DORSET HORN & POLL DORSET SHEEP BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION May 2018
D O R S E T
Dorset sheep excel at Exeter May Fair A huge entry of more than 2,100 Dorset sheep were presented at the prestigious Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset May Fair in Exeter on Wednesday (9 May), selling to a top price of 2,000gns. The entry, which was well up on last year, saw 1,887 pedigree and commercial sheep go under the hammer with Kivells auctioneers, following the first day of showing on Tuesday. The Exeter-based event, which is the first major sheep breeding sale in the farming calendar, attracted entrants from all across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with some top quality stock. “This is the premier Dorset sale – you truly test yourself against the best Dorset sheep in the country at the May Fair,” explained James Royan, chairman of the Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset Society. More than 180 of the UK’s finest Dorset sheep competed for top honours at the show, with David Lewis from Narberth, Pembrokeshire, scooping the supreme championship with his poll yearling ram Pembroke Zupreme Z172. Sired by Ballytaggart Upstart U873
D I A R Y
David Lewis with Pembroke Zupreme
and out of Pembroke S139, this ram really caught judge Andrew Kingdon’s eye. “He’s just an outstanding sheep,” he explained. “I’m looking for good flesh, and an animal that’s correct on its feet – he just had the edge.”
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Rapid bidding saw Zupreme become the first to reach the 2,000gns threshold, quickly followed by the best Signet recorded ram, David Rossiter’s Huish Action, by Huish Zodiac. The buyers were Bristol-based CJ Whiting and Sherborne-based Robert Hole, respectively.
Huish Action with from left Richard Rossiter, David Rossiter and buyer, Rob Hole
Mr Lewis, who keeps 300 pedigree Poll Dorset ewes and 250 commercial sheep at Llangwathen, identified Zupreme as a potential winner at an early stage. “I always thought he could be the right sheep, but you just don’t know how they will turn out until you start feeding them and shearing them. He’s very powerful and just handles so well.” Completing Mr Lewis’s perfect day was his ewe lamb Pembroke Amaretto A9, which managed to take the champion female title as well. By Richhill Wallace and out of Pembroke S2, this poll ewe lamb was born in September 2017 and went on to sell for 700gns to Chesterfield-based THC Weston. “She was very correct in every way, with excellent presence,” said judge and society president Francis Fooks. He placed Robert Hole’s Sherborne Zest Z4395 in the reserve position.
Robert Hole with the Reserve Champion Female, Sherborne Zest, Z4395
David Lewis with the Champion Female, Pembroke Amaretto, A9
“To win the female and male championships in the same day is just unreal,” said Mr Lewis. “I’ve only kept Dorsets for nine years so I try and select the cream of the crop to bring here and get my name established.”
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Reserve champion male went to a pair of polled sheep from Graham Cubitt’s Kildowney flock in Ballymena, Kildowney Alfie & Arnie which fetched 850gns and 1000gns, respectively.
Reserve Champion Male, Graham Cubitt’s, Kidowney Alfie, A438 and Arnie, A58 with handlers Samuel Caldwell, left and Alister McNeill, right
The largest class, with 36 contenders, was the best single Poll ram lamb, judged by Alec Steff. He picked Seamus Mullen’s Islaharnan Allstar A220 as his champion, all the way from County Antrim, Northern Ireland. “He was very correct with good structure, legs and body,” explained Mr Steff. “He was good in the mouth and was of true breed type with a good back end.”
Seamus Mullan with Islaharnan Allstar, A220
Allstar went on to sell for 1850gns to Grantham-based Henry Tickler. Other notable top sellers included another of David Lewis’s – Pembroke Autumn Gold – at 1,800gns, and Matthew Care’s Poll ram Burhos Zac, at 1,700gns.
Ben Lamb with Richhill Axel, A1022
The best single horn ram lamb went to Ben Lamb’s Richhill Axel A1022, which travelled over from County Armagh and commanded 1450gns from Miss Zoe Wernham and Malcolm Pugh. “ He had a tremendous head with wide width between the horns, which came out level and curved,” said judge Denis Rankine. “He also had good legs and a great body – he was a very good sheep for the breed.”
