Judging this year's club championships for the West of Ireland Registered Pedigree Suffolk Sheep Club was Belgian breeder Pieter Frijters.

A highly respected Suffolk breeder, Pieter runs the Driesweide Flock, established by his grandfather in 1973, and now manages the flock alongside his father Peter.

For his overall champion, he went for a tremendous shearling ewe brought out by Michael Hastings of the Western Flock.

Shown alongside her full sister, the pair claimed first and second place in the shearling ewe class, before the class winner went on to be crowned female champion, supreme champion Suffolk and ultimately overall interbreed champion of the show.

Sired by the 12,500gns Limestone Double Diamond and out of a Ballynacannon ewe by Solwaybank Rock Solid, she is a full sister to Western Drago, which sold for €13,000 at the premier sale in Blessington in 2025.

Novice ewe lamb, open ewe lamb and reserve female champion shown by Thomas Kenny, with judge Pieter Frijters. \ AB Photography

In reserve was Thomas Kenny's ewe lamb, which came through the novice ewe lamb class before going on to take first place in the open ewe lamb class and reserve female champion.

Sired by the 75,000gns Cairnton Chaos and out of a Ballynacannon ewe by Claycrop Classy Boy, this lamb is a full sister to the ewe that claimed reserve supreme champion at the South of Ireland Suffolk Championships in Dundalk Show earlier this summer.

Male champion

In the male championship, Barney Carroll's shearling ram Ballinatone Dark Thunder claimed the supreme title, a son of Ballynacannon Rolls Royce and out of a Birness ewe.

Purchased at the South of Ireland Premier Sale in Blessington, where he placed fifth in the open class, he impressed the judge with his strength and correctness.

Overall male champion shown by Barney Carroll, with judge Pieter Frijters.

The Ballygarris Flock owned by Marie Jennings was then awarded the reserve male championship with an open ram lamb. This well-balanced lamb by Ernevalley Dawson, a Craigdoo Crusader son, is out of an Errigal ewe by Lakeview Heart of Gold.

Class winners

Judging commenced early in the day with the aged ewe class, where a powerful ewe from Charlie Bourke's Connview Flock claimed the red ribbons. Sired by Claycrop Classy Boy, she is out of an Oakbridge ewe by Solwaybank King Williams.

The aged ram class was won by Paul Morris' Coolarne Flock with the impressive Milo Bartez, a ram by Salopian Pure Gold out of a Finnvale ewe.

Ronan Gallagher's Enniscrone Flock topped the novice ram lamb class with an ET-bred son of Crewelands Dancing Brave, a full brother to the second-prizewinner in the novice ewe lamb class.

Judging of the classes culminated with the young handler class, where Lorna Bailey and her brother Conor Bailey stood first and second.

The club's premier ram sale will take place on Friday 7 August at Roscommon Mart, where many of the successful exhibitors will offer rams for sale.