The Irish Blue Texel Sheep Society had the largest entry to date at the society’s national championships at Athlone Show on Sunday 19 June.

Eighty-four Blue Texel and Dassenkop lambs, ewes and rams were shown in eight age categories and four championship classes.

The judge on the day was David Thompson who runs the Eastbury Flock in Dorset, England.

David is also chair of the British Blue Texel Society and had a tough job selecting his prizewinners from some very big classes on the day.

The largest class of the day was the Blue Texel ewe lamb class with 24 entries taking part.

First prize in the ewe lamb class went to Kyle and Evan Walsh.

Winners of this class were Kyle and Evan Walsh who made the 320km round trip from Ballintra, Co Donegal. They clinched the red rosette with a Cleenagh Fighter-sired daughter.

Evan Walsh, David Thompson, judge, and Aaron McPhilips showing Philip Crowe’s ewe lamb.

Second were Philip and Louis Crowe, Co Cavan, with a Powerful Family Guy-sired ewe lamb. In third place was Shannon and Finbar Murphy, Co Monaghan.

First prize in the ram lamb class went to James Higgins.

Another very large class was the Blue Texel ram lamb class. The winner of this class was James Higgins, Mayo, with a Cleenagh Extremist son.

Second was Francis and Jennifer Donohoe, Co Westmeath, with a Cleenagh Dominator lamb with third place going to Mayo breeder James Higgins.

Reserve champion Blue Texel went to Clenagh Dominator for Francis and Jennifer Donohoe. The reserve champion is pictured with handler Aaron McPhilips.

David Thompson tapped out Francis and Jennifer Donohoe’s shearling ewe, with reserve champion going to the winner in the aged ram class, Cleenagh Dominator, again from the Donohoes. It was a father-and-daughter team effort in every respect, with Dominator – the reserve champion on the day – being the sire of the champion.

Other results

Shearling ewe class

First: Francis and Jennifer Donohoe.

Second: Shannon and Finbar Murphy.

Third: Declan McCaffrey, Co Monaghan.

Shearling ram class

First: James Higgins, Co Mayo.

Second: Ann and John Gunning, Co Galway.

Aged ewe or ram class

First: Francis Donohoe, Co Westmeath.

Second: Francis Donohoe, Co Westmeath.

Third: James Higgins, Co Mayo.

The champion title in the Dassenkop section went to Cleenagh Bossman from Evan and Kyle Walsh. Bossman was imported from Clive and Adrian Richardson, Maguiresbridge.