Centurion Group of Dorset Sheep Breeders

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

The Centurion Group have been actively involved in genotyping to help us learn more about our animals and their potential. New Zealand is well down the path with this technology- here's a podcast about how its been used in NZ for some easy wins and to help look at some trickier characteristics of performing sheep

NeXtgen Agri Ltd

If you want to know about sheep genetics in New Zealand, our guest this week, John McEwan, is the person to ask. John has been involved with genomics “since before genomics was a thing.”From discovering key reproductive genes and rolling out DNA p...

25/05/2026

Thank you to all the guests who attended last Friday's farm walk at member farm Prospect Poll Dorsets in Swanage. With guests speakers Janet Roden from Innovis Breeding Sheep, Sam Boon from Signet Breeding Services and Charlotte and Emily F from Synergy Farm Health everyone had an insight into Breed for CH4nge and how the Poll Dorset is working in this landscape.

Belted Galloway and Hebridean enthusiasts were not disappointed!

Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Sheep Breeders Association

Watch this space for more updates on project results, how the Dorset has performed and how the commercial producer can use this information.

20/05/2026

Two days to go.... numbers looking good so if you fancy joining other Dorset enthusiasts- DM us or RSVP to the link...

Signet Breeding Services
Synergy Farm Health
Innovis Breeding Sheep
Breed for CH4nge

Day trip to chat Dorsets by the sea? All welcome

Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Sheep Breeders Association
Synergy Farm Health
Innovis Breeding Sheep
Breed for CH4nge
Signet Breeding Services

15/05/2026

Maedi Visna accreditation is very common in the Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Sheep Breeders Association. Here our member Woodburn Flock of Poll Dorsets is being interviewed by SRUC about their approach to health status.

Set in 200 acres of upland pasture on the southern edge of Exmoor, Woodburn Farm is a family-run enterprise that blends pedigree sheep breeding with ambitious environmental stewardship. Though the farm has evolved significantly over the years, its core remains the same: a commitment to healthy anima...

15/05/2026

RAM OF THE MONTH- May- Gortleigh Frizzle H46:F03977 from Gill and Richard Trace (North Devon).

For Gill and Richard, making breeding decisions is about achieving a balance. Growth and carcase traits are important, but so too are physical characteristics and those maternal attributes passed on to a ram’s daughters and expressed in the ewe flock.

Frizzle was not actually scanned himself for the weight/muscle/fat at 18-21 weeks (Scan Weight EBV) but it was decided that he would be used for his maternal traits and style, having an expected Terminal EBV without scanning of approx. 250 as he had a number of scanned relatives. Now with 129 progeny on the ground, many of which progeny have subsequently been scanned, his terminal index is currently 319 and he has been ranked third in the Signet Recorded Top Stock Sires list for the last two years. His Terminal and Maternal indexes are both in the top 1% for the breed.

Frizzle has inherited muscling traits from influential sires in his pedigree like Gortleigh Thickset and Gortleigh Body Builder. The presence of Sherborne Wayfarer (232 progeny across the breed) in his pedigree has resulted in daughters that excel for milk production and Frizzle has a Top 1% EBV for Maternal Ability as a result.

Frizzle is a trait leader for lamb survival – an often-overlooked trait of major economic importance and one that enables us to breed sheep with a lower carbon footprint. A high EBV for lamb survival means that more of his progeny (and grand progeny) are successfully reared to slaughter, a vital attribute as the national flock becomes more extensively managed.

And he keeps going- now also contributing to an exciting new genomic generation, with both of his parents having been verified using genomic, DNA based technology. Frizzle’s genes won’t just influence the generation of sheep to come from this bloodline, they’ll play a major part in AHDB’s research and the delivery of genomic services to the wider Dorset breed

For more information about the Gortleigh Flock or for enquiries please see their website www.gortleighpolldorsets.com

Signet Breeding Services
Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Sheep Breeders Association

15/05/2026

Well done all on a fantastic Mayfair Dorset Horn & Poll Dorset Sheep Breeders Association

08/05/2026

Got a ram to nominate?

First job of the day, posting feedback to the ram breeders that sent rams to the RamCompare progeny test that sired last year’s crop. Full results for the 2025 cohort coming soon. Ram nominations for this year are closing soon….but we can still squeeze a few more in…

04/05/2026

2 days to go- Breeding females available at

Kivells Agriculture
MartEye