Texel Society Spring Bulletin 2025 by Texel Sheep Society Ltd

MORE FOR LESS

• Free genotyping and reporting of Scrapie and Microphthalmia results for all lambs CT scanned

• texelplus recorded shearling rams average £985 more at English National

• Full texelplus genetic improvement package 45% cheaper* than any other breed

• Use iTexel to analyse data and plan breeding decisions

Breeders’ Bulletin

Texel Bulletin is published by the Texel Sheep Society Ltd twice a year in spring and autumn.

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of the information contained in this publication, no responsibility can be accepted by the Society for any errors or any reliance on the use of information by readers.

Membership Subscriptions are available online at texel.uk/join-us

Advertising office@texel.co.uk

Registrations, sales cataloguing and texelplus registrations@texel.co.uk cataloguing@texel.co.uk

Accounts accounts@texel.co.uk

Society Governance

Chief Executive - John Yates

Chairman - Peter Mitchell Avon Vale flock

Vice Chairman and Treasurer - Dafydd Jones Kitrob flock

Contributors

Jonathan Long and Society staff

Photography Isla Campbell, Countrygirl Media, MacGregor Photography, Alfie Shaw, Melissa Irvine

Design Ghost Design

Registered office – The Mechanics Workshop, New Lanark, Lanark, ML11 9DB

Auditors – Dafferns LLP, One Eastwood, Harry Weston Road, Binley Business Park, Coventry, CV3 2UB

Solicitors – Lodders Solicitors, 10 Elm Court, Arden Street, Stratford Upon Avon, CV37 6PA

Bankers – The Royal Bank of Scotland, 65 Stephenson Way, Wavertree, Liverpool, L13 1HE

British Texel Sheep Society Ltd (Texel Sheep Society) is a Scottish Charity, SC007271, regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

British Texel Sheep Society, Unit 74 - 4th Street, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG

Tel: 024 7669 6629

Email: office@texel.co.uk

Website: texel.uk

In touch with Texel

@BritishTexel #addtexeladdvalue

Texel Providing More A

fter the 50th Anniversary celebrations of 2024, this year gives a moment to pause, reflect and look forward to how Texel breeders, the Society and the breed can fit into the future of the UK and global sheep industry.

The demand both at home and overseas for British Texel genetics is seemingly unstoppable, largely as a result of the premium prices being achieved in prime, store and breeding sales for Texel-sired stock. The breed’s renowned ability to add value to its progeny is helping sheep farming businesses plan for the future and deliver growth.

Of course, there are hurdles ahead for farmers in all parts of the UK and further afield, with the quest to achieve net zero in agriculture one of the most prominent. However, here once again the Texel breed is well placed to meet the challenge, with international collaborative research and development projects targeting this topic.

As breeders there is something you can all do to help in this work; sign up to record your flock with texelplus and help increase the rates of genetic progress in profit traits, it really has never been so easy to engage in texelplus!

For just £23 a year you can add value to your breeding stock, understand more about which animals are truly performing for you and benefiting your customers. Support the Society’s involvement in research and development projects to place the breed at the front of the industry for many years to come.

Looking ahead to the summer a more immediate challenge is the one posed by Bluetongue and I would urge all members to keep abreast of the latest developments on this and consider vaccinating their flocks when appropriate to minimise the damage the d isease could have.

Reports from Continental Europe are of significant losses and it is highly possible the same could be seen here in the UK should the disease take hold this summer.

There may, potentially, be some disruption to summer shows and autumn sales and, again, the Society is monitoring the situation and will keep members informed of any changes to Society activities as a result. Keep an eye on the Society’s website and social media channels for the latest information.

No matter what the challenges we face in the short, medium and long-term I am confident the Texel breed is more than capable of adapting and overcoming them thanks to the work of you as breeders, supported by the Society.

I hope to see many of you at shows, sales and other events and wish you all a successful summer and autumn.

John Yates Chief Executive

#addtexeladdvalue

Front cover image shows the 52,000gns female breed record holder from the Hilltop flock, PKH2303513.

