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Beltex brings in the trophies for young Northern Ireland breeder

Young Beltex breeder Elizabeth McAllister has enjoyed a great run of success on the Northern Ireland show circuit this summer.

Elizabeth with her imported ewe Barda v-d Hoge Tornne at Castlewellan where she was interbreed reserve

In five shows she has collected no less than 15 first prize rosettes and ten championships and reserve championships, including the interbreed and interbreed pairs honours at Antrim Show.

At only 18, Elizabeth is beating strong opposition with her Artnagullion flock which she established five years ago.

This autumn she will have eight ewes and six hoggetts to go to the tup, which she says is the optimum number for her small flock run on the family farm at Kells, Ballymena.

In September, depending on her exam results, she is hoping to begin studies for a degree in agricultural technology at Greenmount College, Antrim.
“I want to keep the flock as small and elite as possible,” said Elizabeth.

The five shows her Beltex were exhibited at culminated with the Antrim Show – where she also achieved her best results. Along with four first prizes and one second, her imported three shear ewe, Barda v-d Hoge Tornne won the Beltex championship and then went on to win the interbreed sheep award and was one of the interbreed pairs championship winners along with a home-bred hoggett ewe Artnagullion Ermontrude which has also had a successful season.

The imported ewe was also breed champion and reserve interbreed at Castlewellan while her home-bred hogget ewe, Ermontrude was reserve. Four first prize rosettes and two seconds were won at the show.

The pair were reserve in the interbreed group of three at Omagh Show with stock tup, the imported aged ram Bingo d’al Cour, bought at the Carlisle 2000 sale. The older ewe was also reserve Beltex champion and the sheep added two first prizes and one second prize to the rosette collection.

It was the turn of the hogget ewe Ermontrude at Ballymoney Show where she won the breed championship and she was placed fourth in the interbreed championship. Her home-bred ram lamb Artnagullion Fancypants was third in the interbreed awards. There were three first prizes and one third prize for Elizabeth at Ballymoney.

Male champion at Balmoral Artnagullion Eggy shown by William McAllister

Kicking off the show season for Elizabeth at Balmoral Show, her home-bred shearling tup Artnagullion Eggy was Beltex male champion. The son of the successful show ewe is destined for the Beltex Sheep Society Show and Sale at Carlisle on August 15-16. Also at Balmoral her home-bred hogget ewe was placed fourth in the interbreed pairs contest along with a home-bred shearling tup from Mervyn Currie. The stock tup Bingo took one of two first prizes and one third at the show.

At Ballymena Show, a Beltex cross Suffolk hogget ewe by Bingo collected the commercial sheep championship.

During her holidays, Elizabeth helps on the farm run by her parents Brian and Rosemary and her brother William. William has his own pedigree Charollais sheep flock and he also runs the flock of pedigree Texels with his father. The farm also has a herd of pedigree Charolais cattle as well as a commercial herd.

“I bought my first Beltex ewe after going to the Carlisle sale. William had sold a Charollais to a breeder in Scotland. We went to the Beltex sale and after I saw the sheep I wanted to start my own flock and my parents agreed,” said Elizabeth.
“It was an up and coming breed and I felt it was a good time to start a flock. I have found the Beltex ewes to be very easy lambing and the lambs are very lively when they are born. “Finished crossbred lambs are sold very easily. They are really good buchers’ lambs with a good meat to bone ratio,” said Elizabeth.

Her Beltex tup is used as a chaser on the 25 pedigree Charollais ewes. Some of the crossbred females and rams are kept for breeding but the remainder are finished. The lambs are sold deadweight, mainly through Dungannon Meats, where they all grade E and U. They kill out well with the 40 to 42kg live lambs yielding a 19 to 20kg carcase.