Downkillybegs Dorsets Win UK National Flock Competition

Downkillybegs Dorsets Win UK National Flock Competition
&
National AGM 2008 

William & Karen Carson with judges Jim Dufosee & Andrew Robinson

Raymond Hill with judges Jim Dufosee & Andrew Robinson

Attending breeders at 2008 AGM

For the first time in the 117 year history of the Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset Sheep Breeders Association, the honour of winning Overall Champoin Flock in the United Kingdom has been won by a Northern Ireland Breeder. The owners of Downkillybegs flock, William and Karen Carson from Whitesides Road, Ballymena were presented with their trophy at the Associations AGM last Saturday. Not only is it the first time this award has come to Northern Ireland, what makes it such a remarkable achievement is that it has never before been awarded to a flock outside England. The news of this success sparked great pride and excitement within the NI Dorset Sheep Breeders Club as it is tradition within the Association that a Champion Flock viewing day is organised to coincide with the national AGM.

So began much hard work by the Carson family and NI Dorset Club to make preparations to host the AGM and encourage breeders from all corners of the United Kingdom to travel here for the occasion. The AGM took place in Greenmount campus, CAFRE on Saturday 23rd November and delegates were welcomed to the college by Dr Steven Johnston, Head Sheep Technologist who gave a most interesting talk on the challenges facing the sheep sector of the agricultural industry and how Greenmount college were changing their sheep enterprises to meet these challenges. The business of the AGM was then chaired by Association President Mr. Andrew Robinson, who was greatly encouraged by the large turnout representing all areas of the UK. There were many English Breeders present and such was the strength of the Welsh contingent that they had hired a 40 seater coach to bring them over and have a full weekend outing!

The Chairman of the Assocaition, Mr Rowland Davies, gave an excellent report on the years activities and after the election of office bearers and the other business was carried out the awards were presented for the Flock Competition. The presentation were made by the Judges of the Flock Competition Mr. Andrew Robinson and Mr. Jim Dufosee who commented on the outstanding quality of the sheep they had seen in their travels which covered some 3000 miles and over 40 flocks! The Downkillybegs flock of William and Karen Carson were the winners of the Medium Flock Category (40-120 ewes) and also winners of the Best Ewe Lambs. This is also the firat time that the winners of the Overall Campion Flock has been the winner of the Medium Flock category. Another Northern Ireland Breeder scooped the Petty France Award for the winner of the Small Flock Category. This went to Raymond and Julie Hill’s Oliver Tree Flock.

After lunch all delegates travelled to the Whitesides Road, Ballymena for the days highlight, the viewing of the Downkillybegs flock of Poll Dorsets. William Carson had produced an excellent pamphlet outlining the history of the flock, detailing the present make-up and his aims for the future. He noted that the flock was founded by his sister Annaleen who bought 4 Dorset ewe lambs in 1978, and he took over the running of the 12 ewe flock in 1986, and then began expanding when he left school in 1992. From then until now there has been continued expansion and there are now approximately 100 ewes. He emphasises that the Downkillybegs Flock is not primarily a show flock, but rather a commercially run pedigree flock focused on strong commercial traits and prime lamb production. His father Jim Carson’s 50 year experience in the meat trade and in particular the prime lamb sector has instilled the importance of value added premiums to each lamb produced. Therefore new bloodlines have been introduced to produce larger framed leaner prime lambs.

The Breeding programme on farm consists of three lambig periods, Autumn, Winter and Spring. William quips "We don’t work to keep our Poll Dorsets – Our Poll Dorsets work to keep us!" Over the years Breeding stock from England has been introduced, most notably from the Poorton Flock of Fooks Brothers, which has had an important impact on todays Downkillybegs Flock. One such purchase Poorton Prinz stamped his mark across the board with progeny dominating the show and sale scene from 1996 to 2002, with sons and grandsons winning the Premier Show and Sale Champion in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000, and Reserve Champion in 1999. Then at the May fair in 2004 Wilsey Casper was purchased from Les French, Cornwall and William states that Casper has done more for his flock than could ever be expected of any stock sire. Right from the outset he stamped his own distinctive traits into his lambs who graded well – E, U and R up to 27kg dead weight at fat class 3. His progeny showed well at local shows and sales but the highlight of the Casper legacy is the fact that his progeny have gone on to breed well, not just in the Downkillybegs Flock, but for purchasers of Casper progeny.

For the future Wiliam and Karen are introducing new bloodlines, from the southern hemisphere. A 2007 May Fair purchase, Trevilley Jumbuck is from an Australian Meat Elite line, and also in use this year are two new acquisitions - Downkillybegs Kiwi Twist by Adelong and Drumlin Kojack by High Plains, both new generation New Zealand genetics. It will be interesting to see how these influence future generations.

All who attended the flock viewing were highly impressed with the sheep on show which included stock rams, shearling ewes, ewes with lambs at foot and ewes almost lambing. William, Karen and all the Carson family are certainly to be congratulated on hosting such a splendid afternoon, and on bringing this great honour of Champion Dorset Flock to Northern Ireland.

The visitors and local club members all met up again on Saturday evening at a dinner in Dunadry hotel, where good food and good ‘craic’ rounded off a memorable day for the NI Dorset Club.