NI Club Dinner and Prize Giving 2012
Dorset Sheep Breeders Celebrate at Annual Awards Dinner
 Table of silverware |
 W & K Carson Champion, |
 Robert & Mathew Coulter Novice Winner, Richard Currie Best pair of |
 Raymond Hill Balmoral Show Champion, |
 W & K Carson Progeny Group, Laura Weir Best Shearling Ewe, |
 Ben Lamb presenting Chairman’s Award to Mary Cubitt |
 W & K Carson, Champion Flock (Trevilley Cup) |
 James & Craig Robson, Best Small Flock (Galgorm Cup), |
 Three Generations of the Robson Family with their Silverware |
 Large Flock:- 1st W & K Carson, 2nd S Caldwell & 3rd R & M Coulter |
 Small Flock:- 1st J & C Robson, 2nd A Graham, 3rd C Carson & 4th J Wilson |
 Stock Rams:- 1st S Caldwell, 2nd W & K Carson, |
 Ewe Lambs:- 1st C Carson, 2nd J & C Robson, 3rd W & K Carson & 4th J Wilson |
 Ben Lamb, May Fair Champion 2012 with silverware |
The N.I. Dorset Sheep Breeders Club held their annual breeders dinner and presentation of awards at the Ross Park Hotel on Saturday evening, 10th November. A great turnout of members enjoyed an excellent meal and the opportunity to catch up with friends and fellow breeders in a social setting, with the focus of the evening being the presentation of the silverware from the previous show & sale season and various other club organised events.
One of the highlights of the year for the growing membership of the N.I. Dorset Club is the Annual flock competition.
During the first week of July, the Association President, Mr David Thomas, along with his wife Mavis, from Southwin, Treguddick, South Petherwin, Launceston, Cornwall, spent four days touring the province, judging the N.I. Flock Competition.
David and his son Mark, run the Southwin flock in North Cornwall which he established over fifty years ago as a young man and has never looked back nor looked to any other breed since as he finds the versatility and adaptability coupled with the out of season and 8 month, frequent lambing ability and early maturity means they provide a year round income. David has always practised the frequent lambing pattern and his system works well for him alongside his herds of Pedigree South Devon and Red Angus cattle.
As he left N. Ireland, he commented that one of the most pleasing things for him was to find so many young breeders that have chosen the Dorset breed as their breed for the future and this is highlighted in the flock competition results where the young Robson brothers, and the Coulter brothers, and Cameron Carson are all featured in the awards. He said, "it is very encouraging for the future of the Dorset club in N.Ireland to see so much talent and enthusiasm coming through". David Thomas also commented on the excellent quality of the stock being produced here and noted how many prize winning rams at the Associations main Show & Sale, The Exeter May Fair, came from Northern Ireland.
The Champion flock for 2012 is the Downkillybegs flock belonging to William & Karen Carson, Ballymena. This is the fourth time this flock has been at the top of the N.I. Annual competition, which is testament to 34 years of selection for inflock improvement to produce quality breeding stock to sell on throughout United Kingdom, Ireland and beyond. The flock comprises 120 breeding ewes and 40 replacements and as well as sourcing breeding stock from mainland flocks, bloodlines in the past two seasons have been imported from North Island and South Island, New Zealand to ensure that their customers have a wide variety of rams to choose from depending on what characteristics they are seeking to enhance within their own flocks.
As well as winning the N.I. competition, large section, and reserve overall Nationally, the Downkillybegs flock was also placed 2nd in the stock rams, behind Samuel Caldwell's Granagh flock and 3rd in the ewe lamb section, behind their son, 5 year old, Cameron Carson who was also placed 3rd in the small flock category with his own Mainevalley flock.
The Reserve Champion Northern Ireland flock of 2012 and winner of the Galgorm Cup for best small flock was James & Craig Robson's Ballyhamage flock. James (15) and Craig (8) have recently brought the Ballyhamage flock name back to prominence in Dorset breeding circles under the expert guidance of their Grand father George Snr and father George Jnr who have been highly respected Dorset breeders for 30 plus years. Not only did the boys feature highly in the section placings, they also scooped the award for best new entrant and when judged in the National competition they were awarded the Petty France award for the best small flock in the UK also.
To celebrate this wonderful achievement the Robson family have invited all Dorset Club members to their farm outside Doagh, Ballyclare, for a flock viewing on Saturday 24th November at 2pm.
There will be the opportunity for members to walk through the flock and also discuss various aspects relating to production of Dorset sheep and preparation for shows and sales. This promises to be a very interesting and informative afternoon which will bring the Dorset Club activities to an end for this year.
2012 Flock Competition awards:-
Small Flock & Galgorm Cup
1st J. & C. Robson, 2nd A. & A. Graham, 3rd C. Carson, 4th J. & I. Wilson
Large Flock
1st W. & K. Carson, 2nd S. Caldwell, 3rd R. & M. Coulter, 4th S. Mullan
Best Stock Rams & Fane Valley Cup
1st S. Caldwell, 2nd W. & K. Carson, 3rd R. & M. Coulter, 4th J. & C. Robson
Best Ewe Lambs & Eden Cup
1st C. Carson, 2nd J. & C. Robson, 3rd W. & K. Carson, 4th J. & I. Wilson
Best New Entrant & J.A. McClelland's Cup
J. & C. Robson
Champion Flock & Trevilley Cup
W. & K. Carson
Reserve Champion
J. & C. Robson
2012 Show and Show/Sales Awards
Balmoral Show Champion - Raymond Hill - Sam Robinson Memorial Cup
2012 Show Flock of the Year - Samuel Caldwell - Temple Golf Club Cup
Chairman's Award - Mary Cubitt - N.I. Dorset Club Cup
40th Premier Show & Sale:
Overall Champion - W. & K. Carson - Wm Marshall cup
Reserve Champion - R. Currie - DH & PD SBA Cup
Opposite Sex to Champion - R. Currie - Cooper Wellcome cup
Best Horn Exhibit - B. Lamb - Carnamrock Cup
Best pair of ram lambs - T. Wright - Nutrivet Cup
Best pair of ewe lambs - R. Currie - Springwell Trophy
Best Shearling ewe - L. Weir - Coleman's Feeds Trophy
Best progeny group - W. & K. Carson - Downkillybegs Cup
Flock show points - W. & K. Carson - E. Matthews & Sons Cup
Novice breeder award - R. & M. Coulter - N.I. Dorset Club Award
23rd Autumn Show & Sale:
Overall Champion - A. Booth - Kane & McPhearson Cup
Reserve Champion - T. Wright - Joe McFarlane Memorial cup
Inaugural Export Show & Sale:
Overall Champion - B. Lamb - N.I. Dorset club award
Reserve Champion - A. Fearon - N.I. Dorset club award
