The Society recently organised an open day at Blessington Mart for new breeders to learn about trimming Suffolks for shows. Among the attendees on the day were Sam Ritchie of Strabane Mills who delivered a talk on the importance of using the correct animal feed at the appropriate stage of development and Leo Forkin of Mayo Animal Healthcare who provided a very informative talk on various aspects of general animal husbandry.
We were delighted to welcome Ian Donald of Donbraid Livestock to demonstrate the skills required for successful sheep dressing. Ian, one of the top sheep dressers in Ireland and the UK, captivated the audience with his expertise while also answering numerous questions from the floor about all aspects of sheep dressing.
The event also featured a stock judging competition on the day where there were two categories to be judged – Shearling Ewes and a Ewe Lamb class.
Mayo Animal Healthcare generously sponsored the U21 judging while Strabane Mills sponsored the over 21 category.
The results were as follows:
U21s 1st Evan Hopkins
2nd Aaron Patton
3rd Ben Lynch
Over 21s 1st Sean Heraty
2nd Aidan Carney
3rd Beverly McBride
With over 40 breeders in attendance on the day, feedback was overwhelmingly positive. It was a fantastic day of learning and an excellent opportunity to socialise with fellow breeders while enjoying some light refreshments.
The Society extends our gratitude to Ian Donald, and our sponsors, Leo Forkin and Sam Ritchie for their contributions to the success of the event. We would also like to thank Blessington Mart for the use of their premises. Finally we would like to thank Breeders Niall Cassidy, for his contributions to the event and John Gahan and Philip Lynch for providing the sheep for the trimming and stock judging.
Our next event will be an Open Day to be held on the farm of Sean O’Connor and his wife, Dr Carina Mederle (Islandmore Suffolks) on July 9th from 6.30 to 9pm.
NSC 2023 TAKES PLACE AT THE SHEEP 2023 EVENT, GURTEEN
The Suffolk Sheep Society South of Ireland were delighted to be a part of the Sheep 2023 Event held on Saturday June 17th in Gurteen Agricultural College. Irish Suffolk Breeders came out in their droves to be a part of the National Suffolk Championships. The event was again sponsored by Connolly’s Redmills and we would like to express our sincere gratitude to them for their support.
While the weather was very inclement as breeders arrived with their stock, thankfully, the sun came out from the clouds and shone for the entire Suffolk judging.
Judge for the day was Mr. Martin Butler of the acclaimed Castlewood Flock, Ballymena and he was faced with some very difficult choices in each class.
Judging commenced with the Shearling Ram & upwards class with some very strong rams on display. It was Philip Lynch’s Clyda Awesome stock ram sired by Ballinatone BT Buddy who claimed the top spot with Susan O’Keefe claiming the reserve spot.
In the Aged Ewe class, Susan O’Keeffe dominated the field with her ewe which was sired by Castleisle Kilteskin Prince out of a Cairness ewe. This same female had taken the Champion Spot at the National Championshipsin 2022 and she caught the judge’s eye again this year, claiming the red rosette over a very smart ewe from John Molloy’s Glencolmcille Flock.
The Shearling Ewe Class was an exceptional class with almost 25 of the top breeding Shearlings in the country on show. Martin Butler had an extremely difficult task to whittle them down. In the final line-up however, it was Susan O’Keeffe who once again claimed the top spot with a very smart ewe once again, sired by Ballinatone BT Buddy. Reserve in this class remined in the family with Arthur O’Keeffe claiming the reserve spot.
The Novice Ewe lamb class was a stylish affair with the Doherty Brothers from Malinhead dominating a strong class. Emerging as Champion and reserve in the class were two full sisters sired by Crewelands Dancing Brave from a home bred Malinhead ewe.
These two sisters then went on to compete in the Open Ewe Lamb class where one claimed the red rosette and a very smart lamb from the Clyda Flock of Susan O’Keeffe claimed the reserve spot.
In the untrimmed Ewe Lamb Class, the filed was once again dominated by John and Martin Doherty whose very stylish lamb claimed the red rosette over Arthur O’Keeffe’s lamb.
