Since Allen Shortt and Samantha Allen set up the Derg Dutch Spotted flock it has become a household name across Ireland and the UK, producing many notable males and females within the breed.
When the high profile flock’s dispersal was announced earlier this year it caused a stir among Dutch Spotted breeders both in Ireland and the UK.
The sale has been described by many breeders as “the sale that no one was expecting and everyone is talking about”.
The sale is set to take place on Saturday, November 15 at Ballymena Livestock Mart at 2:00p.m.
Catalogued for the sale are seven flush ewes, five flock ewes, 15 shearling ewes, 27 ewe lambs, 43 embryo pregnancies and four stock rams.
Included in this line-up is Craigdoo Firefly, a ewe that picked up both breed champion and the overall reserve interbreed champion at Balmoral Show in the 2024 season.
She is catalogued as Lot 1 and she will be followed by several recipient ewes carrying embryos from the ewe. All of the embryos are sired by Merryboro Hercules.
Another one of the most notable lots is Lot 7, Diamond Gloria. Gloria is a daughter of Bella that has bred many five-figure lambs over the years, including the 28,000gns Diamond Fireball.
Gloria has followed in her mother’s footsteps, mothering Derg Hat Trick that sired the 15,000gns Derg Idol.
Like Firefly, she is also followed by a run of embryo pregnancies, this time sired by Kirkinriola I’m the Man.
One of the most consistent breeders within the Derg flock over the last few years has been Cashel Hill Faydell an absolute powerhouse of a ewe that is catalogued as Lot 52.
She was bred by Donegal brothers Martin and Declan McLaughlin and was purchased by Shortt at the Irish Dutch Spotted Sheep Association premier sale for the top price of the sale; THEWN, she also stood as female champion the day.
Since she has joined the Derg flock, she has bred lambs to a high of 11,000gns and has a number of special daughters included in the sale.
Derg I’m the One, listed as Lot 73, the leading ewe lamb, is also a daughter of Cashel Hill Faydell out of Diamind Got the Moves, a ram that has bred seriously well.
I’m the One was part of the Derg show team and ticks all the boxes to be one serious show hogget for the 2026 show season.
Guest exhibitors
Also on the day there will be a guest consignment from Patrick and Orla Grant of the Craigdoo flock.
The Kilcoo husband and wife duo have selected a super pen of females to put forward for the occasion.
Included in their pen is Craigdoo Heart Throb, the first daughter to be offered for sale from the much admired Craigdoo Flawless, the 2023 interbreed champion at Castlewellan show.
Heart Throb is also scanned in-lamb to the 2025 National champion Tullynagowan Iceman, making serious genetic potential for the purchaser of the Grant’s leading lot.
