Beltex Champions

Category	Breed	Breeder Name
Male Champion	Lot 47, Ram Lamb	Elizabeth McAllister
Reserve Male Champion	Lot 16, Shearling Ram,	Elizabeth McAllister
Female Champion	Lot 53, Shearling Ewe	Joshua Keys
Female Reserve Champion	Lot 61, Shearling Ewe	John Harbinson
Overall Champion	Lot 47, Artnagullion Major, Ram Lamb,	Elizabeth McAllister
Reserve Overall Champion	Lot 53, Bolies Lemon, Shearling Ewe	Joshua Keys

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Artnagullion Majors at Beltex Dungannon Premier Show and Sale

It was an impressive ram lamb from Elizabeth McAllister who won the Championship at the Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders Club’s Premier Show and Export Sale, held at Dungannon Farmers’ Mart on Bank Holiday Monday, 31 August 2026. Lot 47, Artnagullion Major, was judge Andrew Baillie’s top pick in his class before being tapped out as Male Champion and Overall Champion. From winning bloodlines, the ram lamb is by Glenview Jeff, the 2024 Dungannon Premier Show Champion, the Irish Beltex Flock Competition 2024 Best Overall Stock Ram and the 2025 Balmoral Show Champion, who is owned in a three-way split with Gary Beacom and Russell Smyton. Major is homebred out of Artnagullion LIZ.K025 and he continued to impress in the sales ring, attracting a lot of interest and selling for 4,500gns to Douglas Nisbet in Loughbrickland.

The success continued for the Kells breeder, winning Reserve Male Champion with her first-placed shearling ram, lot 16, Artnagullion Lucky. The Rathbone Tony son is also homebred out of Artnagullion Flossy and made 2,100gns, heading to Kilkeel with Edward and Shirlee Nicholson, Derryogue Flock. It was a shearling ewe from Elizabeth that topped that section at an impressive 2,050gns. Lot 67, Artnagullion Lily, a paternal half-sister to the Champion out of Glenview Jeff and by Artnagullion Jemmina, went to Michael Oliver, Lisnacrann Pedigrees, Swinford, Co. Mayo. Another of Glenview Jeff’s progeny, the sixth-place shearling ram also sold very well at 1,600gns to Eddie McCarthy, Buttevant, Co. Cork. Showing a very strong contingent of Beltex sheep and benefiting from buoyant trade, Elizabeth’s renowned Artnagullion Flock made its mark at this year’s Dungannon Premier Show and Export Sale.

Reserve Champion was lot 53, Bolies Lemon, a shearling ewe from Joshua Keys, Fivemiletown. Out of Bolies Juicy, the 2024 Balmoral Show Beltex Champion, she is by Matt’s Hellboy.  Lemon was also judge Andrew Baillie’s Female Champion on the day and made 1,450gns, selling to Cathal Tuohy, Coose, Whitegate, Co. Galway. He has a full-sister which Joshua plans to bring to the Club’s In-lamb Show and Sale in December. Keys’ other two shearling rams, Lots 54 and 55, made 1,050gns and 1,000gns, going to Maurice Allen and Andrew McCutcheon respectively.

The sale saw lively bidding and buyer demand from start to finish, but it was Lot 1 that set the tone for the day and topped the sale at an impressive 5,500gns. The second-placed shearling ram, Lakeview Lionheart, from Gary Beacom, Fivemiletown, is a 20k Logie Durno Jack Daniels son.  He is out of a 45k Lurg Grand Slam daughter, Lakeview Jungle Princess, who was the 2025 Irish Beltex National Show Champion. Lionheart was purchased by Glenn Baird, Aghavilly Flock, Armagh. Dungannon followed Lakeview’s recent success at the Society’s Premier Sale in Carlisle where Beacom had a shearling ram sell to 65,000gns and a full brother of Lot 1 sell for 5,000gns.

The Reserve Female Champion was Lot 61, a shearling ewe from John Harbinson, Limavady. Second-place in her class she sold for 900 to Jayne Tannahill, Coleraine. Also in the rosettes was Alastair Shortt, who came first and second in the ewe lamb class, with lots 68 and 69, who sold for 500 and 950gns to Mark Breen. The Omagh breeder also had a ram lamb sell for 1,400gns to Leslie and Stephen Glenn, Carryduff.

Among the top prices was the second-placed ram lamb, Matt’s Mr Bean from Matthew Burleigh, Kinawley. Out of Matt’s Jammy Dodger and by Matt’s King of the Road, he sold for 2,700gns to Mark Latimer, Bessbrook. Hugh and Eddie O’Neill, Glenarm, also enjoyed the strong trade, selling all nine of their consignment with three of their shearling rams going for 1,400gns each.

Glenkeen Livestock Supplies, owned by Melissa Harbinson, sponsored a competition on the Club’s Facebook page to win £200 towards any lot at the Premier Show and Export Sale. Competition winner Alison McCrabbe, Ardstewart Flock, put her voucher towards lot 2, Lakeview Limited Edition, a shearling ram from Gary Beacom, which was bought in partnership with Bodoney Beltex. The sponsor, Glenkeen Livestock Supplies, is based in Limavady and offers a wide range of animal health, agri and show products.

Speaking on the show and sale, judge Andrew Baillie commented, “The quality on display at Dungannon was fantastic, and it is a real credit to the breeders and exhibitors who continue to drive the breed forward. The Champion from Artnagullion was a really bonnie, correct sheep. He showed himself well and had a tremendous top. The Reserve Champion from Bolies was also a good, correct sheep who was well balanced with great breed characteristics. It was great fun coming over to judge and I thank the Club for their invite and  hospitality.”

Club Chairman Eddie O’Neill remarked on the event’s success, saying “We had a great Premier Show and Export Sale in Dungannon this year. There was an 89% clearance rate and great quality stock attracting plenty of attention both online and ringside. The shearling rams averaged 1,041 a head, which is up almost 230gns from last year, shearling ewes were up slightly averaging 827gns, while the ram lambs averaged 1,556gns. It is great to see the time and effort put in by our club members pay off for them.”

The next Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders Club events are Ballymena Show and Sale at Ballymena Livestock Mart on Monday, 14 September 2026 and Omagh Show and Sale on Friday, 25 September at Beattie Pedigree Livestock Centre. Visit the Club’s Facebook page for details.