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The Richhill Flock’s best pen of rams with from left James Royan, judge, and Ben Lamb
Mr Lamb also had success in the best pen of five or more rams, judged by Mr Royan. “It’s the first time we’ve won this award. It can be hard to win with a horned ram in a pen of polled rams, as they often don’t match,” said Mr Lamb, who bought his first Dorset Horn at the Exeter May Fair when he was 12 years old. However, Mr Royan praised the even group of rams. “They all handled tremendously well with strong breed character coming through.”
Francis Fooks scooped the best single shearling horn ram prize with Poorton Zooper Dooper, which went on to sell for 1450gns.
Over in the female lines, Francis Fooks’ pen of five pedigree Poll Dorset show ewe hoggets topped the trade at £320 apiece,
Fooks Bros. Poorton Zooper Dooper, Z176, with from left Francis Fooks, sponsor, Simon Dunk, Osmonds and Matthew Bagwell
David Thomas’s pen of five Poll show ewe hoggets – which were judged the best pen of females came in second at £300 apiece. In the ewe section, Philip Baker won the best pen of ewes, which went on to sell for £150. Robert Hole won the ewe lamb prize, with a pen of five levelling at £270. D J Thomas & Son’s Champion pen of females, with from left David Thomas, Samuel Caldwell, Judge, Mark Thomas, and Nigel Wernham, Judge.
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In the unregistered commercial section, Ivor Prouse’s pen of nine ewe hoggets fetched £200 each, with ewes topping at £138 for Andrew Palk. Purebred unregistered ewe lambs topped at £130 for Alan Bickley, while couples sold to £190 for C Hall. Crossbreds reached £162 for SP Burden. Overall, breeding ewes averaged £139.44, with MV accredited ewes settling at £203.66. MV ewe lambs levelled at £186.11, while MV rams averaged £741.27. Registered ewe lambs levelled at £163.82.
A new Trophy this year, The George Robson Memorial Trophy, very kindly donated by the Robson family, was presented by the Robson family on the Wednesday afternoon to the vendor with the highest priced ram. This was awarded jointly to David Lewis and David Rossiter for Pembroke Zupreme, Z162 and Huish Action, Z14324, respectively, both making, £2,100 (2,000 gns.)
George Robson, Jnr, centre, flanked by sons, James, left and Craig, right, presenting the George Robson Memorial Trophy to David Lewis, far left and David Rossiter, far right
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2018 MAY FAIR PRINCIPAL EWE AND RAM PRICES AV PRICE £
TOP PRICE £
1140.00 1942.50 1020.25 770.00 892.50 884.62 805.87 787.50 707.70 665.00 761.25 643.50 619.50 644.00 630.00 522.90 542.50 522.00 498.75 551.25 488.25 509.25 525.00 420.00 409.50 399.00 367.50 367.50
2100.00 1942.50 1890.00 1522.50 1207.50 1155.00 1050.00 1050.00 1050.00 945.00 840.00 840.00 777.00 735.00 714.00 703.50 682.50 682.50 682.50 630.00 577.50 546.00 525.00 420.00 420.00 399.00 367.50 367.50
MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA/SMN
2100.00 1162.50 1312.50 840.00 966.00 614.25 714.00 598.50 514.50 567.00 420.00 367.50 367.50
2100.00 1785.00 1522.50 1155.00 966.00 861.00 714.00 682.50 609.00 567.00 420.00 367.50 367.50
MVA MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA
