 |
 |
www.beltex.co.uk
Beltex Sheep SocietyShepherds View,
|
Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders Club / Annual Dinner and Presentation of Awards 2008Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders celebrated another very successful year with their Annual Dinner and Presentation of Awards in La Mon Hotel, Castlereagh. Club Chairman, Kevin McCarthy welcomed everyone to the celebration, and congratulated each and every breeder who had been successful at the local shows, club show, carcase competition, Society Premier Show & Sale, and Club Shows & Sales during the year, paying tribute to everyone who helped raise the profile of the breed in 2008. The Club’s Show Flock of the Year trophy was presented, and went to the Artnagullion flock of Elizabeth McAllister, Kells for the 5th year in succession. Elizabeth has been a very deserving winner of the award, promoting the breed well by attended almost all of the shows in the province throughout the show season, and taking numerous titles along the way The highlight of the evening was the announcing of the results of the Club’s 3rd Annual Flock Competition by this year’s judge, Mr David Findlay from Leyburn, North Yorkshire. David, an experienced Beltex breeder of some 18 years, with almost 100 ewes in his Northern Beltex flock, spent 3 days with his wife Diane visiting flocks across the province from County Donegal in the west to Counties Antrim and Down in the east. He found his Champion Beltex Flock for 2008 at Comber where the honours went to the 30 ewe Ballycreelly Flock of Kevin and Anna McCarthy, Large Flock winners in the competition. The McCarthy’s have been breeding their traditional Beltex sheep for years, and were both surprised and delighted to receive the award. Reserve Champion Flock 2008 went to the Burnside flock of Thomas & Hester Palmer, Glenarm who had won the Small Flock section for the 3rd year in a row, and who also took the new award for overall Best Ewe Lambs in the competition, being presented with the Inveresk Trophy kindly sponsored by Mr Gavin Shanks, Lanarkshire. Runners up with Reserve Champion in the Large Flock section was Hugh O’Neill’s Lagyveagh flock also from Glenarm, whilst Reserve Champion in the Small Flock section went to Brendan McQuaid’s Fort View Flock at Banbridge. Another new award for the 2008 competition was the Bonecastle Trophy kindly sponsored by Mr Dermot Murray, Downpatrick. This trophy was presented to the winner of the overall Best Flock of Ewes in the competition, with the honours going to Martina & Patrick McNeill’s 14 ewe Ballydown Flock at Banbridge. David Findlay said that he had been privileged to be invited by the Club to do the judging, and thanked everyone who had participated in the Flock Competition and provided hospitality during their visit; he commented that, for many years, the top quality Beltex sheep shown and sold at the GB Sales were bred in Ireland. He also said he had seen some of the finest Beltex sheep during his flock visits and, having purchased Irish bred sheep in the past, would be keeping a keen eye again on them at Society Sales in 2009. Flock Competition Results Large Flock Flock of Ewes: 1st – Kevin & Anna McCarthy; 2nd – Hugh O’Neill; 3rd – Wade McCrabbe Stock Rams: 1st – K & A McCarthy; 2nd – W McCrabbe; 3rd – H O’Neill Ewe Lambs: 1st – H O’Neill; 2nd – K & A McCarthy; 3rd – W McCrabbe Champion Large Flock – K & A McCarthy (Ballycreelly) Small Flock Flock of Ewes: 1st – Martina & Patrick McNeill; 2nd – Thomas & Hester Palmer; 3rd – Brendan McQuaid Stock Rams: 1st – B McQuaid; 2nd – T & H Palmer; 3rd – M & P McNeill Ewe Lambs: 1st – T & H Palmer; 2nd – B McQuaid; 3rd – M & P McNeill Champion Small Flock – T & H Palmer (Burnside) Best Flock of Ewes: M & P McNeill (Ballydown) Champion Beltex Flock 2008: K & A McCarthy
(Ballycreelly)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
+44 (0)17683 41124
