Winning Streak for McClure’s Mountdale Dorset Flock
The Dorset Horn and Polled Dorset Sheep Breeders Club’s 54th Annual Premier Show and Sale Championship was won by a ewe lamb from Ellen McClure’s Mountdale Flock. Mountdale I541 caught judge Joe Redford’s eye from the outset, at the event held on Monday, 27 July, at Ballymena Livestock Mart. The ewe lamb won a very impressive, large class before being crowned Overall Champion. She was part of the 1st prize winning pair of lambs at Balmoral Show this year and in Ellen’s winning Group of Lambs in the Club’s recent Flock Competition. Sired by Mountdale Gladiator, and out of Mountdale G28, the ewe lamb went on to make the top price in the sale, selling for 2,800gns to K Lagan.
Rounding off a magnificent few weeks for the Dundrod breeder, after being crowned Champion Flock and winning the NI Dorset National Show, Ellen had further success in the sale reaching 1,000gns for her third-place ewe lamb, another Gladiator daughter out of Mountdale D66, who sold to R Greer.
The Premier Show Reserve Champion was the second-place ewe lamb, Richill I2379 from Ben Lamb. Homebred, she is by Hilltop Hero and out of F1173. Ben also picked up second in the pair of ewe lambs class. With twenty-eight years’ experience of the breed Ben had a successful sale too with four lots featuring among the day's top prices. The Reserve Champion made an impressive 2,100gns selling to the judge Joe Redford and Richard Fitton of Dynamite Dorsets. Another two Hilltop Hero ewe lambs made 850gns and 700gns, selling to Rachel Moore and Glen Millar respectively. While Lot 72 by Oliver Tree Predator made 750gns heading to Kyle Bradshaw.
James and Craig Robson's Ballyhamage flock, Doagh, sold one half of their winning pair of ewe lambs, a Bencran Frank daughter for 900gns to Glenn Millar. The brothers were also second in the poll Dorset ram lamb class with Lot 26, Ballyhammage I330. The Ballyhamage Hideout son made 800gns to J Baird. While two further Hideout entries made 650gns, a ram lamb selling to Norman Wilson and a ewe lamb selling to R McKeown.
The Opposite Sex to the Champion was awarded to the first-place ram lamb from David and Sarah Stevenson's Greenhill flock. By Downkillybegs Einstein and out of a Greenhill ewe, the ram lamb made 850gns selling to Peter Knowles. Also selling for 850gns was a ewe lamb from Richard Currie's Hilltop flock, Ballymena, the Ashvale Horiato daughter went to A & G Sloane.
A tremendous trade was witnessed at the Premier Show and Sale with buyers keen to secure quality stock from start to finish. The highlight of the sale was undoubtedly the ewe lamb section, where a combination of strong demand and excellent quality resulted in spirited bidding both ringside and online. While leading lots commanded premium prices, there were strong prices across all ewe lambs with a 100% clearance rate and an average of £576.76 per head, a 19% uplift from the previous year. Other notable mentions in the section include three lots selling at 800gns. P, S & A Knowles' Manor flock sold a Downkillybegs Fanta daughter to A & G Sloane. E & H Kennedy's Rivervalley flock sold a full sister to the 5,500gns Rivervalley Icecream, to Mark Hamilton. While Caroline McKeown's Ashvale flock sold a daughter of the Keith Show champion Ashvale Grand Slam to John Duggan.
The shearling ewes on offer, all from Laura Weir's Lisnafillan flock, were also very well received. It was a Wilsey Fortune daughter that topped the section, scanned in lamb with twins it made 800gns to new breeders Chelsea Turley and Niall Doyle. A Ballytaggart Destructor daughter, also scanned in lamb with twins made 750gns going to the same home, and a Downkillybegs Flashdance triplet made 650gns to N McIlroy.
The judge, Joe Redford of Pegasus Flock, has just won the Royal Lancashire Show Dorset Championship for the third year in a row leaving him very well positioned to judge at Ballymena. Joe was impressed by the sheep put forward commenting, “The quality and show of sheep at the NI Dorset Show and Sale was fantastic. The ewe lamb class was very impressive. The Champion was flashy from she entered the ring and showed herself brilliantly. She had a beautiful head and great carriage. There was very little between her and the Reserve who also was a fantastic sheep. The Opposite sex to champion was also very correct. It was brilliant to see more people in the novice class this year. I was very pleased to be asked to judge and had a great time.”
Speaking on behalf of the Club, Chairman Samuel Caldwell said, “We had a great Premier Show and Sale. The buoyant trade reflected buyers' confidence in the breed and the continued demand for quality breeding females, making for a highly successful sale all round. In all, 96 pedigree Dorset sheep sold to a total of 56,280gns, with a 90.5% clearance rate, it was a very good day for the Dorset breed in Northern Ireland and for our club members. On behalf of the Club I would like to thank the breeders, buyers, judge, Ballymena Mart and our sponsors Norbrook along with Provita Animal Health.”
NI Dorset Sheep Breeders Club 54th Premier Show & Sale
Monday 27th July 2026
Judge: Mr Joe Redford of Pegasus Flock, Walkden, Manchester.
Poll Dorset Ram Lamb
1st Lot 20, D & S Stevenson
2nd Lot 26, J & C Robson
3rd Lot 19, D & S Stevenson
4th Lot 23, C McKeown
5th Lot 5, L Weir
6th Lot 10, P & E Breen
Pair of Ram Lambs
1st Lots 14 & 15, P McKinney
Shearling Ram
1st Lot 3, R Moore
2nd Lot 1, L Weir
Poll Dorset Ewe Lamb
1st Lot 53, E McClure
2nd Lot 69, B Lamb
3rd Lot 56, E McClure
4th Lot 74, A & C Kennedy
5th Lot 49, E & H Kennedy
6th Lot 45, P, S & A Knowles
Pair or Ewe Lambs
1st Lots 125 & 126, J & C Robson
2nd Lots 70 & 72, B Lamb
3rd Lots 76 & 75, A & C Kennedy
4th Lots 99 & 100, R Currie
5th Lots 48 & 47, P, S & A Knowles
Shearling Ewe
1st Lot 35, L Weir
2nd Lot 36, L Weir
Novice Breeder Lamb Class
1st Lot 129, T Craig
2nd Lot 130, T Craig
3rd Lot 11, A Beck
Overall Champion - Lot 53, ewe lamb, Ellen McClure
Reserve Champion - Lot 69, ewe lamb, Ben Lamb
Opposite Sex to Champion - Lot 20, ram lamb, David & Sarah Stevenson
Sale Averages
Ram lambs £625.63
Shearling Rams £577.50
Aged rams £367.50
Ewe lambs £576.76
Shearling ewes £630
Kindly sponsored by Norbrook and Provita Animal Health.