Ram Lambs R & D Rossiter Seamus Mullan David Lewis Ben Lamb J H Kemball & Son Fooks Bros. J & C Robson Graham Cubitt S & S Lyons Thomas Wright Matthew Steenson R & R Hole Mr & Mrs A Kennedy Mr & Mrs M Maybin T & S Knox Joe Larder G & E Jones W & K Carson Griffiths & Davies James Royan G, M, S & C Wright Raymond Hill Alistair Morton D C Jones Tim Pratt Cameron Carson J B May & Son Laura Weir
7 av 6 av 6 av 2 av 4 av 4 av 3 av 5 av 3 av 2 av 7 av 2 av 3 av 3 av 5 av 3 av 7 av 4 av 2 av 2 av 2 av
2 av
Shearling Rams David Lewis V P, M & A Care Fooks Bros. Thomas Wright Laura Weir Sam Driver Alistair Morton A & C Kingdon Abbie Knowlson Mr & Mrs J James W L French Mark Hayman J B May & Son
7 av 2 av 4 av 4 av 5 av 2 av
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AV PRICE £
TOP PRICE £
682.50 315.00 294.00 210.00
735.00 315.00 294.00 210.00
MVA MVA MVA MVA
525.00 420.00 315.00 288.75
525.00 420.00 315.00 315.00
MVA MVA MVA MVA
Single Ewe Lambs David Lewis Joe Larder R & R Hole Llyr James
2 av 2 av
Single Shearling Ewes James Royan Llyr James Joe Larder R & R Hole
Fooks Bros. D J Thomas & Son A & C Kingdon W L French V P, M & A Care R & R Hole Sam Driver J B May & Son Richard Corbett S & D Cole M J Freegard Gillian Davies P Baker & Son Mr R Partridge Mrs S Dunsdon Mr G Meaden R M & J E Brown
P Baker & Son Mrs S Dunsdon R M & J E Brown
R & R Hole Carl Whiting A & G Sturgess J H Kemball & Son
J H Kemball & Son
2 av
PENS Registered Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Ewe Hoggets £ P 320 1 pen P 155 – 300 7 pens P 220 – 280 5 pens P 135 – 240 4 pens P 180 – 230 3 pens P 225 1 pen H 220 1 pen P 145 – 210 2 pens H 195 1 pen P 155 – 190 11 pens P 155 – 180 5 pens P 170 – 175 3 pens P 170 1 pen P 140 145 2 pens P 120 – 135 6 pens P 85 – 130 2 pens P 105 1 pen Registered Poll Dorset Ewes £ P 150 1 pen P 110 – 140 4 pens P 105-135 3 pens Registered Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Ewe Lambs £ P 270 1 pen P 130 – 155 2 pens P 150 1 pen H 120 – 140 3 pens Registered Dorset Horn Couples £ H 175 1 pen 7
MVA/SMN MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA MVA
MVA MVA MVA
MVA MVA
MVA MVA MVA MVA
MVA
MAY FAIR SHOW RESULTS, 2018 Best Pen of Rams
Ben Lamb’s Richhill Flock with left Judge, James Royan and Ben Lamb right
Class 1 – Best Ewe Lamb
Class 2 – Best Shearling Ewe
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
184 185 183 195
David Lewis David Lewis R & R Hole Joe Larder
Champion Female, sponsored by Shearwell Data Ltd. and Best Ewe Lamb, sponsored by Waitrose, David Lewis’ Pembroke Amaretto, A9, with from left Francis Fooks, President, Helen Davies, Shearwell Data and David Lewis
187 190 194 193 178
David Lewis James Royan Joe Larder Joe Larder Llyr James
Best Shearling Ewe, sponsored by Shearwell Data Ltd., David Lewis’ Pembroke Zolid Gold, Z59, with from left Francis Fooks, President, Helen Davies, Shearwell Data and David Lewis
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Class 3 – Best Ewe Lamb or Shearling Ewe within Signet
Special Class – Progeny Group of 3 Sponsored by Bramain Caravan Storage
1st
1st 2nd
181
R & R Hole
86, 185, 187 79, 80, 190
David Lewis James Royan
Reserve Champion Female, sponsored by Shearwell Data & Best Ewe Lamb or Shearling Ewe within Signet, sponsored by Mr Edwin Pocock, R & R Hole’s Sherborne Zest, Z4395 with Rob Hole
Class 4 – Best Ram Lamb or Shearling Ram within Signet 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
98 42 43 26
R & D Rossiter W & K Carson W & K Carson Fooks Bros.
