Beltex Champions

Category	Breed	Breeder Name
Male Champion	1st Place Shearling Ram	Matthew Burleigh
Reserve Male Champion	2nd Place Shearling Ram	Elizabeth McAllister
Female Champion	1st Place Shearling Ewe	Elizabeth McAllister
Reserve Female Champion	2nd Place Shearling Ewe	T C Whiteford
Overall Champion	1st Place Shearling Ram	Matthew Burleigh
Reserve Overall Champion	2nd Place Shearling Ram	Elizabeth McAllister

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Irish eyes smiling at CCM annual pedigree Beltex highlight

Matt’s and Artnagullion flocks lead the way in both show and sale

Northern Ireland fixture regulars and multiple past top ticket winners, Matthew Burleigh and William and Elizabeth McAllister, were again top of the flocks in both the show and sale ring with shearling rams at the Beltex Sheep Society’s annual show and sale of registered rams and females at CCM Skipton, again staged on behalf of Northern Beltex Sheep Breeders Club.

The former’s Matt’s flock, Shanra, Co Fermanagh, claimed another supreme championship and 5,000gns top price, with the first prize shearling ram and male champion, the latter’s Artnagullion flock based at Kells near Ballymena, Co Antrim, taking reserve supreme and 4,500gns second top with their second prize shearling ram and reserve male champion.

Mr Burleigh, also 2024 supreme champion at Skipton, repeated the feat at the latest renewal with Matt’s Lord Voldermort, a March, 2025-born single by his Todhall Hurricane-sired Matt’s Naughty Boy, who has this year produced sons to 7,000gns, out of Matt’s Jam Tart – her full brother was the 2024 victor – herself by the 16,000gns Muirton High and Mighty. The grand dam is Hackney Elanor, who set a then 11,000gns breed record price for a gimmer lamb back in 2020.

The supreme, tapped out by local show judge and Skipton regular Thomas Walmsley, Haverah Park, Harrogate – he described it as “standout, with a good blue head, good skin and perfectly handled” – heads to Whalley in the Ribble Valley with father and son mart regulars, Richard and Mark Ireland, seeking a top-notch stock tup for their the award-winning Shamrock flock, which has produced multiple prime lamb champions at Skipton.

To cap a good day, the Matt’s flock sold a further three shearling rams all at 2,200gns, among ten that averaged £2,184. It was the third year in succession that the flock has won the shearling ram section.

Brother and sister, William and Elizabeth McAllister, stood overall reserve with a February, 2025, son of Rathbone Tony, who has done well for the flock since purchased for 9,000gns some seven years ago from local North Craven breeder Mike Davis, Eldroth. Out of the Greenalls Dennis The Menace-sired Artnagullion Flossy, who also bred the first prize 2,100gns shearling ram at the Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders Club Premier Show at Dungannon the previous week, the ram sold to Geoff and Ann Robinson, Pannal, Harrogate, also regulars at Skipton. The McAllisters gained further success when also consigning the first prize shearling ewe and female champion, a March, 2025, twin by Derryogue Juicy Fruit, himself by Artnagullion Fergus, a full brother to the dam of the overall reserve. Out of the home-bred Artnagullion Honour, the leading lady in the show arena also became the leading lady on price when falling for 1,100gns to Welsh buyer, Owain Llloyd-Jones, Anglesey, The McAllister’s nine-strong consignment saw seven tups average £1,695, their brace of gimmer shearlings levelling at £997.They say will be back at Skipton for the annual multi-breeds rams highlight on Friday, October 2.

From Aberdeenshire and flying the flag for Scotland was Alan Miller, Lurg flock, Midmar, Inverurie, who sold a shearling ram by Katie’s Jungle George – who also bred last year’s Royal Highland Show reserve champion – out of the Buckles Dark Brown-sired Heatheryhall Helena, also dam of the 50,000gns Lurg Lucifer. It topped the Miller Farms run at 3,000gns when joining David Thornley’s Dooley Flock, Dysworth, Leicestershire.

