Texel wins at NSA events

Society success at NSA events

Texel breeders came away from the NSA Sheep Event, Malvern, in buoyant mood, with the Society stand claiming a brace of top prizes and members and Society staff speaking with hundreds of visitors from across the industry.

Society chief executive John Yates said the event is always a highlight in the Society promotional calendar, being the flagship NSA event.

“It’s certainly a first for the Society and highly unusual for a society to win both of the awards on offer. It’s always great to get a red ticket, particularly at this event, but two is certainly going to provide a major boost to the Society team which dedicates so much time and effort supporting members and breed promotions.

“There was a positive mood among visitors and exhibitors alike and plenty of positive comments on the stock on show.”

“Supported by stock from local pedigree and commercial producers as well as a butchery display supplied by Martin and Ben Greenfield of Greenfield lamb, Twycross, Leicestershire, the Society stand was busy throughout the day as farmers toured the event.”

Mr Yates said the event had given the Society the opportunity to speak with both members and commercial farmers ahead of the sales season and promote the core commercial traits the breed is renowned for. “Continued support by commercial producers for the breed is what underpins every Society member’s business and this desire to use Texel was evident from the many conversations had with farmers throughout the day,” he added.

The Society clinched a brace of first prizes in the trade stand competitions, taking the red tickets for both best trade stand and also best display of sheep on a trade stand.

Sheep on the Society’s stand were made up of stock rams from Jim and Nicola Hartwright, Whitehart, shearling ewes from Paul Phillips, Kimbolton, shearling rams from Russell and Gill Watkins, Millend, and MV Accredited prime lambs from Herefordshire-based A & J Long.

The Society’s own stand also hosted a stock judging competition featuring the shearling rams and shearling ewes on the stand. Winning the shearling ram class was Ena Kirkman, while Charlotte Jones, won the shearling ewe class.

Alongside its trade stand presence the Society also sponsored the NSA Next Generation young shepherds competition, with first place going to Cameron Farnan, followed by Clover Crosse in second and Thomas Watson in third.

Earlier in the season the Society also attended Scotsheep which was a highly successful event for the Texel Society,

The Society stand bagged first place in a brace of competitions at the Sheep Event, Malvern. with hundreds of visitors flocking to the Society’s stand to learn the latest Society developments and see what Texels can do for their businesses.

The Society is grateful to Messrs Messenger, Abernethy, Perth, for kindly supplying a pair of Texel x Cheviot Mule ewes with March-born Texel cross lambs at foot for the stand.

As part of the Society’s activities it held a guess the weight competition for visitors to guess the combined weight of the whole pen of sheep on the stand.

More than 200 entries were received, with two of these guessing the weight exactly right at 325kg. The winning entrants were Ellis Mutch and Perry Parkinson, both of whom received Society merchandise.

And on the day before the event the Society, through its YDP initiative, sponsored the NSA Next Generation Shepherds’ competition which saw 14 competitors pit their wits against each other in a range of shepherding tasks.

Taking the top spot was Ewan Runciman from Lauder with second place going to Freddy Fulford, Banavie and third taken by Billy Gray, Galston. Freddy Fulford was also the highest placed competitor in the event under the age of 21.