Best Ram lamb or Shearling Ram within Signet, sponsored by Signet Breeding Services, R & D Rossiter’s Huish Action, A14324 with from left David Rossiter, Francis Fooks, President, Emma Steele, Signet and Richard Rossiter
Best Ram lamb or Shearling Ram within Signet, sponsored by Signet Breeding Services, R & D Rossiter’s Huish Action, A14324 with from left Sam Boon, Signet and Richard Rossiter
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Class 5 – Best Pair of Ram Lambs 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
55, 56 87, 88 99, 102 115, 117 60, 62
Graham Cubitt David Lewis R & D Rossiter Ben Lamb J & C Robson
Reserve Champion Male Exhibit, sponsored by Waitrose, and Best Pair of Ram Lambs, sponsored by Mr Simon Dunk Osmonds, GrahamCubitt’s Kildowney Alfie, A438 and Arnie, A458, with from left (standing) Francis Fooks, President and Simon Dunk, Osmonds, and handlers, Allister McNeill, left and Samuel Caldwell, right
Class 6 – Best Single Horn Ram Lamb 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
118 29 23 28
Ben Lamb J H Kemball & Son Fooks Bros. J H Kemball & Son
Best Single Horn Ram Lamb, sponsored by Kivells, Ben Lamb’s Richhill Axel, A1022, with from left Mark Davis, Kivells, and Ben Lamb
Champion Horn Exhibit
Champion Horn Exhibit, sponsored by Mr Simon Dunk, Osmonds, Ben Lamb’s Richhill Axel, A1022, with from left Francis Fooks, President, Simon Dunk, Osmonds, and Ben Lamb
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Class 7 – Best Single Poll Ram Lamb
Class 8– Best Group of Three Rams
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st
19 136 85 114 34
Seamus Mullan Thomas Wright David Lewis Ben Lamb T & S Knox
2nd 3rd 4th
Best Single Poll Ram Lamb, sponsored by Waitrose, Seamus Mullan’s Islaharnan Allstar, A220, with from left Dylan Laws, Waitrose, Francis Fooks, President, and Seamus Mullan
125, 127, 129 V P, M & A Care 38, 40,45 W & K Carson 5, 8 9 Joe Larder 100, 101, 103 R & D Rossiter
Best Group of Three Rams, sponsored by Bramain Caravan Storage, V P, M & A Care’s Burhos Zulu, Z300, Zephyr, Z286 and Zidane, Z293, with from left Adam Care, James Robson, Francis Fooks, President and Matthew Care
Class 9 – Best Shearling Horn Ram
Class 10 – Best Single Shearlng Poll Ram
1st 2nd
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
22 32
Fooks Bros. Sam Driver
Best Shearling Horn Ram, sponsored by Mr Simon Dunk, Osmonds, Fooks Bros. Poorton Zooper Dooper, Z176, with from left Francis Fooks, President, Simon Dunk, Osmonds, and Matthew Bagwell
84 24 124 71 12
David Lewis Fooks Bros. V P, M & A Care Laura Weir Alistair Morton
Champion Male Exhibit and Best Shearling Poll Ram, sponsored by Waitrose, David Lewis’ Pembroke Zupreme, Z172, with from left Dylan Laws, Waitrose, Francis Fooks, President, David Lewis and Andrew Kingdon, Judge
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Class 11 – Best Pair of Shearling Rams
Class 12 – Best Pen of 5 Ewes
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st 2nd
132, 134 126, 131 68, 69 77, 78 30, 31
Thomas Wright V P, M & A Care Abbie Knowlson A & C Kingdon Sam Driver
234 352
P W Baker & Son R M & J E Brown
Class 13 – Best Pen of 5 Hoggets 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
215 271 212 213 227
D J Thomas & Son Fooks Bros. R & R Hole P W Baker & Son Sam Driver
Class 14 – Best Pen of 5 Ewe Lambs 1st 2nd 3rd
