Ile de France members celebrate 40 years as NI sheep breeders

Ile de France breeders recently held their Awards Dinner and celebrated their 40th year as a sheep breeders club in Northern Ireland.
Henry & Pauline Milligan with the awards their son Roger won throughout 2016Henry & Pauline Milligan with the awards their son Roger won throughout 2016
Henry & Pauline Milligan with the awards their son Roger won throughout 2016

The main focus of the evening was the results for the annual flock competition judged this year by Carrickfergus breeder Edward Adamson.

Edward said that after travelling several hundred miles to view all the flocks choosing a winner had been a difficult job with all flocks looking extremely well adding that this would lead to an interesting year next season with the potential for another good contest amongst breeders. He continued by announcing the prizewinners.

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Veteran breeder Jim Donaldson from Newry won the best pen of ram lambs with David Dalzell of Hamiltonsbawn picking up the award for the ewe lambs. The best stock ram winner Garveway Senator, owned and bred by Rebecca and Georgina Mullian, Augher, was no surprise as he had been picking up red rosettes throughout the summer show season and continued to dominate this section.

Jim Donaldson cuts the cake with membersJim Donaldson cuts the cake with members
Jim Donaldson cuts the cake with members

The Tullyheran flock owned by Roger Milligan of Maghera has only been established for a couple of years but gained Reserve Champion flock on his time of entering the competition. Roger is working on farms in New Zealand for the season and his award was collected on his behalf by his parents who promptly informed him by that well known form of social media.

Youth seemed to be dominating as Champion Ile de France Flock for 2016 is the Garveway flock formed a few years ago when Rebecca and Georgina Mulligan established their own flock from a selection of foundation ewes from their father’s Glenhoy flock.

Cups and awards collected throughout the summer show season were presented to all those successful exhibitors.