Friday 5^th of August saw the twentieth annual Premier Sale of the Northern Ireland Rouge Club in Dungannon Farmers Market become a red hot trade! This sale was kindly sponsored by Volac.  Judge Sam Smyth, Randalstown, found his Champion in a Shearling ewe from the Sunrise flock of Pollock and Tannahill, Coleraine. Sunrise Kylie also stood 1^st in her class at Balmoral this year, she sold for the top female price of the day 600gns to the Tullyvallen Flock of AJ Graham, Antrim.  Reserve Champion and Best of Opposite Sex went to a Shearling Ram from the Oldwood Flock of James Houston, Randalstown, selling for the top shearling price of 420gns.  Trade was bouyant with a high clearance rate owing to the overall good quality of the rams on offer. Top call of 850gns went to a February born lamb from the Kinsella flock of Graham and Knox, Crumlin.  Other top prices for ram lambs include, AJ Graham 540gns,360gns,320gns ,A&B Wallace 520gns,360gns,300gns, Pollock&Tannahill 480,400,380gns, Graham&Knox 320gns, Sam Bell 420gns,320gns,300gns, Moore Hamilton 300gns.  The N.I Rouge club will hold its next sale of Pedigree Rams and Females in Ballymena Livestock Market on Monday evening the 19^th September, this will be another chance to add value to your flock in the 2012 lambing season

Averages – Shearling Rams (3) 370gns, Ram Lambs (24) 345gns, Shearling Ewes (11) 270gns, Ewe Lambs (6) 200gns

Show Results –

Shearling Rams                                                                                                 Ewe Lambs

1^st James Houston, Olwood Flock                                              1^stMoore Hamilton, Glengalliagh Flock

2^nd James Houston, Olwood Flock                                             2^nd A&B Wallace, Ruval Flock

3^rd William Dickson, Moody Red Flock                                     3^rd William Dickson, Moody Red Flock

Ram Lambs

1^st Sam Bell, Mountida Flock

2^nd Pollock & Tannahill,Sunrise Flock

3^rd A & B Wallace, Ruval Flock

Signet Recorded Ram Lambs

1^st,2^nd,3^rd AJ Graham, Tullyvallen Flock

Shearling Ewes

1^st Pollock & Tannahill,Sunrise Flock

2^nd AJ Graham, Tullyvallen Flock

3^rdMoore Hamilton, Glengalliagh Flock

There was a lot of interest around the pens pre sale on the day and DJ & GA Watkins of Craswell,Herefordsold their home bred shearling ram Champion judged by Mr D Davies of Brecon to the top price of 780 gns.  They also took the second highest priced shearling ram at 600gns. Percy Tait fromWorcesterwas judged reserve Champion with a home bred ram lamb which sold to 400gns.

Averages

Shearling rams 457gns (11 sold) ram lambs 358gns (5 sold)

Ewe lambs 250gns (2 sold)

A bid of 1,000gns secured the top price for DJ & GA Watkins of Craswell,Herefordselling their home bred lamb ram at the Rouge Sheep Society annual show and sale held at Borderway. More sheep were sold on the previous years sale and the overall sale averages also saw a rise throughout. A son of Bennachie Knightrider and bred from a home bred ewe, he was sold to AJ Graham of Antrim, N.Ireland.  The home bred lamb from Moore Hamilton of Londonderry, Glengalliahg Lawson, a son of Kinsella Jackpot and is out of a Hiltonstown Buster sired mother. Lawson was knocked down at 800gns to J Gate of Northwich, Cheshire.It was a shearling ram shown by Percy Tait of Broughton Hackett,Worcesterthat came next. This January born ram is a son of Romer Harry and bred from a Broadwood Camilla sired mother. This ram was sold for 750gns to J Charlton & Sons of Cleator Moor.

Champion Bennachie King shown by Pat Imlah

Selling for 720gns was Bennachie King, a son of Magherabeg Collin and out of the Bennachie Baroness family. King, shown by Pat Imlah of Newmachar, lifted the reserve male championship ticket at the pre-sale showing and has already won 2nd prize at the 2011 Royal Highland Show. He was sold to TJ Beckingham ofChesterfield.

Heading up the female section was the reserve female champion, a gimmer shown by Percy Tait. This eye catching entry is a daughter of the homebred sire Knighton 238 and carries both the Knighton and Broadwood Fusion through her pedigree. She was also purchased by TJ Beckingham ofChesterfieldfor 800gns.