Best Pair of Shearling Rams, sponsored by Shearwell Data Ltd., Thomas Wrights Ballytaggart Zeus, Z1809 and Zoro, Z1830, with from left Thomas Wright, Francis Fooks, President, Helen Davies, Shearwell Data and Steven Lyons
243 242 246
R & R Hole A & G Sturgess Carl Whiting
Champion Pen:
215
D J Thomas & Son
Reserve Champion Pen:
243
R & R Hole
D J Thomas & Son’s Champion Pen of Females with from left David Thomas, Samuel Caldwell, Judge, Mark Thomas and Nigel Wernham, Judge 12
Stratasys flock wins Decade of Progress Award for the Dorset sheep breed The Stratasys flock, owned by James and Barbara Stratton from Charlton Mackrell, in Somerset, has been recognised by AHDB Beef & Lamb as the most progressive flock of Dorset sheep based on the flock’s genetic merit and improvement over the past 10 years. James and Barbara Stratton moved to Priory Farm, Charlton Mackrell, in 1999 when James left the Army. They established the flock with the purchase of foundation stock from three separate breeders. James says: “Initially we started with Dorset Horns but about 15 years ago introduced Polled semen from the Centurion Sire Reference Group. The flock is currently just under 100 ewes with about 30 ewe lambs following on.” In addition to the Dorset sheep, they also have about 30 pedigree Devon cattle which they also performance record. Most stock is sold through livestock markets as prime lamb. Any breeding stock sold is off farm to private buyers. James and Barbara have been recording their sheep since 2000, making up nearly 18 years of continuous recording and improvement. “We started recording because we wanted to improve the quality of our stock,” says James. “I feel by collecting performance data on commercially important traits, we are then in a position to make informed choices about mating decisions. Without this information, you are making selection decisions either blind, or purely based on breed characteristics.” The Stratasys flock maintains a closed flock policy. James explains: “There have been no purchases of ewes or rams since 2008. This means we need to maintain genetic diversity by keeping a variety of ram bloodlines. Ram selection involves selecting on the Terminal Sire Index, while also maintaining genetic diversity.” Ewes are the most important asset in the Stratasys Flock, as they provide the basis for genetic variation. James says: “We select ewes purely on index score, but also with an eye on genetic outliers. This means that any ewe with an outstanding single trait, such as muscle score, would be in the flock. that, we select the The flock acquired Sandhurst A106 inretained 2005. This ram has Apart been from very influential and isona both son of Terminal and Maternal Douglas Downs 77/95, which proved himselfSire across all breedsIndices.” in the New Zealand central progeny test and has gone on to be one of the most influential horned rams in the World. “Sandhurst A106 was a LoinMax carrier. Sheep identified with the LoinMAX gene have 10 per cent more loin muscling than those without it,” explains James. “Other LoinMax genes were acquired through the purchase of female sheep sired by New Zealand LoinMax sires.” Among these sires was High Plains 512/04147, a polled ram that has also been influential in the flock. “We have stopped selecting for LoinMax directly, instead we rely on loin muscle measurements taken by AHDB as part of the Signet recording process. “We are really pleased to have won this award – it is recognition of 18 years of selecting for high performance stock.”