The Novice Ram Class was dominated by Eamonn Duffy of the Kells flock who claimed first and second place with two very breedy ram lambs. The Champion, Kells Bacardi, was sired by Fongoy Rocket from a Hogillfoot ewe. Once again, these two top placed rams moved into the Open class to compete in a very strong class of powerful rams. In this instance, the judge tapped out Arthur O’Keeffe’s Blackbrae AB President sired lamb bred out of a home bred Annakisha Ewe as his class Champion, with Eamon Duffy’s Novice winner taking the reserve spot.
The Young Handler’s Class, sponsored by Animax Vet is always a class enjoyed by everyone. This year it was Lorna Bailey of the Lismurtagh Flock who took the top honours. The judge was very impressed with her handling skills. The runners up in the class were Tara Bailey, Conor Bailey and Thomas Duffy. Well done to all the Young Handlers on a job well done!
When it came to the Championships, the judge’s deliberations were long and hard, such was the quality of stock on show in front of him.
The Female Championship was eventually decided with Susan O’Keeffe’s aged ewe claiming the top spot with Martin and John Doherty’s Ewe Lamb, who had previously won the Novice and the Open Ewe lamb classes claiming reserve.
The Male Championship was another difficult choice for the judge but it was Philip Lynch’s Shearling ram, Clyda Awesome who was tapped out with Arthur O’Keeffe’s ram lamb, a close second.
In the final line-up, it was Susan O’Keeffe’s Aged Ewe who continued her winning streak from 2022 by claiming the top spot of the Championship taking Supreme Champion of the show.
The Doherty’s Ewe lamb was a very worthy recipient of the Reserve Champion spot.
The Society would like to thank our two very generous sponsors of the event – Connollys Redmills and Animax Vet (Young Handler Class).
The Suffolk Sheep Society South of Ireland would like to commend all our breeders who attended the Championships. The quality of stock on display was second to none and is testament to the time and effort undertaken by breeders to continue improving bloodlines within the breed.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the Sheep 2023 Committee on an extremely well run and interesting event. It was a credit to all involved.
There are many places an Irish Suffolk sheep breeder might expect to be in mid December, but Mexico would not be one of them! After receiving an official invitation from the Mexican National Sheep Breeders Association to judge the Suffolk Breed in their National Show in Queretaro (which is a city about 3 hours north of Mexico City with a population of just over 1 million), I was very much looking forward to seeing the best of Mexican Suffolk Sheep Breeding on show.
Lining up prior to the showWinners Pennants & Prizes
‘Feria Internacional Grandera de Queretaro’, as a show is similar in style to the likes of the Ploughing or Balmoral Show but it runs for three weeks, encompassing stock judging, rodeos, equine displays, police and army displays, a circus, concerts, retail halls, food halls and shows to mention but a few of the things which happen over its duration.
On arrival at the judging venue on Thursday December 8th (after 25 hours of travel) there was a very warm welcome from the organisers of the Ovine event – Jose Luis Cervantes (President of the Sheep Breeders Association and Juan Jose Salas, Ovine event Chairman.
L-R Jose Luis Cervantes, Carlos Alcocer, General Director International Livestock fair, Juan Jose Salas
With little knowledge of what to expect in terms of quality, and only some reports of more ‘leggy, lengthy sheep with smaller heads and overall, a different type of Suffolk’, I was very much looking forward to judging this extremely prestigious show. The actual grounds were huge with football pitch size marquees. As judge however, I was not allowed to enter the sheep area where all the breeds were penned, prior to judging taking place.
Several breeds were judged prior to the Suffolks, including Charollais, Texels, Dorpers as well as eight other breeds, many judged by other international judges from Europe and South Africa. The Suffolk judging took place on the Saturday. All animals entered to the show were brought to the judging ring and tethered just outside the ring to await their turn to be shown. It was with great delight that I saw a large number of quality Suffolks, who would have made the cut for any of the show circuits in Ireland.
