Dorset Sheep Newsletter May 2016

DORSET HORN & POLL DORSET SHEEP BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION May 2016

STEADY DEMAND FOR PEDIGREES AND COMMERCIALS AT DORSET MAY FAIR

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The Dorset May Fair in Exeter on Wednesday (May 4) saw a steady demand for commercial rams and ewes while quality breeders’ rams matched and females topped previous years’ levels.

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Conducted by Kivells in Exeter Livestock Centre on behalf of the Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset Sheep Breeders’ Association, the sale saw well over 2,000 pedigree and commercial breeding sheep sold.

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The sale is one of the largest in the UK for commercial early lambing ewes as well as pedigree rams and ewes and it provides a yardstick for the year’s forthcoming breeding sheep sales.

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Averages for 137 rams sold, an increase of nine on the 2015 sale, were down by £147 a head on last year to £660.04, with only 30 forward leaving the ring unsold.

Accredited ewes averaged £89.32 for 22 sold while ewe lambs and hoggets levelled at £170.00 for 359 sold. A total of 2,278 pedigree accredited and non-accredited and commercial breeding rams and females went under the hammer.

With a top price of 3,000gns for the reserve champion from the previous day’s show from David Rossiter’s Huish flock at Galmpton, Kingsbridge, Devon, a total of 19 rams made 1,000gns and more.

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The individual female breed record was broken by Northern Ireland breeder Thomas Wright at 2,000gns for a home-bred ewe lamb.

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Association chairman and Northern Ireland breeder Ben Lamb, who had the sale’s third top price, said: “All in all, with the farming industry as it is, I think it was a very positive sale. A strong commercial trade underpinned the breeders’ rams sales in what was a bigger catalogue of sheep.”

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Kivells’ auctioneer Russell Steer said there was a strong trade for the best of females. “Buyers were from a few new flocks looking to buy females, which is always good. Trade was good on the back of a weaker barren ewe trade.”

One of the worst winters for a number of seasons had prevented breeders turning out as good a quality of rams, said Kivells’ Simon Alford. “We have had an atrocious winter for a forage breed which likes to be on grass. The top 25% of rams sold well and more of this quality could have been sold.

Sheep were sold to all corners of the UK.” 1

Leading the day’s prices was the September 2015 born Poll ram lamb Huish Exhilarate from David Rossiter.

Its sire Downkillybegs Unique, a double copy Myomax ram, has passed one copy of the double muscling gene to his son which is out of a home-bred ewe from the 520 ewe Huish flock.

Mr Rossiter is an advocate of using Huish Exhilarate with David Rossiter (left) DNA markers which he believes will and buyer Joe Dufosee (right) become increasingly important for step and breeding, selectingbut notthe only future step breeding, selecting not onlyfuture for health performance, early for lambing capabilities which the Dorset is renowned for.

Purchasing the leading priced ram was father and son Jim and Joe Dufosee for their 400-ewe Blackhill flock which is run on an organic system alongside 200 Aberdeen Angus suckler cows, run on an organic system on Salisbury Plain. They paid the top price of 3,100gns at the 2015 May Fair for Riverview Wasabi from Northern Ireland breeders Sharon and Trevor Knox.

“Joe and I select the 10 rams we like before the pre-sale show,” said Jim, who farms with his son at Farnicombe Farm, Upton Scudamore, Warminster, Wiltshire.

“David’s ram had good figures, which is important to us.

“He is also a scopey ram as well as being correct and he has the Myomax gene breeding through Ballytaggart Puma,” added Jim, who said the ram would be out to work immediately after the sale.

Next in the the price order but selling early on in the catalogue was Deverill Xavi a September born Poll ram from Adrian Dufosee which made 2,600gns to William and Karen Carson, of Northern Ireland.

The ram would not have made the sale had it not been for Adrian’s sons who work on the family farm Church Farm Longbridge Deverill, Warminster, as Adrian broke his wrist before the May Fair.