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ARRESTING HOBBY THAT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME!! James Royan bought his first Dorset ewe when he was only eight years old and, while his career has taken a completely different direction from sheep breeding, he has maintained a passion for the versatile and docile breed. His father Jim Royan was running the family butcher’s shop in Elgin, Morayshire, and it was his good friend Dean Anderson who first introduced the young James to the Dorset. “I was more interested in the livestock side and I spent most of my weekends helping out at Dean Anderson’s Mayne Farm, Elgin where at the time he had Dorset Horns. I had saved up my pocket money and bought my first Dorset Horn, an aged ewe which was in lamb, in 1981 for £32 from Dean,” said James. In November, 2016, he was proud and honoured to be elected chairman of the Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset Sheep Breeders’ Association - he was the first Scotsman to be elected onto the association council in 2007 and is now the first Scots chairman. In November, 2017, he and the association hosted their first annual meeting in Scotland in James’ home region of Morayshire. Back in the 1980s, James ran a very small pure-bred commercial flock for 10 years until he went to the Moray House Institute, at that time part of Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, to study to be a PE teacher, reflecting his love of sport and his other passion - rugby. On qualifying, he returned to the north of Scotland working as a teacher in Aberdeen and Peterhead. Then another change of career in 1998 took him into the police force, spending the next nine years in Aberdeenshire. He is now a Superintendent within the Lothian and Scottish Borders Division of Police Scotland. A move to the Borders to live on his wife Vicki’s family farm Putton Mill, Duns, in 2007 enabled James to fulfil his ambition - to start a pedigree flock of Poll Dorsets. Before the move south, James had already begun looking for his foundation females and his first purchases were from the 200 ewe pedigree Ramsden flock run by Michael and Robyn Butler, at Bartlehill, Kelso. He bought into the Ramsden bloodlines with four aged ewes, two gimmers and two ewe lambs as well as the ram Ramsden Hunter, which went back to the Rene flock from Australia, just 18 months before the Butlers dispersed the flock and emigrated to Australia to run a large sheep station. The Bennachie flock, named after the highest hill in Aberdeenshire which James could see when walking his dog from Newmachar where he worked at the time, is run at Putton Mill, farmed by his father in law and brother in law Frank and Bruce Millar. The flock now numbers 25 ewes and 10 ewe lambs. It has been built up with selective breeding but the foundation stock has left its mark. One of the first females, Ramsden J885 which has only been culled earlier this year, produced Bennachie Nimrod which was purchased by Devon breeder David Rossiter for his Huish flock 14
and has bred a number of rams successfully sold at the association’s May Fair in Exeter. The ram caught David’s eye when on the Dorset stand at Scotsheep seven years ago. She was also the dam of Bennachie Scheihallion bought by Richard and Rob Hole in Dorset in 2012 after Rob saw him when judging at the Great Yorkshire Show and placed the ram as male champion. Scheihallion has also bred May Fair ram lambs sold from their Sherborne flock. Both ram lambs were sold privately. In 2008, James sold his first pen of females from his foundation ewes at the inaugural Carlisle sale in August. At the 2010 Carlisle sale a ram lamb, Bennachie Pharlap by stock ram Ballytaggart Keltic Star, bought from Northern Ireland breeder Thomas Wright sold for 1,000gns - the first time a Dorset had made four figures in Carlisle. A small selection of stock ewes who have run with Ballytaggart Xtra-Special, including the Breed Champion from the Great Yorkshir show, 2016 on the left.
Over the years some selected females have been added to the flock to bring in new bloodlines, the greatest number coming from the Huish flock.
An early decision, despite the aim of containing flock numbers, was to record the sheep. The flock is Signet recorded which James sees as an important management tool to complement visual appearance and he believes it is becoming increasingly important when marketing breeding stock. Ramsden Hunter was in the top 25% of the breed for terminal traits. The most recent purchase for 1,050gns at the May Fair, Sherborne Zodiac from Rob Hole, was placed third in the Signet recorded class and is in the top 1% for terminal traits. The current stock ram Ballytaggart Xtra-special was purchased from Thomas Wright in March 2016 for a four figure sum. Then a lamb, James took him to the Great Yorkshire Show where he was first placed ram lamb. His first sons were sold at May Fair, 2017, and some of his daughters were sold at the Carlisle association sale in August, 2017. Two current rams. On the right is Sherborne Zodiac, purchased at the May Fair, 2017. On the left is Ballytaggart Xtra-Special, purchased privately in March, 2016, from Thomas Wright.