Judging in progressFinal selectionChampion & Reserve Ewe Lamb Class 9-12 monthsFemale Champion & ReserveFemale Champion – Shearling Ewe sired by Solwaybank Major
Warm weather and good grass obviously agree with the sheep as they displayed super carcasses, great bone and generally, very good toplines. There were a small number of teeth problems but these were in the minority, but conformation was generally very good., in particular in several young lambs who were judged in groups dependent on age.
A smashing young Ram Lamb with great style, carcass and bone, from the flock of Jose Luis Cervantes took the Male Champion and the same flock produced the Female Champio nwith a superb Shearling who turned out to be a daughter of Solwaybank Major and early in lamb to a South of Ireland, Irish Suffolk Ram, Malinhead Geras.
A lineup for some of the Ram judging Champion and Reserve RamChampion Ram
Unlike the system here in Ireland and the UK, the only information you receive about the animals being judged is their tag number, Flock and age. No breeding information is given to the judges prior to judging. The other difference is that there is not Supreme Champion judging – there are only Male & Female Champions. Flock genetics are also judged in Classes with groups of three & four animals (male or female) from the one family.
Family of Three, Champions
The Super Female Champion went on to be judged in the Interbreed Competition on the Sunday against the Female Champions of all the other breeds. This competition was judged by a panel of five judges from France, Ireland, South Africa and Mexico who each had to vote to pick their Champion. To the delight of the large crowd in attendance (and myself I might add) the judges unanimously picked the Suffolk as their Interbreed Champion of the Show.
Part of the line-up for the Interbreed JudgingSuffolk Female ChampionSuffolk Champion wins Female Interbreed
Once the Show judging was complete, the Mexican Sheep Breeders Association hosted a banquet in the transformed judging marquee for about 500 sheep breeders present at the event with a presentation of prizes and speeches after the meal.
Dinner hosted by National Sheep Breeders Association of MexicoPresentation to Garth GrahamChampion Suffolk Breeder;s Trophy
I would very much like to congratulate the organisers of this fantastic event which was extremely well organised and ran without a hitch and to thank them for the wonderful opportunity to judge at the Show. As a fellow Suffolk Breeder it was a tremendous experience to attend such a prestigious event and to see the excellent quality of the sheep being produced in Mexico. It was also wonderful to see Irish & UK genetics breeding so well within Mexican Suffolk Flocks. I felt that there is a real understanding by the breeders in Mexico of Suffolk genetics and the importance of maintaining and improving their bloodlines for the development of the breed. The Suffolk breed in Mexico has a very bright future indeed with such forward thinking and insightful breeders developing the National Suffolk Flock.
Thankyou to all concerned for the fantastic experience and the opportunity!
Our flockbook is now hosted on the Sheep Ireland database and provides you with your online flockbook account to view the current animals located in your flock. You can now use your online account to record the information required by the breed society throughout the year – i.e., mating, lambing, animal movements etc. You can also request pedigree registrations and animal genotypes via the account. Several helpful flock management reports for your flock are also available. There is a HELP button at the top of most pages with instructions and guidance on how the page works.
How to Log in
To access your online account go to www.sheep.ie and click ‘Online Services’. Enter your personal department flock designator as your username (IE04 followed by 5 digits – IE0412345). If logging in for the first time, you will need to create your own password. To do this, click on the ‘forgot password’ link which you will find on the online services page. This will send an email to the email address attached to your flocks account (if you did not include an email on your application to the society you will not be able to access your online account, (Please contact the South of Ireland office directly to correct this).
Follow the simple instructions on this email to create your password.
First steps once you get logged in
Please check your flock inventory once you log in. It is crucial that this inventory is accurate and kept up to date. If new sheep need to be added, you can do so by using the ‘Add Animal’ function under the ‘Inventory’ tab on your account. Contact the society if you have any issues adding sheep. If sheep have been sold or have died, please record this information accurately in a timely fashion using the animal sales screen or the death tab. Every effort was made to ensure a smooth transition of the Suffolk Sheep Society – South of Ireland Flockbook onto the Sheep Ireland database, however if you see something inaccurate please contact the SOI office directly and we will correct it as soon as possible.
Record your ewes recent pregnancy scan results, including your barrens
Order a genotype for your stock ram/s. This is compulsory. You can also genomically test any other animal in your flock if you so wish.
