Hampshire Downs break the records at a bumper event at Armagh Show

The Hampshire Down Ireland Society is extremely pleased to have been sponsored by Connely’s Red Mills animal feed producers as main sponsor.

Red Mills products are supported by some of the most technologically advanced plant and processes and their brand spreads throughout the world – from Malta to Mongolia and from Belgium to Bahrain. The brand is known and trusted from the UK and Ireland to Continental Europe, the USA, Japan and elsewhere in the Far East.

This family-owned business is also a leading name in Ireland’s farming community, through their excellent range of animal feeds and agri services.

The club were also very pleased to be sponsored again by Animax Ltd as sponsors of the group classes. Animax Ltd was founded in 1982 and is the market leader in trace element supplementation for livestock.

This continues a long and happy relationship with both sponsors

New sponsors for the Hampshire Down classes this year were SONI who funded the prize money in all the classes.

SONI is responsible for the safe, secure, efficient and reliable operation of the high voltage electricity system in Northern Ireland.

SONI works in cooperation with asset owner NIE to develop the grid infrastructure. This is needed to support competition in energy, to promote economic growth and to facilitate renewable energy.

The man with the unenviable job of judging this National this year was Mr Jim Cresswell from Norfolk. Jim has been involved with sheep for over 60 years since he was a small boy. He served his time as a professional shepherd for many years. He has been involved breeding, Hampshires, Texels, and Southdown breeds with great success and has judged extensively throughout the British Isles.

Results

Ram any age: 1st S& G Doyle; 2nd Kevin McCarthy; 3rd Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 4th A&V McFadden; 5th JD Wells; 6th Brian Kennedy

Ewe any age: 1st Kevin McCarthy; 2nd A&V McFadden; 3rd Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 4th JD Wells; 5th Kevin McCarthy; 6th Graham Manson

Shearling ewe: 1st Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 2nd Kevin McCarthy; 3rd Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 4th Rodney Wilson; 5th Kevin McCarthy; 6th Hannah Robinson

Ewe Lamb: 1st Graham Manson; 2nd Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 3rd A&V McFadden; 4th Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 5th Rodney Wilson; 6th A&V McFadden

Ram Lamb: 1st Kevin McCarthy; 2nd Graham Manson; 3rd Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 4th A&V McFadden; 5th S&G Doyle; 6th Peter Lawson; 7th Trevor Todd; 8th Graham Manson

Best pair of lambs: 1st Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 2nd Graham Manson; 3rd Kevin McCarthy; 4th S&G Doyle: 5th Peter Lawson: 6th Trevor Todd

Best pair of shearling ewes: 1st Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 2nd Kevin McCarthy; 3rd Rodney Wilson; 4th Trevor Todd

Best group of Three: 1st Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 2nd Kevin McCarthy; 3rd A&V McFadden; 4th Graham Manson; 5th Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher

Untrimmed Ram lamb: 1st Kevin McCarthy: 2nd Jim, Ann & Jonathan Fletcher; 3rd S&G Doyle; 4th Peter Lawson; 5th J&I Wilson; 6th S&G Doyle

Novice class: 1st JD Wells; 2nd Rodney Wilson; 3rd S&G Doyle; 4th Trevor Todd

Champion: S&G Doyle - Shearling ram bred by Ashley Black Jack, out of a homebred ewe

Reserve Champion: Graham Manson - Ewe lamb