2007 began with some good show results, and then the F & M outbreak put paid to it all. The Champion Shortwool “Wool on the Hoof” at both Devon County and the Royal Bath & West Shows with a lamb out of a Sire Reference Ram rounded off that worthwhile May. Our “Group of Three” won the breed first prize at Devon County. The picture to the left shows the Champion Shortwool ewe sporting a Blackdown tartan cape, presented to us by the kilt maker who uses this tartan made at Coldharbour Mill just down the Culm Valley

Semen from the Blackdown Flock is on its way to an American seedstock sheep farm – K Bar K in Petersburg, Pennsylvania. This sale of semen is the first to the USA for over 50 years. It will be used to enhance the true English character in their Poll Dorset flock, whilst also benefiting from the improvements gained through our breeding within the Centurion Sire Reference Scheme. US Poll Dorset seedstock and commercial farms do not have an advanced genetic pool on which to source rams to improve their flocks.

The US breeder saw the stock on the farm, went through reams of data, and after numerous e-mails, semen was ordered from a stock ram (F26) and a ram lamb (H2). 6 months were then spent organising the export with agents to meet the US and DEFRA regulations with blood and gene testing even before actual semen testing and collection Two months later the rams were tested for TB, as well as three additional blood tests. The semen reached the USA in July, and will be used this autumn (07).