Colin Watchorn, a retired car dealer and now full-time pedigree Suffolk sheep farmer, has been catching attention of late having won numerous sheep competitions across Ireland.
The dream for Colin was always to return to the family farm, where he kept a small flock of sheep for years, mainly as a hobby.
Since he retired in 2015, he has gone full-time into breeding pedigree Suffolk sheep.
In 2011 Colin purchased three Suffolk ewes and this was the start an of all-consuming passion for Suffolk sheep.
Colin is continuosly introducing new bloodlines and developing his flock to maximise performance.
Joining the Suffolk Sheep Society has been the cornerstone of Colin’s apparent success.
Catching the eye of fellow society members with his Beechbrook Flock, he has gone on to win various sheep shows across the country.
In 2017, Colin won the National Small Flock competition; this was followed by his stock ram winning Irish Bred Sire of the Year in 2018.
However, his crowning achievement came this year when he won three sections in the South of Ireland Flock competition.
These included:
- Flock over 30 ewes;
- Ewe lamb class;
- Flock ewe class.
As well as being named overall champion, he also received two Certificates of Merit in two other classes, where he was up against breeders from Northern Ireland and the UK.
Suffolk Premier Show and Sale
The South of Ireland Branch Suffolk Sheep Society is hosting a Premier Show and Sale at Blessington mart this Friday (August 2) and Saturday (August 3).
The sale will consist of 160 top Suffolk rams from Ireland, including a selected number of pedigree females.
The show commences at 3:00pm on Friday and the sale starts at 11:00am on Saturday morning.
On Saturday (August 10), Colin will host the National Flock Competition Winners open day. This will be held at Holly Hill Farm, Corsillagh, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, from 4:30pm.