Fairyglen ram wins Balmoral
The Kerr family from County Armagh took the Balmoral Rouge championship this year with a senior ram from their Fairyglen flock, while in reserve was last year’s winner James Houston, Randaldstown, Co. Antrim, with an Oldwood shearling ewe.
The breed leader under Richmond, North Yorkshire judge Sue Wilkinson, was the Kerrs’ Fairyglen Buckingham, one of just two in the senior ram class and both from the same flock. Buckingham had stood first in the previous year’s shearling class and was the red rosette winner in all the subsequent shows he was entered in the 2024 season. Buckingham is by the now seven year old Glenkeen Viper which the Kerrs originally bought from breeder John Harbison with an on-line bid in the 2020 Carlisle sale, and has proved to be a particularly good sire for at Fairyglen.
The reserve breed champion this year was a shearling ewe from James Houston and it was also a ram lamb from his Oldwood flock which won the Curry Cup for the best lamb.
This year’s shearling ram class winner was Michael Graham, Greenmount Road, Antrim, who also topped the senior ewes and stood second and third in the shearling ewe class.
Results
Judge – Sue Wilkinson from Richmond, Yorkshire
Ram, two shear and upwards
1st – 781 – Sammy Kerr
2nd – 782 -Sammy Kerr
Shearling Ram
1st -784 – Michael Graham
2nd – 787 – Sammy Kerr
3rd – 785 – James Houston
Ram Lamb born on or after 1st January 2025
1st – 793 – James Houston
2nd – 789 – David James Boyd
3rd – 791 – Michael Graham
Ewe, two shear and upwards, tearing or having reared a lamb in 2025
1st – 797 – Michael Graham
2nd – 798 – James Houston
Shearling Ewe 2025
1st – 803 – James Houston
2nd – 801 – Michael Graham
3rd – 800 – Michael Graham
Ewe lamb, born on or after 1st January 2025
1st – 807 – David James Boyd
2nd – 810 – Sammy Kerr
3rd – 809 – James Houston
Curry Cup best Rouge de L’Ouest lamb
793 – James Houston
Champion – 781 – Sammy Kerr – Ram, two shear and upwards
Reserve – 803 – James Houston – Shearling Ewe 2025