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Deverill Xavi with Adrian Dufosee (centre), and sons Grady (left) and Harley (right)

Adrian paid 800gns for the ram’s sire, Oliver Tree Uncle Ben, two years ago. The ram is out of a home bred ewe.

Sons Harley, 22, and Grady, 19, turned out and showed the ram to achieve the flock’s highest price - previous best was 800gns for the flock which dates back to 1988 and is run alongside other pedigree sheep. Currently, 250 of the Dorset flock is polled with 50 Dorset horned ewes. Dorsets make up half the pedigree ewe flock and 200 cattle are finished a year.

William Carson, who bought the ram for his Downkillybegs flock in Antrim, Northern Ireland, said: “We liked the ram’s character and presence. The ram is very much true to breed character and type.”

William and his wife Karen and son Cameron have a flock of 350 ewes, of which 200 are Poll Dorsets. William has been secretary of the Northern Ireland Dorset club for the last 25 years during which time the breed’s popularity there has grown to such a degree that now a third of the association’s membership comes from the province, running a total of 4,500 registered pedigree ewes.

“The Dorset is playing a stronger role in the commercial market in Northern Ireland because of its early lambing ability,” said William. The ram will go out to work immediately with the ewes to produce lambs in early October.

Ben Lamb’s third top price ram at 2,200gns produced the second top price for his Richhill flock at Lime Tree Farm, Richhill, County Armagh - the previous top was for a horned ram at 3,500gns.

Ben Lamb’s Richhill Xstile

The October born Richhill Xstyle is by Sandelford Usain, which made the top price at Northern Ireland Premier Sale in July two years ago at £900.

Buyer was fellow Northern Ireland breeder Thomas Wright who liked the ram’s breeding. Both breeders have started Signet recording their flocks this year.

Keen to maintain the traditional side of the breed he started with, Ben runs 20 horned ewes alongside 58 polled sheep alongside his father’s 45 pedigree Aberdeen Angus cows, 12 pedigree Texels owned by his brother Peter and arable land. Ben also works as contracts manager for facilities management in schools in Northern Ireland.

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David Rossiter paid 1,600gns for William and Karen Carson’s Downkillybegs Xaco, born in September 2015, to add to his stock rams at Huish.

The ram lamb’s terminal sire and maternal index are both in the top 1% of the breed. By Downkillybegs Umberto, the ram is out of a home bred ewe.

W & K Carson’s Downkillybegs Xaco

“He has perfect figures not only in in his terminal potential but also his strong maternal index. The ram has scale and scope,” said David.

The overall champion of the pre-sale show selected by judge Richard Hole of the Sherborne flock in Dorset was a pen of three rams from Fooks Bros, Manor Farm, North Poorton, Bridport, Dorset.

The pen, all September 2015 born and sired by Beechmount Tweedledum and out of home bred rams, averaged £549 a head.

Francis Fooks (left) & Matthew Bagwell (right) with the Overall Champion Exhibit, Poorton X843, X889 & X895

Showing the sheep from the 110 year old Poorton flock were Francis Fooks

and his partner Carol Puttock with Francis’ nephew Matthew Bagwell on behalf of the family mixed dairy, beef and sheep enterprise which includes 210 Dorset ewes, a third of which are horned, run with brothers Michael, David and Jeffrey.

The Fooks showed the champion female which went to a horned ewe for the first time, the September born Poorton Warbler, by Poorton N141, out of a home bred ewe, sold for 620gns to B A Wernham & Son, of Newbury, Berkshire.

In the commercial pens, the Fooks’ pen of five Poll ewe hoggets made £390 a head to top that section of the sale.

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Female Champion, Poorton Warbler with Russell Steer, Kivells (left ) & Francis Fooks (right)

Topping the female pedigree sale was another sheep with Ballytaggart Tonka breeding from Thomas Wright, Killraughts Road, Ballytggart, Ballymoney, County Antrim.

Ballytaggart X1469 made 2,000gns to Andrew Kennedy, of Maine Valley Pedigree Livestock, Ballymena.

Ballytaggart X1469

Thomas Wright also had the champion pen of females in the commercial section which made ÂŁ300 a head to give his Ballytaggart flock a boost in its 25th year.

