803 (€4,478).
Five sheep crossed £20,000, with a new Northern Ireland record price of £55,000 (€64,773) paid for a ram lamb from Patrick Grant's Craigdoo flock.
A son of Limestone Juggernaut and a homebred Craigdoo ewe out of Blackbrae Humdinger, this outstanding young lamb is from the same line as Craigdoo Crusader.
Having been awarded the overall male championship title in the pre-sale show by judge Mike Black of the Collessie flock in Scotland, the Craigdoo lamb went on to top the trade, selling to JC Innes and sons in Scotland.
Limestone trio
It was a remarkable day's trading for Mark Priestley of the well-known Limestone flock based in Co Down, who averaged £21,916 (€25,810) for his pen of six sheep.
Leading his charge at £50,000 (€58,885) was a ram lamb sired by the 40,000gns Limestone King of Diamonds.
Hailing from one of the best dam lines in the flock, his mother was interbreed champion at Balmoral Show in 2024, with his maternal sister claiming the reserve championship title at this year's show.
Securing this promising young ram was Richard Hutchinson of the Howgillfoot flock in Yorkshire.
He was quickly followed by two more ram lambs from the Limetsone flock, both trading for £26,000 (€30,620).
First up was a Limestone King of Diamonds son out of a Cairnton Chaos dam, which was national champion in 2024.
Born in January 2026, he was purchased by Alastair Barkley of the Blackbrae flock in Co Antrim.
Not to be outdone by his stablemates, another King of Diamonds son exchanged hands at £26,000 (€30,620).
Out of a Castleisle A Kingsman-bred ewe, he was snapped up by Dennis Taylor of the renowned Ballynacannon flock in Co Derry.
Allen Short then paid £22,000 (€25,909) for Jack Smyth's ram lamb sired by Tullywinney Trend Setter.
His dam is a Castlewood Highlander daughter which has already produced gimmers to £8,500.
Jack also received £18,000 (€21,198) for another Tullywinney Trend Setter son out of the flock's most prolific breeding ewe, having previously produced progeny to £13,000. This January 2026-born ram lamb was purchased by John Elliot in Scotland.
Reserve champion
Dennis Taylor was awarded the reserve male championship title for his Islandmoyle Spartacus-bred son, which went on to sell for £14,000 (€16,487).
Out of a Convoy-bred ewe, he was reserve male champion at Armagh Show earlier this year and will now join Robin McAdoo's flock in Co Tyrone.
SHARING OPTIONS