2025

50 TH ANNIVERSARY SOCIAL WEEKEND REVIEW

60 AIMING HIGH AT SEAFORDE

12 BLUETONGUE THREAT LOOMS IN 2025

53 DOUBLE DIAMOND DAUGHTER SHINES BRIGHTEST

24 THE VALUE OF GENOMICS TO PEDIGREE AND PERFORMANCE

Add value with pre-sale shows

Members looking to add value to their stock at Society National Sales should ensure they exhibit in the pre-sale show at these events.

At every one of last year’s national sales, the pre-sale champions were in the top three highest prices in their relative sections, while the female champions at each event were all either the highest priced gimmer or second highest priced gimmer of the sale.

Added to this, thanks to generous sponsorship by the Society, there is a sizeable prize fund on offer at each event, totalling more than £3300 across the four National Sales.

Members are, however, reminded that under bye law 12.4 any prize winners from pre-sale shows which subsequently leave the ring unsold may forfeit all trophies and prize money awarded.

shearlings provide commercial appeal

The Society’s shields for the texelplus flocks with leading shearling ram averages at the Main NSA Ram Sale, Builth Wells and Kelso Ram Sale, have been awarded to flocks with a consistent ability to meet their buyers’ needs.

At the Main NSA Ram Sale, Builth Wells, the winner was Cefin Pryce and family with an average of £6379 for six sold, including a top price of 24,000gns.

Kelso, meanwhile, saw the Ettrick flock of Gordon Gray take the top spot, achieving an average of £8378 for nine sold, with the top price in this consignment being £35,000.

Society chairman Peter Mitchell, Avon Vale, said it was great to see the strong demand for Texels at both of these major commercial sales, with the breed dominating proceedings.

“Averages at both these sales continue to rise, demonstrating the exceptional demand for Texel shearlings from commercial farmers looking to add value to their lamb crops.

“At both sales texelplus rams were, once again, among the leading prices, rewarding breeders who invest their time and skill in producing rams with not just the physical attributes demanded by ever more discerning commercial buyers, but also the genetic ability to leave higher profits.

Both these award winners are clearly producing rams meeting the needs of their buyers, both pedigree and commercial and these awards are well deserved recognition of their efforts to capitalise on the investment made by the Society in texelplus services.

Ailish gets Northern Ireland Club Award

Society events and cataloguing manager Ailish Ross was awarded the Northern Ireland Texel Breeders Club’s Chairman’s Trophy by departing Club chairman Andrew Moses at the Club’s AGM in December in recognition of her work and support to Club members throughout 2024.

David (l) and Gordon Gray (c) receive their award from Society director Robert Laird (r).

Cefin Pryce and family were presented with their shield by Society director James Draper (r).

Competition winner receives weigh crate

Rhys Williams, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, was the winner of the Society’s 2024 summer competition in association with Bateman.

Running a flock of 35 pedigree Texel ewes in the Elen Glyn flock which was founded by his grandfather, Emyr, in 2003, alongside the family’s haulage business, Rhys took over management of the flock a couple of years ago.

“We aim to produce shearling rams for the commercial market, concentrating on size and fleshing,” he explains.

“Winning the Bateman weigh crate will help me improve flock management, particularly as I’m still very much in the early stages of learning how to best manage the flock and continue developing it,” said Rhys.

This year’s summer competition will give entrants the chance to win a 10 acre forage improvement package, including seed, soil testing and associated inputs, courtesy of Agrii. For more details and to enter

Campbell family split Cowal flock

Following the establishment of their own separate flocks, brothers Keith, Allan and Roy Campbell have divided the females within the Cowal flock between themselves.

Having been involved with the breed for more than 40 years, the family’s Cowal flock scooped the championship at both the Royal Highland Show and the Society’s 50th Anniversary Textravaganza National Show last year.

Keeping the Cowal name alive, the prefix has been retained by Roy and Elizabeth Campbell alongside their existing Royel flock.

Meanwhile, Keith continues breeding Texels in partnership with his son, Andrew, in the Overburns flock and Allan and Susan Campbell have the Drimsynie flock.

Texel attended and sponsored Events Calendar 2025

Dates for the diary

14th-17th May

Balmoral Show, Lisburn.

21st May

NSA Welsh Sheep, Hay-On-Wye

4th June

NSA North Sheep, Penrith. 13th-15th June

Royal Three Counties Show, Malvern.

