Beltex Champions

Category	Breed	Breeder Name
Male Champion	1st Prize Ram Lamb	A & J McCutcheon
Reserve Male	2nd Prize Ram Lamb	G & J Scott
Female Champion	1st Prize Shearling Ewe	M Burleigh
Reserve Female	2nd Prize Shearling Ewe	E McAllister
Supreme Champion	Shearling Ewe	M Burleigh
Reserve Supreme	Ram Lamb	A & J McCutcheon

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Claiming the Beltex Sheep Championship at Balmoral Show this year was Matt’s Honeybee ET. There was great excitement around the packed ring as Judge Andrew Baillie chose the shearling ewe from Matthew Burleigh’s Matt’s Flock, Kinawley. Sired by Buckles Fizzy Pop and out of Matt’s Equipped, she is a full sister to the £8k ram lamb Matt’s Hercules. The Perpetual Challenge Cup, for Best Home Bred Sheep, and Female Champion were both also awarded to Matt’s Honeybee ET. The shearling ewe has winning ways in her blood with her grandmother, Matt’s Curious, picking up Overall Champion at the Irish Beltex National Show in Omagh in 2018 and her maternal sister, Matt’s Gypsy Girl, taking Royal Welsh Show Champion in 2022.

Matthew Burleigh has had a fantastic track record at Balmoral since he started showing Beltex at the prestigious event. This is his sixth year retaining the top spots with five Champions and three Reserve Champions placed in the six years he has exhibited at the show.

In Reserve Champion spot was Andrew and Jamie McCutcheon’s ram lamb, Bodoney Jackpot ET, which is out of last year’s Champion, Bodoney Emerald. He is sired by Cybi Glyndwr, who came first in the Aged Ram class at the show as well. The McCutcheon Family from Trillick had great success on the day, winning the first four classes as well as taking home Reserve Best Pair of Lambs, Best Group of Three, Male Champion, Reserve Best Home Bred and Reserve Champion.

Other notable Beltex wins at Balmoral included Elizabeth McAllister’s Artnagullion Flock picking up Reserve Female Champion with her shearling ewe, as well as G & J Scott of BessyBell Flock winning Reserve Male Champion and Best Pair of Lambs. Both exhibitors also went on to have success in the exhibitor bred pairs and singles competitions with Gary Scott coming 1^st with his Pair of Ram Lambs, as well as placing 3^rd in both the Ram Lamb and Ewe Lamb classes and 4^th in the Pair of Ewe Lambs class. Elizabeth McAllister also placed, securing 4^th in the Ewe Lamb class.

Thanks to Kathryn O’Boyle for report and MacGregor Photography for images.