Jim Driscoll’s sheep reigned supreme at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
Driscoll, who’s been involved in raising purebred sheep for about 40 years, capped an impressive season on the show circuit by winning the Supreme Champion Flock and Supreme Champion Ewe awards at the Royal earlier this month.
Driscoll and his wife Wendy raise Dorset sheep and have a flock consisting of 15 brood ewes.
“We have had many champions over the years at shows in Canada and United States,” said Driscoll. He added, “This year was exceptional,” as they took the Supreme Ewe award six times, earned Supreme Flock honours on three occasions and once took the Supreme Champion Ram prize – out of the 11 fairs they attended during the busy season between Labour Day and Thanksgiving.
“We’ve done very well all year,” said Driscoll.
In total, the Driscoll flock garnered 10 awards at the Royal, where this year’s sheep competition ran from Nov. 6 to 10.
In the Dorset category, they won for first place Yearling Ewe, first and second place for Ewe Lamb, first place Yearling Ram, first and third place Ram lamb, first place Get of Sire and first place Breeders Flock.
Top animals and flocks in their breeds are entered in the Supreme competitions, where they compete against top sheep from all breeds at the show. That’s where the Driscoll’s picked up the Supreme Ewe and Supreme Flock awards.
Driscoll used to compete annually at the Royal, but hasn’t done so since 2009, when he picked up several individual breed champion awards as well.
Other Wellington County sheep breeders earning honours at the 2013 Royal included Irwin and Mary Jackson of Rockwood, who won the Premier Breeder banner, and William Mactaggart of Rockwood, who took three first place and four second place awards in sheep competitions, plus first prize for Ram Lamb in the Suffolk category.
