N.I. Flock Competition 2013
Kildowney Flock Wins Dorset Flock Award
Graham and Mary Cubitt with judges Karen Carson and Laura Weir
Graham and Mary Cubitt from Kildowney Hill, Glarryford, Ballymena have just recently been awarded the 2013 Champion Dorset Flock in Northern Ireland.
The Cubitt's Kildowney Poll Dorset Flock was founded in 2001 with six locally sourced ewe lambs all daughters of the
impressive breeding ram Slemish Warrior, bred by the Moore Sisters, Carnalbanagh, Ballymena, who himself was the 1999 N.I. Premier show Champion and went on to breed two May Fair Overall Champions. In 2002 a further four more ewe lambs were added to the Kildowney Flock with the first stock ram coming from T&K Madden's
Ballyvaddy flock at Carnlough.
Over the past 12 years the Kildowney Flock has grown to 38 breeding ewes with selective purchases and elite, home bred replacements. Since the formation of the Kildowney Flock, stock rams for breeding have been purchased from the Ballyvaddy flock, Trevilley flock, Downkillybegs flock, Roci flock, Huish flock, and Pembroke flock, with further selected top breeding Kildowney ewes mated to Beechmount and Olivertree rams to bring in new lines to the Cubitt's breeding programme.
This small elite flock has become a real passion for the Cubitt duo from Glarryford and over the years has seen quite a considerable amount of success and awards won by the Kildowney flock, going back to 2005 when a Kildowney ram lamb won N.I. Premier show Champion. This was followed by the same honours at the 2006 Premier Show and Sale and Autumn Show and Sale in McClellands' new livestock centre, on the Ballymena site.
2005 also saw considerable success for the Kildowney flock in the regional and national flock competitions, winning the small flock section of the N. Ireland competition and went on to win the small section in the National Competition and was recipient of the Petty France award for the best flock, under 40 breeding ewes. Local show success for the Kildowney flock has seen the Poll Dorset Champion being won at Balmoral, Ballymena, and Ballymoney shows.
Selling rams has always been a highlight of the breeding year for Graham and Mary Cubitt and their Kildowney flock and to see their flock produce going on into other established flocks and making a positive impact on these flocks too. In 2011 a pair of ram lambs from the Kildowney flock won the prestigious Pair class at the Dorset Society May Fair and rams have been sold to flocks in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
Both Graham and Mary have themselves been recipients of the Chairman's award for their contribution and dedication to the running of the N.I. Dorset club and Graham has served as N.I. Club Chairman 2009 - 2010.
This latest flock achievement comes at a time whenever both Graham and Mary are looking forward to the forthcoming Premier show and sale where the Kildowney flock will be exhibiting both ram and ewe lambs from their award winning Poll Dorset flock.
This year's Reserve Champion flock in Northern Ireland comes from another flock owner who has a long list of major Breed achievements - Ben Lamb's Richhill flock of Dorset Horns and Polls from Richhill, Co. Armagh.
Winner of the large flock section in the flock competition, this flock has had it's best two year's of show and sale
success in 2012 and 2013.
In 2012, a shearling ram, Richhill Peter, bred by Ben was Supreme Champion at the May Fair and went on to sell for a new record Horn Dorset price of 3400gns. This was followed by this year's unrivalled May Fair success when Ben's Richhill flock won both the Supreme and Reserve Champion with his pen of three Poll Dorset ram lambs. To make these impressive honours even more remarkable, this was the first year that Ben has exhibited Poll Dorset rams, after only founding his Poll Dorset flock a few years ago. All three Richhill ram lambs went on to sell to well established pedigree flocks giving the Richhill flock a real boost.
This year has been the Richhill flocks first honours with his Poll Dorsets but over the years the Richhill Dorset Horns
have been featuring strongly in all the Breed competitions. In 2000 the Richhill flock won the Overall Champion flock and on two occasions has won the Reserve Overall Champion flock in Northern Ireland. The N.I. Premier Sale Supreme Champion in 2010 was won by a Dorset Horn exhibited by Ben Lamb and he has also had numerous
Best Horn Exhibits with his Richhill Dorset Horns.
These two winning flocks, along with the best small Northern Ireland flock from Michael and Catherine Maybin, Galgorm, Ballymena, will go forward to represent the province in the National Dorset Competition next month but in the meantime all Dorset breeders in Northern Ireland main focus will be on the 41st Annual Premier Show and Sale coming up next week on Monday 29th July 2013, in McClelland's Mart, Ballymena at 1pm which is once again kindly sponsored by Norbrook Pharmaceuticials Worldwide.
Further information can be obtained from the Secretary on 078 417 467 05
Graham and Mary Cubitt's Kildowney Flock Ewes
Small Flock
1st M/s M. & C. Maybin, Galgorm Flock
2nd Mr D. Wilson, Glebe Flock
3rd Mr Shane Wilson, Legaloy Flock
4th M/s M. & C. Patton,
Medium Flock
1st M/s G. & M. Cubitt, Kildowney Flock
2nd M/s J. & I Wilson, Tardree Flock
3rd M/s S. & S. Lyons, Bencran Flock
4th M/s A. & P. McNeill, Kilvaddy Flock
Large Flock
1st Mr Ben Lamb, Richhill Flock
2nd M/s R. & M. Coulter, Browndod Flock
Best Ewe Lambs
1st Mr Ben Lamb, Richhill Flock
2nd M/s G. & M. Cubitt, Kildowney Flock
3rd M/s S. & S. Lyons, Bencran Flock
4th M/s M. & C. Maybin, Galgorm Flock
Best Stock Rams
1st M/s Cubitt & Maybin - Kildowney & Galgorm Flocks
2nd Mr Ben Lamb, Richhill Flock
3rd M/s R. & M. Coulter, Browndod flock
4th M/s S. & S. Lyons, Bencran Flock
Best New Entrant - in Flock Competition
Mr David Wilson, Glebe Flock
Champion Flock
M/s Graham and Mary Cubitt, Kildowney Flock
Reserve Champion Flock
Mr Ben Lamb, Richhill Flock