19th-22nd June

Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh. 8th-11th July

Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate.

21st-24th July

Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells.

4th August

Early NSA Ram Sale, Brecon. 20th-21st August

Scottish National Sale, Lanark. 25th-26th August

English National Sale, Worcester. 27th August

Welsh National Sale, Welshpool. 29th- 30th August

Northern Ireland National Sale, Ballymena.

22nd September

Main NSA Ram Sale, Builth Wells.

31st October

Borderway Agri-Expo, Carlisle. 15th-16th November

English Winter Fair, Stafford.

21st-22nd November

LiveScot, Lanark.

24th-25th November

Royal Welsh Winter Fair, Builth Wells.

25th November

Royal Ulster Premier Beef and Lamb Championships, Balmoral Park.

SCAN HERE

Keith (l), Roy (c) and Allan (r) with their champion at the Textravaganza National Show 2024.

Mark Ireland is Northern Sheep Farmer of the Year

Congratulations to Mark Ireland and family of the Heys flock who were named Sheep Farmer of the Year at The Northern Farmer Awards 2025 in February.

Area 5 Director

Area 1

North of Scotland

Vacancy

Members in Area 5, North East England, that have post codes NE, BD, TS, HG, YO, DL, LS, HU, WF, HX, DN, HD, DH, S, SR, NG, LN,

are reminded that, following Sam Beachell retiring from the board at the AGM, the director’s seat remains vacant.

Area 5

North East England

Any member who wishes to stand for the vacancy should, in the first instance, contact the Society by emailing office@texel.co.uk

AGM hears of Society successes

The Society’s 2024 AGM which took place during the 50th Anniversary Social Weekend saw Society chairman Jeff Aiken, Coniston, step down, being succeeded by Peter Mitchell, Avon Vale.

Texel breeders have seen averages rise consistently over the last 10 years at both of these venues, while clearance rates for shearling rams continually remain at more than 90%,” he said.

Area 2

Mr Aiken said it had been a huge privilege to chair the Society, particularly during its 50th Anniversary year. “This year has been another hugely successful one for the Society, with members busy at shows and sales across the UK and the Society’s second Textravaganza National Show drawing a huge crowd, as did the Club Champions Day which preceded it.

Central Scotland West

“The visits by overseas breeders as part of the Society’s International Workshop proved the value placed on British Texels by breeders from across the world and reaffirmed the great strides made by British breeders over the last 50 years.”

Society chief executive John Yates thanked Mr Aiken for his support while chairing the Society and the time and effort he had put into Society activities over the last two years.

“I look forward to working with Peter and his vice chair, Dafydd Jones, Kitrob, in the coming years as we look to further support members through Society services and activities.”

Area 6

Meanwhile, Mr Yates outlined key points in Society performance over the previous 12 months, including the success of the breed at major commercial sales.

“At both the Main NSA Ram Sale, Builth Wells and Kelso Ram Sales, Texels continue to dominate the trade, both in terms of prices and numbers sold.

The Society continues to deliver more for members, both in terms of breed promotion and the provision of genetic improvement tools thanks to the small, but highly skilled team of staff it employs and through its integration of digital technologies to improve member services, explained Mr Yates.

Members at the Society’s AGM heard of the Society and breed’s continued success during its 50th Anniversary year.

Area 3

“The continued development of the Society’s iTexel database, alongside the introduction of genomic evaluations earlier this year, are just two instances where the Society continues to lead the industry. Allied to this, the Society continues its involvement in international research and development projects, furthering the interests of members by keeping the breed at the forefront of new developments.

South East Scotland South

North West England & Isle of Man

“The breed has grown from a standing start 50 years ago to become the most popular sire breed in the UK as well as the second most popular maternal breed. All of which is set against a backdrop of a shrinking national breeding flock. That said, Society membership remains stable at more than 2000, demonstrating the value breeders place on being part of the Society and its activities,” he added.

Area 7

East & South East of England

The Society’s full financial statements and trustees’ report can be found here

Southern

Society directors remembered

Sadly, the Society has lost two former Society directors in recent months, with Roy Hughes, Trefonnen, passing away in December and former Society chairman Peter Dixon Smith, Lyons, in March.

