'Hopefully we can get a few rosettes' 

Young farmer begins pedigree Ryeland flock

A Ballyhaise teenager is travelling to Virginia Show with his Texels in hope rather than expectation knowing that he’ll be up against the country’s top sheep breeders.

“It will be a very hard competition,” says Colin Coyle. “It’s a day out I say. It’s not all about placing, I go to enjoy it and get the breed out - see what stock you have and see what you are up against.”

The 18-year-old intends to show his pedigree blue texels.

“I don’t bring a lot out, I only bring one or two for the shows - you have to bring your best.”

Last year was Colin’s first year on the show circuit and in that short time he has his routine down to a tee.

It starts with a container of ‘Sheep Suds’: “About two days before we wash the dirt off them and brush them up and make sure they’re nice and clean and give them food and water the night before and load them up the next morning.”

So nothing is left to chance Colin’s Show Day starts at 6am and he’s on the road for 7am, allowing him to pull into the Show Centre for the sprightly time of 7:40am.

Check in with reception, then start getting sheep for the show and before he knows it, the sheep judging will have started and he’ll be keeping an eye on what’s going on in the other pens.

Colin won’t be finished until the afternoon, but while it’s a long day it doesn’t feel like it: “Show day flies by,” he says, the excitement apparent even now.

Colin’s well versed in what the judges are looking for.

“You try to get them out as square as possible for the judge - try to make them stand with their head up. Then the judge will ask you to let them go and they will run around the ring, so the judge can see the shape, the muscle and movements.”

His greatest Show success was at Mullingar last year where he achieved one first, two seconds and one third.

“It was very rewarding, because the hard work paid off. It’s there forever,” he smiles.

We are talking at a small plot of land near his Corgarive home; his father’s farm, where cattle dominate, is about 10 minutes away.

His passion for rearing sheep was sparked when he first helped out a neighbour with his flock during the pandemic.

“We’ve always had cows on the farm, but when I was up that time during the pandemic helping my neighbour, there was something with sheep that I enjoyed doing more - I don’t know if it was feeding the lambs - but I just clicked with sheep straight away and thought that was the way to go, and I haven’t looked back since.”

Bored during the pandemic saw the then 14 year old to get some “pet lambs”. The following year he purchased a few commercials, and in 2021 he discovered the joys of Ryelands.

Karen Ashton from Drumlish brought them in a decade earlier and started a pedigree flock.

“She produces meat from the ram lambs that wouldn’t be suitable for breeding - and sells them off farm as well.

“I bought my first ram off her and was happy enough with the lambs, so the following year I bought four ewe lambs - two coloureds, two whites - and another ram.

“This year is my first year having Ryeland lambs of my own,” he says proudly. He now has 17 Ryelands between ewes, rams and lambs and accepts he’s still “at the early stage of a pedigree flock”.

Ultimately, Colin, who’s studying Animal Science in Cavan Institute next year, would like to be a full-time sheep farmer, but understands it is “very hard to economically survive with the inputs” these days.

While the Ryelands will have their Show day in the future, in the short term he is focussed on his Texels. How does he feel about his chances going to Virginia?

“I’m pleased with them so far - we’ll see what Virginia holds. Hopefully we can get a few rosettes.”