The Armstrong family of Leam North Country Cheviot flock will be helping to celebrate 50 years of the North Country Cheviot breed by offering 25 select females from the Leam and Stragole flocks including in-lamb ewes and dry hoggets form some of the top bloodlines throughout the British Isles at a sale tomorrow, Friday, February 4 at Beatties Pedigree Centre, Omagh. Viewing is from 4pm with the sale beginning at 6pm. The sale will also be online through MartEye.

This will be the first sale of its kind in Ireland for North Country Cheviots which has been arranged with Allister McNeill and his Kilvaddy flock celebrating 25 years with the breed.

At the North Country Cheviot Society AGM held in Anglesey North Wales, Sinclair Armstrong was presented with The Rumenco Michael Peters Quaich 2021 for recognition of his valued work for the benefit of the Society and promotion of the North Country Cheviot breed.

The Prospect Flock was established in 1972 by Sinclair Armstrong and this was later renamed Leam after the farm in Tempo. The flock was established when Sinclair travelled to Thurso, Caithness in the North of Scotland buying five select females from of top breeders at the time, North Calder, Geiselittle, Biggins and Braval. These ewes formed the foundation for the Leam Flock with further visits to Caithness expanding the flock with more females down through the years from other noted flocks such as Noss, Field and Smiddyquoy.

The Armstrongs run 150 strong Pedigree Park Type North Country Cheviots now. With demand for good strong NCC females soaring there are over 50 females and over 20 rams sold every year.

Over the last 50 years the Leam and Stragole flocks have won numerous awards on the show circuit winning breed championships and representing the breed in interbreeds. The flocks have also been the foundation for a large portion of flocks throughout Ireland exporting rams and ewes to Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Rams are sold annually at Lockerbie with rams and females sold at the NCC N.I Club Sale since it was first established in 2019.

In recent years the Armstrong’s have started crossing some of the older ewes to the Blue Faced Leicester to produce the Cheviot Mule as demand for this cross continues to grow. This year we have also crossed some ewes with the Border Leicester after numerous inquiries for Scotch Half Bred females.

The North Country Cheviot is very adaptable and suits all ground types and markets definitely a sale not to be missed for existing and new breeders wanting to get involved in this great breed.

Noted Rams that have been used over the last 50 years including Smiddyquoy Pacesetter (1988 Thurso Show and Sale Champion £2300); Cairnside Anchorman (purchased in 2020 at Thurso for £4100) bought for his length and size he has had a good first lambing looking forward to see how he does this spring; Allanshaws Navigator purchased in 2012 for his length and scale; Humbleheugh Vogue Purchased in 2017 for £3000 and has left progeny extremely easy fleshing with great skins; Humbleheugh Xtra Special (2019 Lockerbie Show and Sale Champion £5000), a huge ram with huge potential with in the breed looking forward to see how he crosses with Allanshaws bred females.

LOT 26 in the forthcoming sale is a special ewe lamb that will be auctioned off for the Air Ambulance N.I. Sired by Leam Braveheart she is considered a special lamb.

The Stragole flock was originally called the Ards flock when established in 1972 by the Armstrong Family when the family was based in Co. Down. It was established with nine stock ewes from the North Calder flock which was first established in 1913. Further ewes have been added to the Stragole flock through the years from flocks such as Glenrone, Pengroes, Linburn, Carruthers, Biggins, Hownam Grange and Synton.

The North Country Cheviot is very adaptable and suits all ground types and markets definitely a sale not to be missed for existing and new breeders wanting to get involved in this great breed.