Proud Welshman Roy was well known throughout Texel circles, having been heavily involved with the formation of the Shropshire and Borders Texel Club as well as being a Society director from 1981 to 1991, during a period of rapid expansion for both the Texel breed and the Society. He then served as a director again between 2006 and 2015.

Roy was a loyal supporter of the breed, the Society and the Shropshire and Borders Club, of which he was chair from 1988 to 1989, and his support of NSA and his innovative approach to supporting sheep producers with his engineering business will be fondly remembered by many members.

Meanwhile, Peter was Society chairman from 1989 to 1991 and a Society director from 1985 to 1991.

Peter contributed to the Society and the Texel breed through his time as chairman and director. He was dedicated to promoting the breed and its merits to commercial sheep farmers across the UK.

A renowned breeder, particularly of the Dutch-type of Texel, Peter won the carcass championship at the Royal Smithfield Show in 1996, having picked up the reserve championship three times before that as well as having success on the summer show circuit over the years.

Peter was also an accomplished breeder of point to point horses and successful dairy farmer, breeding pedigree Holsteins, also under the Lyons prefix. Such was the success of the Lyons herd that it twice won the NMR Gold Cup in the late 1990s, as well as being the highest yielding herd in the UK. Peter was also a former chairman and president of Holstein UK.

Society chief executive John Yates and directors James Draper and Dafydd Jones were present at the services and wakes to pay respect on behalf of the Society.

NSA Regional Events 2025

The Society will be attending both NSA Welsh Sheep and NSA North Sheep events this year.

NSA Welsh Sheep takes place at Tregoed Farm, Hay On Wye, on Wednesday 21st May, with NSA North Sheep following on Wednesday 4th June at Greystoke Castle Farm, Penrith.

As part of the Society’s ongoing Youth Development Programme to support young people in the sector, the Society is continuing its regular sponsorship of the Next Generation Shepherds Competition at Welsh Sheep, South West Sheep,

Highland Sheep and Northern Ireland Sheep.

South West Sheep takes place on Weston Farm, East Knowestone, on Wednesday 25th June, Highland Sheep is at Midfearn Farm, Ardgay on Wednesday 11th June and Nothern Ireland Sheep at Dungiven on 1st July.

The Society welcomes any regional support that local clubs can provide at these events. Please contact the office if you wish to be involved.

New Judges Panel Nomination Form

In remembrance

The Society was saddened to be informed of the passing of the following members.

Roy Hughes, Trefonnen, December 2024

Robert Forsyth, Baltier, February 2025

Margaret Currie, Tullagh, February 2025

Peter Dixon Smith, Lyons, March 2025

Mary Gray, Little Cefn, March 2025

The Society’s Regional Judges Panel allows regional clubs to recommend judges covering all the Society’s regions.

Using their local knowledge each club provides the Society with up to 10 nominations for this panel that the club committee feel have experience and knowledge of the Texel breed to be successful judges.

However, to allow more Society members, and capable judges to be included, a judges’ panel nomination form has been created on the Society website, to allow individuals to nominate themselves to the list.

Nominate yourself today

Society Matters

Bluetongue threat looms in 2025

Bluetongue virus is likely to have an impact on livestock movements and shows and sales during 2025 as the expectation is that the disease will re-emerge alongside warmer temperatures in late spring and summer.

With strain three of the virus (BTV3) already present in the UK following the autumn 2024 incursion from Europe, the expectation of further spread by midges during 2025 is greatly increased.

Therefore, members will wish to consider their options with regards vaccination and should consult their own vet on the options available and the best time to vaccinate. Currently this option is available to English and Welsh resident flocks.

Guillaume Convert BVM, technical director at Boehringer Ingelheim, says bluetongue outbreaks in flocks where no vaccine is available typically follow a three-year cycle.

“In the first year about 30% of animals become infected, then in year two 30% of the remaining susceptible animals become infected and in the third year, herd immunity levels become high and prevalence of disease decreases. Over the period considerable mortality may occur.”

Vaccination strategy will vary from flock to flock, depending on location and likelihood of infection during 2025. There are a number of critical factors to consider:

• BTV3 overwinters and re-emerges during early to mid-summer, 2025.

• BTV3 does not overwinter, but is introduced from Europe again during July – August 2025.