Among the volume buyers and a first time purchaser making a more than 600 mile journey to the May Fair sale was committed Dorset breeder Dean Anderson, from Smallburn Farms, Mayne Farm, Elgin, Morayshire.

Impressed by the quality on sale at the May Fair, he purchased 120 ewes in the commercial sale and five rams for 1,1,00gns 1,050gns, 750gns, 520gns and 480gns for his 200 ewe flock run alongside commercial sheep.

Leading ram prices: (lot 101) Reserve single champion - 3,000gns from David Rossiter, Burton, Galmpton, Kingsbridge, Devon, to Joe and Jim Dufosee, Farnicombe Farm, Upper Scudamore, Warminster, Wiltshire. (lot 17) - 2,600gns from Adrian Dufosee, Church Farm, Longbridge Deverill, Warminster, Wiltshire, to William and Karen Carson, Whitesides Road, Downkillybegs, Ballymena, County Antrim. (lot 83) - 2,200gns from Ben Lamb, County Armagh Tree Farm, Richhill, to Thomas Wright, Killraughts Road, Ballytggart, Ballymoney, County Antrim, (lot 90) - 1,600gns from William and Karen Carson, to David Rossiter.

Females: (lot 207A) - 2,000gns from Thomas Wright, to Andrew Kennedy, Maine Valley Pedigree Livestkck, Ballymena.

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2016 MAY FAIR PRINCIPAL EWE AND RAM PRICES AV PRICE £

TOP PRICE £

1315.50 857.06 1107.00 1005.00 801.00 787.50 758.62 735.00 813.75 774.37 549.00 595.87 593.25 517.12 459.37 437.50 487.20 462.00 455.00 413.00 420.00 399.00 367.50 367.50 367.50 367.50

3150.00 2730.00 2310.00 1680.00 1575.00 1155.00 1155.00 1050.00 945.00 945.00 924.00 787.50 682.50 577.50 577.50 577.50 546.00 525.00 504.00 504.00 420.00 399.00 367.50 367.50 367.50 367.50

MVA/SMN MVA MVA/SMN MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA/SMN MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA

592.50 756.00 714.00 588.00 682.50 490.00 437.50 435.75 411.60 420.00 367.50 367.50 367.50

966.00 756.00 756.00 735.00 682.50 609.00 504.00 504.00 441.00 420.00 367.50 367.50 367.50

MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA

Ram Lambs D W Rossiter Adrian Dufosee Ben Lamb W & K Carson Thomas Wright J H Kemball & Son S & S Lyons J & C Robson Andrew & Caroline Kennedy R & R Hole Tom Clarke T & S Knox S P McCarry Fooks Bros.

Jim Dufosee G & G Henderson Joe Larder David Lewis Seamus Mullan Cameron Carson Graham Cubitt Graham Meaden R & D Huxter J B May & Son Tim Pratt Shane Wilson

7 av 8 av 7 av 7 av 7av 2 av 4 av 4 av 2 av 4 av 7 av 4 av 2 av 4 av 4 av 3 av 5 av 2 av 3 av 3 av

2 av 2 av 2 av

Shearling Rams V P, M & A Care Sam Driver Jim Dufosee David Lewis Fooks Bros.

W L French A & C Kingdon Windrush Farming Partners Edwin Pocock N J Burrington P W Baker & Son R & D Huxter J B May & Son

7 av 3 av 2 av 6 av 6 av 2 av 5 av 2 av

2 av

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AV PRICE £

TOP PRICE £

1338.75 267.75 262.50 262.50 246.75 236.25 189.00

2100.00 294.00 262.50 262.50 262.50 262.50 189.00

MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA

483.00 483.00 304.50 315.00 262.50 210.00

651.00 651.00 378.00 315.00 294.00 210.00

MVA/SMN MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA

Single Ewe Lambs Thomas Wright R & R Hole David Lewis Windrush Farming Partners Jim Dufosee Tom Clarke Adrian Dufosee

2 av 2 av 2 av 2 av 2 av

Single Shearling Ewes Jim Dufosee Fooks Bros.