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James began exhibiting at the Yorkshire Show in 2011 and that year and the next two years he showed - 2012 and 2015 he took the Northern Dorset Breeders’ Club championship. He also won the reserve breed championship in those years but went one better in 2016 to take the championship. He also took the supreme championship at the Northern Club sale in Chelford in 2014. But probably his greatest achievement was receiving the supreme championship at the 2015 Carlisle sale with a home bred ewe lamb out of Richhill Tequila which sold for 700gns. AI rams used successfully on the flock have been Drumlin Lotus and Ballytaggart Nipper. Lambing is twice a year with the majority lambing at the end of September-beginning of October. Those that haven’t held to the ram get a second chance and join the January lambing group.
An October born ewe lamb sired by Ballytaggart Xtra-Special and out of a home bred ewe. She will be part of the Bennachie show team this year.
Twin born and reared lambs born in March, 2017, at 11 weeks old with no concentrate used.
“I am keen to show the sheep, seeing it as a good shop window for the flock. I’m aiming to breed females with a bit of scale, correctness and good locomotion. Personally, I don’t like my ewes to be overly masculine. I want to breed rams with strong carcase traits.” “My overall aim for the flock is to sell high quality breeding sheep and as a consequence of that there are always some prime lambs to sell which are currently sold through the co-op Farmstock Scotland or through the live ring at St Boswells. I have recently undergone an inspection with Dawn Meats and hope to market my lambs to M&S in the near future”. “They have all done exceptionally well. The pure bred lambs will sell at about 45kg and kill out at an average 50%. My early lambs for the Easter trade will make well in excess of £100 a head and averaging £93 a head. I try not to sell them too early so they are not pushed.” The Dorsets fit in well with James’ role in the police. “One of the strong points of the Dorset is they are easy to lamb and they can lamb at any time of the year. The Dorset is not photosensitive unlike other sheep breeds which makes them come into season as the days shorten in Autumn.” “The number of Dorset breeders is increasing year on year and we now have 15 members in Scotland. Ten years ago when I became a council member there was only one other flock in Scotland,” said James. 16
“There is a big following of the Dorset in Northern Ireland where breeders have done a tremendous job in developing the breed into a very competitive terminal sire. “There are also significant numbers of unregistered commercial flocks across the UK. Because of the excellent mothering abilities of the ewe, some sheep breeders use them as ET recipients and there are increasing numbers of commercial producers using the Dorset as a terminal sire as it can compete well with other breeds.”
Because the sheep are easily handled, all the family gets involved with the flock - wife Vicki, daughter Katie, 11 and son Jack, eight, both of whom are keen to show the sheep. Jack is following in his father’s footsteps and went to the Northern Ireland sale last July with his father and bought his first ewe lamb from Richard Currie’s Hilltop flock which was later put in lamb for him. Katie has won numerous young handler awards including the Berwickshire County Mainsacre trophy for the best young handler at the show.
The Royan Family Left to right – Vicki, Katie, Jack & James
James went back to his Dorset roots for the AGM last November, the formal part of which was held in Elgin on the first day. This was followed by a visit to Dean and Andrew Anderson’s Plewlands Farm, Duffus, just outside Elgin to see the flock of 200 Poll Dorsets. While James’ father Jim, the fourth generation of the family, has now retired from Royan the Butcher in Elgin, which dates back to 1850 and is the oldest retail butcher in Scotland, the name continues under the ownership of well-established butcher John Davidson who now runs the shop.
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WORCESTER SALE SATURDAY, 14TH JULY, 2018 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, 15TH JUNE
2018 FLOCK COMPETITION You will find the entry forms for the 2018 flock competition attached/enclosed with this mailing and again they are available to download off the website. The judges are yet to be confirmed but it will be judged in July/August and they will contact you direct to arrange a mutually convenient date for their visit. Do please try and support the competition – it will be well worth the effort If you are not in it, you cannot win it!!
ENTRIES CLOSE FRIDAY, 15th June, 2018
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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