• BTV3 does not overwinter and is not introduced from Europe again during 2025.

Other factors which will affect the decision to vaccinate include:

• Are your sheep currently located in a BTV3 restricted zone.

• Whether you had active BTV3 on your holding in 2024.

• The livestock density, in particular cattle, in your area

“In addition, your planned livestock movements will have an impact, as will the value and genetic scarcity of your stock.”

Vet Ian McDougall of Farmgene says when the decision is taken to vaccinate then deciding on the timing of vaccination will be the next challenge.

“It is unlikely any new cases will be seen until at least May and quite likely not until June or July.

Ewes vaccinated at least six weeks prelambing will provide passive immunity to their lambs via antibodies in their colostrum, with these antibodies expected to last for three months.

These lambs if retained for breeding will require vaccination at five to six months of age if BTV3 is considered to be a threat. Vaccinated ewes will maintain protective levels of immunity for at least 12 months.

When ewes haven’t been vaccinated before lambing, the best time to vaccinate them will be at weaning when any culls have been identified, or before the end of May.

Slaughter lambs could be left unvaccinated if they are likely to be slaughtered before the end of the summer but if slaughter values are high, the decision whether or not to vaccinate these lambs will depend on BTV3 threat level.

“In either scenario, whether ewes have been vaccinated before lambing or not, lambs retained for breeding could be vaccinated at weaning and all rams should be vaccinated in April or May, well in advance of the breeding season and any potential BTV3 threat,” says Mr McDougall.

Should BTV3 successfully overwinter there is a likelihood it will spread quickly and mortality rates could match those seen on the Continent at levels of 30-70% of animals infected. “Warmer temperatures through the summer mean that by late September BTV3 is likely to have spread

throughout England and Wales with a possibility into southern Scotland too. Mortality rates will vary but flocks not vaccinated may suffer considerable mortality.

“Unvaccinated rams which become infected but recover, may have serious fertility problems for the 2025 breeding season. Likewise, unvaccinated ewes which become infected, but recover may be barren or abort,” he adds.

“A decision not to vaccinate in the spring could be high risk. If BTV3 does begin to circulate in June – July it will spread more quickly due to warmer temperatures and while pharmaceutical companies report good stock levels of vaccine, any sudden increase in demand could be problematic.

“The discovery of BTV12 in southern England in February is a further concern and there is currently no vaccine available for this strain which has been in Holland since autumn 2024.

“It is also worth noting that BTV8 is currently circulating in southern and central France. There is a vaccine available for this strain, however, we have been informed that current supplies are committed for use in Europe,” says Mr McDougall.

The Society is monitoring the Bluetongue situation and the impact it may have on the Society’s National Sales. Any changes to National Sale arrangements will be notified to members via the Society website, social media channels and e-newsletters.

National Sales entry fees will be refunded to any vendors unable to attend due to Restricted Zone changes after closing of pre-entry and prior to main entry closing, depending on the date of the Restricted Zone change.

For the latest Bluetongue information SCAN HERE

Society sales evolve to suit members’ needs

This year’s Society National Sales will see a number of changes, both to the sale ballots and the sale schedules.

National sale ballots

For the Scottish, English and Welsh National Sales, the ballots have been changed. Each section will continue to be drawn in a straight ballot, with the first and last 10% of vendors in the section the previous year only entered into the draw after the first and last 10% of vendors are drawn in the current year.

The ballot for the Northern Ireland National Sale will remain in its previous format.

Northern Ireland National

The Northern Ireland National Sale will revert to a two-day event, taking place on the afternoon of Friday 29th and Saturday 30th August.

The move, made in response to requests from the Northern Ireland Texel Club committee and vendors, will see stock arrival and inspection taking place on Friday afternoon, followed by the pre-sale show.

The sale will then take place on Saturday, giving more time for all aspects of the event to take place.

Scottish National Sale

At the Scottish National Sale on Wednesday 20th August and Thursday 21st August, the inspection will take place on Wednesday afternoon, followed by the pre-sale show. A social evening for members and friends will follow in the evening.

The sale of gimmers and ram lambs will take place the following day on Thursday.