David Lewis Windrush Farming Partners Adrian Dufosee Tom Clarke

2 av 2 av 2 av 2 av

PENS Registered Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Ewe Hoggets £ Fooks Bros.

P 200 – 390 4 pens W L French P 118 – 265 7 pens V P, M & A Care H&P 132 – 200 4 pens A & C Kingdon P 138 – 195 5 pens P W Baker & Son P 180 – 190 2 pens M J Freegard P 140 – 185 5 pens D J Thomas & Son P 118 – 180 7pens Edwin Pocock P 180 1 pen W L & E Sandercock P 150 – 175 3 pens S & D Cole P 120 – 170 9 pens B A Wernham & Son P 125 – 155 2 pens Mrs S Britton P 145 – 152 2 pens J B May & Son P 125 – 130 3 pens R M Eglin & Son Ltd. P 118 – 122 3 pens Peter Cole P 90 – 108 2 pens Miss C Moorhouse H 100 1 pen Clive Hart P 70 1 pen

P W Baker & Son B A Wernham & Son Miss C Moorhouse

Registered Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Ewes £ P 105 1 pen P 102 1 pen H 65 - 90 2 pens

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MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA

MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA

MVA MVA MVA

Thomas Wright R & R Hole David Lewis Jim Dufosee P W Baker & Son R & D Huxter G & E Jones Peter Cole

Registered Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Ewe Lambs £ P 300 1 pen P 200 1 pen P 160 – 200 2 pens H 160 1 pen P 145 1 pen P 90 – 100 3 pens P 90 1 pen P 80 1 pen Registered Poll Dorset Couples P 160 – 202 P 142 – 170

Edwin Pocock B A Wernham & Son

5 pens 2 pens

MVA MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA

MVA MVA

MAY FAIR SHOW RESULTS, 2016 Class 1 – Best Ewe Lamb

Class 2 – Best Shearling Ewe

(Sponsored by Waitrose)

(Sponsored by Shearwell Data Ltd.)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

207 203 221 208 220

Thomas Wright Tom Clarke David Lewis Thomas Wright David Lewis

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Ballytaggart X1469 with Dylan Laws, Waitrose (Left) and Thomas Wright (right)

196 224 218 199 204

Fooks Bros.

Windrush Farming Ptners David Lewis Jim Dufosee Tom Clarke

Champion Female, sponsored by Mitchells Chartered Accountants, & Best Shearling Ewe Poorton Warbler W345 with Russell Steer, Kivells (left) and Francis Fooks (right)

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Special Class – Progeny Group of 3

Reserve Champion Female (Sponsored by Mitchells Chartered Accountants)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Keresforth Whisper W47 with Ben Stayt

207, 130, 131 45, 47, 202 63, 65, 199 189, 218, 221 143, 144, 217

Thomas Wright Tom Clarke Jim Dufosee David Lewis R & R Hole

Ballytaggart X1469, XL X1428, Xtra X1487 with from left Phillip Baker, Judge, Karen Carson, Stevie Lyons, Seamus Mullan and Alistair Morton, Galloway Macleod

Special Class – Signet Class

Class 3 – Best Pair of Ram Lambs

(Sponsored by Signet Breeding Services)

(Sponsored by Mitchells Chartered Accts)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

90 92 82 93 99

W & K Carson W & K Carson Ben Lamb W & K Carson D W Rossiter

Downkillybegs Xaco, X106 with Karen Carson (left) & Stephen West, Signet Breeding Consultant, &AHDB Beef & Lamb Breeding Specialist (right) 9

69,71 130, 131 93, 95 83, 84 140. 141

Seamus Mullan Thomas Wright W & K Carson Ben Lamb T & S Knox

Islaharnan Xavier, X112 & X-Rated, X104 wtih from left Seamus Mullan, Samuel Caldwell & Alistair Morton, Galloway Macloed