The same home also sold a second shearling ram, this one by Faughhill Kealey, at 2,400gns to D Hutchinson, Pickering, with four Lurg shearling rams averaging £2,205, a gimmer shearling sired by the 10,000gns Mellor Vale King Kong also hitting four figures at 1,000gns, John Green, Greenall flock, Lilliesleaf, Melrose, again travelled down from the Scottish Borders with his annual consignment of shearling rams, all naturally born and sired by the 18,000gns Airyolland Goldmine. Doing best at 2,800gns was Greenall Lost In Time, from a Heatheryhall Fireman Sam home-bred ewe, going home with AR Sutcliffe, Carlton-in-Cleveland. The same home also sold another shearling ram at 2,200gns, the six on offer averaging £1,837.

From the same neck of the woods, Grant Maxwell, Faughhill flock, Bowden, arrived with a solid consignment of ten shearling rams, four selling at 2,000gns-2,200gns, all averaging £1,722. The same home also led the ram lamb trade at 1,600gns with the third prize Faughhill Malice, a February-born son of Brian Hall’s 5,000gns Ainstable Lovebug, bred from the Buckles Dark Dawn daughter, Heatheryhall Glitter, a 5,800gns buy when champion in-lamb at Lanark. He heads to Derbyshire with K Belfield, Buxton.

Mr Maxwell then turned purchaser to spend 1,500gns for the first prize ram lamb featuring his own bloodlines. It came from Cumbrian breeder Johnny Aiken’s Vogue flock, Hesket New Market, Wigton, whose Vogue Magners is a February-born single by Langlands Keegan, out of the Faughhill Jackaroo daughter, Vogue Kitty. Three Vogue ram lambs averaged £980.

Cumbria’s James and Gillian Whiteford, Tercrosset flock, West Hall, Brampton, arrived with their usual strong consignment of both rams and females, selling two of the former at 2,200gns and 2,000gns, among six that levelled at £1,575. They also consigned the second prize shearling ewe and reserve female champion, the fully home-bred Tercrosset Lemon & Lime, a March, 2025, daughter of Karate Kid, out of Hoster, making 700gns to S&G Forshaw, Hurst Green, Clitheroe. Four Tercrosset gimmer shearlings levelled at £656.

Also from Cumbria, up-and-coming breeder Katie Aiken, Katie’s flock, Ainstable, topped her strong shearling pen with a 2,000gns sale, her consignment of five averaging £1,659, while, from Cheshire, Rosie Boden, Mellor Vale flock, near Stockport, took home 1,300gns for her second prize ram lamb, Mellor Vale Madness, a February-born son of Barleyclose Lucifer, out of the Procters Hey Good Looking daughter, Brownville Loop. She returned to Cumbria with JH&J Ryder, Silloth. Two Mellor Vale ram lambs averaged £945.

Harry Wood’s Dean Brow flock, Dutton, Preston, topped the ewe lamb trade at 750gns with a Dunrod Knockout-sired daughter also claimed by the Silloth Ryders and among six – they included the third prize winner – averaging £449.

The first and second prize ewe lambs from Neil and Jane Noble, who run the flock of the same name in Skelton-in-Cleveland, Saltburn, were both February-born daughters of Matt’s Superman, selling at 320gns and 250gns respectively, the same home also responsible for the first prize ewe, a February, 2024, Tullylagan Jaguar daughter making 400gns.

A 90% clearance rate was achieved at an overall average of £1,060.54 and while averages were deemed good, they were not just as strong as the previous year, as follows: Shearling rams £1207 (2025 £1233), ram lambs £931 (£1141), shearling gimmers £546 (£904), ewe lambs £412 (£595).

Show sponsors were Craven Farm Vets, Craven Sheep Breeding, Harrison Agricultural Supplies and I’Ansons Feeds.

Report by CCM Auctions