L.Eric

Lowerye Eric.                                                                                Updated: 08/04/2008

Lowerye Eric (ZVY 4090) is my favourite son of Westonvale Apostle (XBB 0004). Born and reared as a twin, Eric always caught the eye for his width and superior fleshing qualities. He scanned with an eye muscle of 41.1mm and a fat depth of 2.9mm at 160 days, when he weighed 68kg. As one of the most impressive lambs of 2004 and with equally impressive ultrasound scanning data, he was selected to travel to Edinburgh for CT scanning. That is where the true extent of his breeding potential was uncovered. He scanned with the highest gigot shape score of any Charollais EVER recorded, he had the highest muscularity score of any Charollais EVER recorded, he had the highest eye muscle ebv of any Charollais EVER recorded, he had the highest lean meat yield ebv of any Charollais EVER recorded and he had the second highest eye muscle area of any Charollais recorded in 2004 (behind only his paternal brother L.Ernie). 

    Eric's dam is an incredibly wide daughter of Foulrice Lionheart (DG 5137) out of a square ewe by Netherallan Envoy (KS 4149) that we purchased from the Haultwick (TH) flock. The family has always bred extremely fleshy progeny including Lowerye Enigma (ZVY 4148), sold to the Hyde and Grimston flocks.

    Eric was selected as part of the Sire Reference "Dream Team" for use as a reference ram in 2005. I have had reports of some superb lambs in flocks all around the country.

    Used heavily as a lamb, Eric had 134 progeny on the ground in 2005. All are stamped with their sire's shape and power and make up the most consistent bunch of lambs that we have ever bred. Their performance has surpassed Signet's predictions to such a degree that Eric's index has increased to 405. Such is our satisfaction with Eric that he was used over 175 ewes and ewe lambs in the 2005 breeding season.

    Eric's progeny have excelled on ultrasound scanning results with a top eye muscle recorded of 42.7mm and several more in excess of 40mm. Weights at scanning have also been impressive with several over 80kg.

    Eric sired both the winning ram lamb and ewe lamb in large classes at the 3 Counties Show 2005 (with indexes of 399 and 462 respectively). The ewe lamb was described as "the only E grade lamb" that the judge had handled at the show.

    At the 2005 Premier Sale we sold 3 of Eric's sons, two at 1,000 gns and one at 900 gns. Another two are being used alongside their father in the Lowerye flock.

    A son of Eric, L.Father Jack (ZVY 5068), has been selected for use as a sire reference ram in 2006.

    In 2006, Eric has gone one better. His son, Lowerye Great Guns (ZVY 6084), has a new record eye muscle depth for Charollais at 44.5mm. He was sent to be CT scanned and was shown to have a new record eye muscle area measurement at 42.88 sq.cm. He is the highest index stock sire in the breed (index: 472).

    Over half of the top 100 recorded lambs in 2006 were sired by Lowerye rams, mostly Eric with a handful by his paternal brother, L.Evangelist.

    In 2007, two thirds of the top 100 index lambs were produced from Lowerye bloodlines, almost all Eric's.

    Sire Reference EBV's (based on 768 progeny):

Scrapie Genotype: ARR/ARR.

Semen for sale for UK and EU export.

Lamb chops!

    Having had a few late born lambs by Eric killed for the freezer, the reasons for our  selection policies were clear.............

    Ultrasound, and more recently, CT scanning has enabled us to breed sheep with exceptionally wide, full loins. This is shown on CT as increased eye muscle area and on the plate as meaty, succulent chops. The chops above went on a BBQ and I can personally vouch for them being tender and succulent!