Averages –12 shearling rams £473.88, 29 lamb rams £377.28, 3 ewes £280.00, 11 shearling gimmers £416.18, 15 ewe lambs £294.70

Annual General Meeting

The AGM will be held over the weekend of Saturday 15^th October 2011

Dolphin Hotel,Fore Street, Beer,DevonEX12 3EQ tel: 01297 20068

Friday Night:

8.00pm Informal get together at the Dolphin hotel for those that have travelled down during the day

Saturday:

10am Factory tour of the famous Axminster carpets by kind permission of Simon Wright

Afternoon visit to Clive & Jo Sage ‘Wyld Meadow Lamb’ who are using Rouge bloodlines on polled Dorset Sheep and they market their own lamb and beef

6.00pm Annual General Meeting at Dolphin Hotel, Beer followed by 7.30/8.00pm Dinner in hotel. Meal booking form enclosed  and please book your meals by Monday 10th October 2011

Sunday

10.00am Farm Visit by kind permission of David & Joy Churchill to see Kings Rouge pedigree flock at home.  Followed by a visit to see the Wrights Rouge pedigree flock by kind permission of Simon & Joan Wright, Lexhayne Mill Farm which will include tour of flock and stock judging competitions etc. The weekend will conclude with a buffet lunch at Lexhayne Mill Farm kindly hosted by Simon and Joan Wright.

Photo of David Jane receiving his Presidential award from Chairman John Smithson at 2009 AGM.

The Annual General Meeting will be held in Devon on Saturday 15th October 2011.

A weekend of events is planned and more detail will be published shortly.

Broadwood Jason shown by Mrs Pat Imlah took the Any Other Breed Championship at Turriff  Show over the weekend. Jason, sired by the well known Broadwood Dynamo and out of Broadwood Guardian was purchased at the British Rouge Sale at Carlisle 2010

Great Yorkshire Show Interbreed winner 2011, Knighton Harriet

PERCY Tait, 82, celebrated returning to the Great Yorkshire Show after an absence of 10 years by taking the sheep inter-breed title with a home-bred Rouge ewe, Knighton Harriet.

Knighton Harriet is out of a homebred dam from the 60-ewe flock Mr Tait runs at Broughton Hackett, Worcestershire. She has previously been breed champion at the Royal Highland and Staffordshire and Shropshire shows.

British Rouge Sale Carlisle 2010

British Rouge Sheep Society are pleased to announce the Annual show & sale of 83 MV Accredited Pedigree Rouge Sheep will be held Friday 12th August 2011. The Show starts at  8.30am with the sale commencing at 1o.00am.

Click here to visit H & H website

This 92kg pair are by a tup bred by John Watkins and out of Beltex sired ewes from the commercial flock John Hall and daughter Joanne Skelton run at home. This was the first time the Halls have ventured to the East of England Winter Stock Festival, but the second time they’ve taken the Smithfield title. They were adding to their Countryside Live and Agri-Expo titles of earlier this year with the lambs once again prepared for the event by Johnny Aiken. These sold for £280/head (£6.08/kg).

Leading the way in the sheep entries at the East of England Winter Stock Festival was John Hall with his Rouge x Beltex pair of lambs. Pictures is John Hall (top left), John Campbell, Smithfield Club chairman and judge Andrew Bishop with Joanne Skelton and Johnny Aitken at the heads of the winning pairs

On winning form was the Rouge crosses from John Hall, with daughter Joanne Skelton and Johnny Aitken pictured.

Saturday 16^th October

10am meet at The Golden Pheasant, Plumley, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 9RX for coffee

Visit local flock using Rouge rams

Lunch – to be confirmed

1pm visit Reaseheath – Cheshire Agricultural College who have a commercial flock of 500 ewes

5pm Rouge AGM at the Golden Pheasant

7.30pm Dinner £25 per person (booking form to follow in AGM mailing)

Sunday 17^th October

10am meet at Langford Farm for coffee, farm walk viewing pedigree flock, commercial ewes and suckler herd. Stock-judging and lunch.  All by kind permission of John & Rachael Gate.

Accommodation:

The following will do a special rate if you mention the Rouge Society

The Golden Pheasant, Plumley Moor Road, Plumley, Knutsford WA16 9RX

(5 double rooms and 1 twin)

The Windmill, Chester Road, Tabley, Knutsford WA16 0HW

(8 double rooms)

B & B Moss Farm, Cheadle Lane, Lower Peover, Knutsford WA16 9SW

(Various rooms)