Welsh National Sale

Members are reminded that the Welsh National Sale will take place on Wednesday 27th August, the day immediately following the English National Sale. This follows the same format as last year, with the sale remaining an afternoon event.

Pre entry ratios have been amended to support members, please see the Society’s website for more information

SCAN HERE

Boosting flock performance with texelplus is as easy as 1,2,3

Texel Society members have access to a cost-effective, proven and reliable way to improve flock efficiency and identify which animals have the genetic potential to increase profitability.

All of this is available by joining the Society’s genetic improvement service, texelplus.

Using texelplus gives you an unrivalled opportunity to take advantage of the wealth of information available on your animals by simply collecting some basic data on your lambs this year and reviewing the reports available through iTexel.uk.

texelplus allows you to:

9 Find animals which are most likely to increase profits for both you and your customers.

9 Identify breeding families which perform consistently in your system.

9 Highlight those animals with key profit traits, including faster growth and increased muscling.

9 Market your stock with more confidence in their end performance.

9 Plan your flock matings with greater accuracy to boost physical and financial performance.

And you can add all this value for less than £23 a year! Why wouldn’t you want to take advantage and optimise your flock’s physical and financial performance?

For more information and to accelerate your flock management

Why you should use texelplus indexes in your breeding plans

For many breeders there is confusion about how to use texelplus indexes in their breeding plans. This needn’t be the case.

Using texelplus indexes has been made infinitely simpler since the introduction of economic indexes in 2022 and the clear direction these give on which animals can add value to yours and your customer’s flocks.

In all breeding plans the aim is to use complementary matings to improve the progeny and add commercially important traits or characteristics to the next generation.

Using texelplus indexes gives greater insight into which traits and characteristics can be improved through each mating, helping boost physical and financial performance in the flock.

Considering individual trait breeding values adds an extra dimension to breeding plans. However, overall the aim should be to add value through increasing the overall terminal index in your flock, with some consideration given to the replacement index too.

CT scanning adds extra value

Using CT scanning, while not compulsory, offers an accurate insight into the carcass traits of texelplus recorded stock, an invaluable aid in making breeding decisions and helps enhance the accuracy of texelplus economic indexes benefitting individual animals, flocks and the breed.

Considered the ‘gold standard’ phenotyping tool, CT scanning assesses multiple characteristics, including fat, muscle, bone and length traits in one scan.

9 For individual breeders the enhanced data available as a result of CT scanning can help identify breeding lines within a flock which deliver improvements in core commercial traits. Many of which cannot be seen without the CT scan data.

9 It also helps increase accuracies of breeding values across a flock, giving potential buyers increased confidence in the indexes.

9 Additionally, CT scanning helps increase the accuracy of ultrasound breeding values and improves the ability of ultrasound scanning to identify superior animals, improving evaluations both within flocks and across the breed.

With funding available to members for CT scanning, both from the Society and levy bodies, it is a highly cost-effective way to gain invaluable knowledge about your animals.

as rumen size and lambing ease, with potential for health traits too. Once developed, historical scans can be analysed to provide a dataset for further analysis.

For more information about CT scanning and the funding available in 2025

As a further benefit, the Society genotypes all CT scanned lambs at no cost to the breeder. Providing further value to breeders who CT scan through the provision of both Microphthalmia and Scrapie genotypes and enhancing the information available from these animals to benefit breeders’ flocks and the breed.

Increased uptake of CT scanning within the breed will enable Society members to better understand the breeding potential of animals they are considering buying and increase breeding value accuracy for any relatives of animals which have been CT scanned.

CT scanning also offers potential for the development of breeding values/ indexes that incorporate new traits with research to investigate traits such

CT scanning benefits to animals and flocks

9 Improved EBV and economic index accuracy

9 Improved ultrasound accuracy

9 Extra information for buyers

9 Identify superior breeding stock

9 Make informed decisions

9 CT lambs are genotyped by the Society at no extra cost to the member, providing Microphthalmia and Scrapie genotype information

CT scanning benefits to the breed

9 Improved breeding value and index accuracies

9 Increased data available for research

9 More robust genomic reference population

CT scanning dates, locations and costs for 2025 will be advertised on the Society’s website, social media channels and via email.

