It’s been an active day on the sheep showing ground at the first day of Balmoral Show 2018 today (Wednesday, May 16).
Judges have had their work cut out for them to choose from the high-ranking flocks on show from across the province. Here are the results from the action so far.
Beltex
Gary Scott from Omagh clinched the Beltex championship title.
Reserve went to Elizabeth McAllister, Ballymena, who also won the perpetual cup for the best home-bred sheep.
Charollais
Yet to be announced.
Hampshire Down
Sean Doyle from Castlewellan clinched the Hampshire Down championship. It was a good day out for the breeder also winning the Perpetual Challenge Cup for the best Hampshire Down sheep.
Reserve Champion went to Victoria McFadden from Banbridge.
It was also a special day out for Jake Wells from Portadown who won the Boardmills Cup.
The accolade recognises the best-placed animal in the Hampshire Down sheep classes shown by a club member who has not won a first prize at any previous Balmoral Show.
Ile de France
Yet to be announced.
Lleyn
Yet to be announced.
Rare Breeds
Samuel Kerr from Moira and Reserve Champion Rebecca McBratney from Bangor. McBratney won the Shearling Ewe class, while Kerr topped the Shearling Ram class.
Suffolk
Yet to be announced.
Swaledale
It was almost a clean sweep in the Swaledales for Brian Conlin from Castlederg. The Tyrone man won both the Champion and Reserve Champion in the Swaledale sections.
It was a good start to the show winning both Champion and Reserve Champion ewe and the Champion ram title.
Reserve Champion male went to D&N Hamill.
Image Source: Eilidh MacPherson
Texel
Crumlin breeders did well in the Texel section – Jack Moses won the Texel Championship with Reserve going to Mark Patterson, also from the village.
Best ram lamb (other than the Champion) went to Patterson, with Reserve going to Naomi Ardis from Hilltown.
Patterson also picked up the prize for the best sheep of opposite sex to the Champion – the Irish Texel Sheep Society Perpetual Challenge Trophy. He also won the exhibitor bred for the best ewe lamb born in 2018 and best ram lamb born in 2018.
Moses won best shearling ewe and best ewe with two shears having reared a lamb in 2018.
Zwartbles
C&D Cromie from Ballynahinch won the Magoran Perpetual Cup for the Zwartble Champion who also won the shearling ewe class.
Reserve Champion went to Liam Campbell from Carnlough who also won best ewe lamb, exhibitor bred.
Best group of three went to Caroline Lyons from Ballynahinch with Reserve going to Rachel Megarrell from Londonderry.
Megarrell also won the best pair of Zwartble lambs born in 2018 at Balmoral.
