Matt’s Flock was High & Mighty at the Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders Club’s annual Dungannon Show and Export Sale, taking home both the Champion and Reserve Champion spots. The annual event, held on Monday 28 August at Dungannon Farmers’ Mart was sponsored by Abbey Autoline.

The Champion Beltex was a shearling ewe, Matt’s Hailey, from Matthew Burleigh’s Kinawley-based flock. Her dam is Matt’s Enzo, who was the virtual Balmoral Show Beltex Champion in 2020, and she is sired by Buckles Fizzy Pop, a purchase for the flock from Carlisle Premier Sale in 2021.

It was a family affair as the Reserve Champion, Matt’s High & Mighty, is a full brother to the Champion. The shearling ram sold for 800gns to John Robinson, Ballywalter. This was the second consecutive successful Dungannon event for the Fermanagh breeder, having won the Championship in 2022 where he also achieved the top price with Matt’s Giro.

Trade was strong and the two top priced Beltex were both shearling rams from Edward and Shirlee Nicholson’s Derryogue Flock, Kilkeel. Both males made 1600gns in the ring, with Derryogue Hercules ET heading to Thomas Newell, Kilkeel, and Derryogue Honker going to Douglas Nisbet, Loughbrickland. The Nicholsons had a clean sweep, selling the top five priced animals on the day.

The top priced female at 720gns, was a shearling ewe from Hugh and Eddie O’Neill’s Lagyveagh Flock, Glenarm. That was  Lagyveagh Harp, who won her class and was Reserve Female Champion. The Reserve Male Champion was Bodoney Highlander ET from Andrew and Jamie McCutcheon’s Bodoney Flock, Trillick. The shearling ram was also among the top prices on the day, making 800gns and heading to B Mathews, Co. Offaly.

Kenny Preston of Glenpark Flock, Omagh, had the difficult task of judging, speaking on his choice of Champion he said: “The Champion has the wow factor, she caught my eye from the start. Matt’s Hailey is a strong, muscley animal who exhibited the well-known features of a quality Beltex ewe.

“It was a pleasure being asked to judge and the standard in Dungannon was on par to that which I experienced in various show rings throughout the summer, including the Great Yorkshire Show,” he added.