SCAN HERE

TEXEL IN NUMBERS: POWERING YOUR FLOCK’S FUTURE WITH SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP

Texel is leading the way in pedigree and flock genetic improvement services, and as a member, you’re at the heart of it all. Here’s how the Society’s continuous commitment to progress is transforming the industry, supporting the development of the Texel breed, and how you can take advantage of it.

2,114,053 Pedigree Texels Evaluated. The Society is proud to support the largest single sheep breed genomic evaluation in the industry, with numbers growing each month. Society members gain exclusive access to detailed flock genetic improvement reports through texelplus on iTexel. Want to enhance your membership and unlock even more benefits? Contact registrations@texel.co.uk to upgrade today.

2754 DNA Samples Processed in 2024. Thanks to the Society’s dedicated administration team, 2754 DNA samples were processed last year, with genotypes issued by Neogen. This process supports critical services, including parentage verification, genetic defect analysis and genomic evaluations. Genotyping your stock ewes and lamb crop provides invaluable insights into the genetics of your flock — a powerful tool for informed breeding decisions.

22,971 genotypes are included in the Society genomic evaluation. Combined with at least one phenotype per animal, this forms the Society’s reference population, which is routinely updated. Genomics provides no value to the breeding value calculated for an animal in the absence of a well recorded, relevant genomic reference population. Utilising genomic selection can be challenging, particularly in breeds with a smaller population of breeding animals, as there may not be enough animals with both phenotypes and genotypes available to form an effective genomic reference population.

28,000 monthly views on texel.uk. The Society’s website is your go-to hub for all things Texel. Stay up to date with the latest breed promotions, news, and knowledge transfer in support of your membership, and the promotion of the breed.

70,000 monthly social media post views. The Society’s promotional team works tirelessly, keeping the Texel community informed and engaged. With regular emails and a strong social media presence, the Society ensures that members and anyone interested in Texels are always in the know, from the show and sale ringsides to collaborative research and development engagement and all the news on Society activities.

86,000 Primestock Magazines

£35,000 Investment in iTexel during 2024. The Society has invested heavily in iTexel.uk since its launch in 2020 and will continue its development to benefit membership experience and engagement. The Society’s innovative database provides members with fingertip access to essential information on Texel pedigree, performance, and genomics. This invaluable resource helps you stay ahead in a competitive market, supporting flock management and stock sales.

1,105,150 phenotypes are included in our goal traits that support our primary indexes. Many more phenotypes also support a range of other breeding values - itexel.uk/Search/Animal

distributed in 2025. Provided free to commercial producers, promoting the added value of pedigree and performance Texels across the UK. Plus, 2000 copies sent to members alongside the Spring Bulletin.

Boost Your Flock’s Potential with Texel Society texelplus and genomic services. With unparalleled access to cutting-edge tools, insights and resources, Texel members are better equipped than ever to make informed decisions and take their flocks to new heights. Stay ahead of the curve and maximise your membership benefits and drive the breed’s performance and impact on industry.

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British genetics bring overseas success

British Texel genetics were behind a new record price for a ram in Paraguay last autumn when a Texel shearling sold for 88,2000,000 Paraguayan Guarani (£8935).

Sold by Ignacio Cazillo of the Cabana La Sonada, the ram, is a grandson of Cambwell Duke, bred by the Laird family.

September 2023-born, he is the first Paraguayan Texel to be sold for export, having been bought by Uruguayan breeder Cabana Rancho Grande of the Paiva family. Breeder Ignacio Cazillo said he was a very correct ram throughout.

In the meantime, further exports have taken place, including a group of sheep from the Loughash flock of the Harkin family, Northern Ireland, which headed to Switzerland.

And, the wider world market has also been busy, with semen and embryo exports to a number of territories, including Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, with small amounts to New Zealand, Canada and EU countries.

However, live exports from mainland UK to the EU continue to be hampered by the lack of a Border Control Post (BCP) for ruminants at any of the European ports.

There had been some hope that a BCP would be in place at the Hook of Holland by early 2025, but Rob Grinnall of UK Export Certification says Bluetongue and more recently Foot and Mouth have hampered any progress.

British Texels shine at Dutch Show

British Texels had their own classes for the first time in The Netherlands at the second Rammenkeuring De Betuwe show, Kapel Avezaath, Holland, which took place on the 7th December.

