Balmoral Show 2025

Balmoral Show – Thursday 15^th May 2025

Thursday 15^th May and the day dawned without a cloud in the sky at the 2025 Balmoral Show.  This is the first of the major shows in the calendar for the Bluefaced Leicester’s.

Mr Willie Barrowman, Mid Knockglass flock based in Wigtownshire, Scotland was making his first visit to the show to take on the Judging duties.  Entry numbers were down slightly on last year but there were still plenty of quality sheep forward.

It certainly was a red letter day for the husband and wife partnership of Graham & Julie Loughery, Temain flock based in Limavady taking the red tickets in four of the five individual classes.  Also taking home 1^st prize rosettes for best pair and best group.

First into the ring were the Rams, shearlings and upwards this is the class where Judge Willie Barrowman found his overall champion, an eye catching sheep which showed his prowess the minute he entered the ring, he was exhibited by Graham & Julie Loughery, Temain. He is 3790/T001 Knockstacken ‘Rolex’ bred by Timothy Wray which Graham & Julie purchased out of the Ballymena Premier sale last year as a lamb (where he took the overall championship in the pre sale show) for 10,000 guineas in a three way split with Timothy Wray retaining a share and S & J Wilson, Deerfin taking the third share. This was not Rolex’s first outing in the show ring – he was shown successfully as a lamb last summer by Timothy Wray taking the overall championship at the hotly contested Antrim Show.

The reserve overall champion came from the biggest class of the day the shearling ewe class it was the Mistyburn shearling ewe from Ian Montgomery who caught the eye of the Judge this time.  She is homebred, sired by 4456/S003 Giants Causeway Armani out of a Midlock Iceman ewe. This was not her first time in the show ring either taking the 1^st prize in the ewe lamb class at Antrim Show in 2024

Taking the red ticket in the ram lamb class was the Temain team with a homebred ram lamb sired by 4358/R001 Beeches Wingman who has bred very well throughout the flock.

Coming next was the aged ewe class.  Julie and Graham Loughery were successful in this class taking the red rosette this time with a homebred ewe sired by homebred ram Temain 4342/N003.

The last individual class of the day was the ewe lamb class with Graham & Julie Loughery taking the prized red rosette this was for a homebred ewe lamb sired by the overall champion 3790/T001 Knockstacken ‘Rolex’

Thank you to all the members for taking the time to present sheep for this important start to the show season in Northern Ireland and thanks to Judge Mr Willie Barrowman.