Class 4 – Best Single Horn Ram Lamb

Class 5 – Best Single Poll Ram Lamb

(Sponsored by Kivells))

(Sponsored by Waitrose)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

80 86 87 120 12

J H Kemball & Son Ben Lamb Ben Lamb G & G Henderson Adrian Dufosee

Best Horn Exhibit sponsored by Simon Dunk, Osmonds, & Best Single Horn Ram Lamb, Staverton Xose X1810 with Simon Dunk, Osmonds (left) and Tim Pratt (right)

101 30 40 138 90

D W Rossiter J & C Robson Tom Clarke T & S Knox W & K Carson

Reserve Champion Male Exhibit, sponsored

by Waitrose, Huish Exhilarate, X9383, with Dylan Laws, Waitrose (left) and David Rossiter (right)

Class 6 – Best Group of Three Rams

Class 7 – Best Shearling Horn Ram

(Sponsored by Kivells)

(Sponsored by Shearwell Data Ltd.)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

161, 162, 163 99, 100, 102 114, 115, 116 14, 16, 17

1st 2nd

Fooks Bros.

D W Rossiter Joe Larder Adrian Dufosee

Champion Male Exhibit (Sponsored by Waitrose) Poorton X843, X889, X895 with, from left Simon Alford, Kivells, Francis Fooks, Sam Driver and Matthew Bagwell.

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179 180

V P, M & A Care Sam Driver

Burhos Wrecker, W573 with Matthew Care (left) and Helen Davies, Shearwell Data Ltd. (right)

Class 8 – Best Shearling Poll Ram

Class 9 – Best Pair of Shearling Rams

(Sponsored by Waitrose)

(Sponsored by Mr Simon Dunk, Osmonds)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

186 187 62 123 181

David Lewis David Lewis Jim Dufosee Nick Burrington Sam Driver

Pembroke Whish List, W69 with Dylan Laws, Waitrose (left) and David Lewis (right)

174, 176 151, 157 60, 61 22, 26 25, 27

V P, M & A Care A & C Kingdon Jim Dufosee W L French W L French

Burhos Wilber, W581 & Wilson, W580 with Simon Dunk, Osmonds & Matthew and Adam Care

Best Pen of 5 or more Rams W & K Carson, Downkillybegs Flock

Judge Nigel Wernham & Karen Carson

Class 10 – Best Pen of 5 Ewes 1st 2nd

242 243

B A Wernham & Son P W Baker & Son 11

Class 11 – Best Pen of 5 Hoggets

Class 12 – Best Pen of 5 Ewe Lambs

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Fooks Bros.

Edwin Pocock J B May & Son B A Wernham & Son P W Baker & Son

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

248 255 259 249 246

Champion Pen:

248

Thomas Wright

Reserve Champion Pen:

294

Fooks Bros.

294 229 201 217 236

Thomas Wright David Lewis Tom Clarke R & R Hole Joe Larder

WORCESTER SALE SATURDAY, 9TH JULY, 2016 As with May Fair, the Worcester entry forms are only being posted to members who have sold at the sale over the past five or six years. If you are on e-mail they will be e-mailed to you.

They will also be available to download off the website if you have access to this. If you would like to receive entry forms for the Worcester sale by post please ring the office.

ENTRIES CLOSE 12 NOON, FRIDAY, 10TH JUNE

2016 FLOCK COMPETITION You will find the entry forms for the 2016 flock competition attached/enclosed with this mailing and again they are available to download off the website.

The judges Robert & Ali Hole are planning carrying out the judging in late July/August (exact dates to be confirmed).

Do please try and support the competition – it will be well worth the effort

ENTRIES CLOSE FRIDAY, 1st JULY, 2016

DISCLAIMER

DORSET HORN & POLL DORSET SHEEP BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION

The Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Sheep Breeder’s Association produce this newsletter in good faith and cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies contained therein.

Agriculture House, Acland Road, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1EF Tel/Fax: 01305 262126 e-mail: dorsetsheep@xlnmail.com website: www.dorsetsheep.org.uk Breed Secretary: Marguerite Cowley

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