NB: ALL STOCK RAMS MUST BE GENOTYPED INCLUDING RAMS USED IN 2021
Add your 2022 lambs as soon after birth as possible, by clicking on ‘Lambing Management’ located under the ‘Management’ option on your account.
Make recording your lambing even easier!
Download the Sheep Ireland app to your phone and record your lambing data as it happens. Our LambPlus members have found this app extremely user friendly and efficient.
We strongly encourage all society members to join the LambPlus performance recording programme. To continue and increase the rate of genetic gain in our breed, we must collect as much data as possible on our breed. There are also many perks, such as subsidised genotyping costs and access to the LambPlus customer care team.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are considering joining the LambPlus Program, Sheep Ireland have extended the online application deadline for the LambPlus 2022 season for Suffolk members until 24th January 2022
You will see a yellow banner appear on your homepage when you log into your Sheep Ireland account and you can simply sign up there. Alternatively, call their office on 023 88 20 451 to discuss what’s involved or email query@sheep.ie to express your interest in joining. Sheep Ireland will be closed over the Christmas period and will re-open again on Tues 4th Jan.” Please bear with us as we transition from the Grassroots system into the new Flockbook system on the Sheep Ireland system. Inevitable there will be some queries and adjustments to be made.
If you have any queries, please contact the Suffolk Sheep Society – South of Ireland Branch office directly either by phone on 083 0907313 or via email at enquiries@irishsuffolksheep.org
The West of Ireland Registered Pedigree Suffolk Sheep Breeders Club publish a 50th Anniversary Magazine to mark tremendous milestone in their history.
Click on the cover page below to read articles from the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., ‘The Origins of the Suffolk’, a trip down memory lane and much much more.
If you would like a copy, please get in touch with any of the committee or at woisuffolk@hotmail.com and it can be arranged. You can also visit their website here or click the links below.
Overall Champion Colin Watchorn celebrates his Beechbrook Flock
Judge: Mr Iain Barbour, Solwaybank Flock
This year’s flock competition was judged by the highly respected Suffolk breeder, Mr Iain Barbour of the Solwaybank Flock, Scotland. As with recent years, the South of Ireland competition was held in conjunction with the Suffolk Sheep Society Flock competition and our Irish members performed well against flocks from N Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
In the Society competition, S & P O’Connor (Kerry) was awarded the John Long Cup for the best flock of 16-30 ewes and Ronan McLoughlin (Donegal) was presented with the Best Stud Ram trophy for ‘Limestone Aston Martin’. Both Sean and Ronan, along with Garth Graham (Sligo), Gerry Killilea (Galway) and Colin Watchorn (Wicklow) picked up a total of 7 Certificates of Merit for different classes in the Society Competition. In the South of Ireland Competition, Colin Watchorn lifted the overall trophy for best flock in Ireland. Colin (ably supported by the family) hosted an excellent viewing day and presentation on Saturday 10th August.
Overall Champion
Winner: C Watchorn, Co Wicklow (Beechbrook Flock)
Reserve: S&P O’Connor, Co Kerry (Islandmore Flock)
Flock up to 30 Ewes
Winner: S&P O’Connor, Co Kerry (Islandmore Flock)
Reserve: R McLoughlin, Co Donegal (Ballyboe Flock)
Certificate of Merit: P Byrne
Flock Over 30 Ewes
Winner: C Watchorn Co Wicklow (Beechbrook Flock)
Reserve: G Killilea, Co Galway (Carragh Flock)
Certificates of Merit: G Graham, Co Sligo (Kirriemuir Flock)
Ewe Lamb Class
Winner: C Watchorn, Co Wicklow (Beechbrook Flock)
Reserve: G Killilea, Co Galway (Carragh Flock)
Certificates of Merit: S&P O’Connor, G Graham
Flock Ewes Class
Winner: C Watchorn, Co Wicklow (Beechbrook Flock)
Reserve: S&P O’Connor, Co Kerry (Islandmore Flock)
Stock Rams
Winner: “Limestone Aston Martin” (Owner R McLaughin)