The event saw more than 200 Texels showcased, with the show bringing together a variety of breeds, including Dutch, Blue, and Badger Face Texels. For the first time, British Texels were featured in their own class, highlighting the breed’s growing international prominence.

The invitation for The Texel Sheep Society to provide a judge for the British Texel category followed a delegation of Dutch breeders joining international guests at events celebrating the breed’s 50th anniversary during the Textravaganza event, Carlisle. James Draper of the Claybury flock had the honour of judging the inaugural British Texel classes.

Unlike UK shows, the Rammenkeuring De Betuwe show produces a detailed catalogue, highlighting the pedigree and performance data of each animal, giving spectators and breeders valuable insights. Sheep are led on halters, paraded before three judges, who then explain their decisions in detail. This approach adds transparency and educational value for exhibitors and attendees alike.

However, the British Texels were shown in the traditional British style, without halters, and James’ experienced eye and attention to detail shone through as he selected the champion and reserve champion for each class.

Reflecting on the occasion, James said; “It was an honour to judge such strong classes, and it was particularly fitting to travel to The Netherlands to judge the first-ever British Texel show in the Society’s 50th anniversary year.”

The champions of each class featured genetics from many UK flocks, includ ing Cambwell, Cressage, Ettrick, Incheoch, Kimbolton, Seaforde and Teiglum.

As the Texel Sheep Society celebrated its 50th anniversary, events like the Rammenkeuring De Betuwe show offer a chance to reflect on the breed’s achievements in the UK and its promising future.

With strong genetics, a commitment to excellence and dedicated breeders, the British Texel continues to shape the future of sheep breeding both domestically and internationally. Its stellar performance in The Netherlands has further cemented its reputation as one of the world’s most admired breeds.

James Draper, Claybury, had the honour of judging at the second Rammenkeuring De Betuwe show.

Member reminders

BN lambs before the 31st May

Members should aim to birth notify lambs as soon as possible to ensure they capitalise on the lower fees available earlier in the year. From 1st June birth notification fees increase for all AI, natural and ET bred lambs.

The Society reminds members that all birth notifications will be subject to fees at the prevailing rates at time of submission. The latest fee sheet is always available on the Society website.

Should you require any assistance adding your lambs, in the first instance check your flock admin page to ensure your sheep are fully registered, followed by watching the tutorial video on the Society’s YouTube page and if you still have problems, email registrations@texel.co.uk

Female registrations

Males and females which are exported must be fully registered by the breeder.

Additionally, all females used for pedigree breeding must be fully registered by the breeder.

This means that females must be fully registered before they can be entered into sales run under the auspices of the Society or catalogued by the Society.

This applies to upcoming sales, females sold privately between members or sold privately to purchasers intending to start a pedigree flock.

In all other circumstances registration of females is at the discretion of the breeder and if not completed it is the responsibility of the purchaser. The Society operates a scale of fees in relation to date of registration submission.

texelplus sale rosettes

For 2025, the Society will once again be providing a first prize texelplus rosette to support the running of texelplus classes at club sales. Please email office@texel.co.uk to request them.

Please ensure that you give at least two weeks’ notice before the sale for rosettes to be sent out.

The year letter for lambs born in 2025 is

New fees from 1st June

Members should be aware that new Society fees will take effect from 1

Making flocks easier to manage on iTexel

Members are reminded of the importance of maintaining accurate flock records on iTexel, as described in the Society rules.

This ensures the information presented publicly for each flock on the ‘Find Breeder’ search is up to date and relevant.

The more accurate the information about your flock is on iTexel the easier and quicker it will be to manage your flock and undertake flock management tasks.

Dressing inspections support members

Following a small number of breaches of the Society’s rules on dressing at sales in 2024, members are reminded that animals presented at shows and sales run under the Society’s auspices should not be dressed in any way.

In recent years the Society has employed ‘dressing inspectors’ at the National sales to provide independent scrutiny of all entries and determine where dressing is deemed to have taken place.

Society chairman Peter Mitchell said the inspections were a key part of maintaining the integrity of sales operated under the Society’s auspices, the Society’s national sales and the Society as a whole. “Inspections remain an important topic for the board and the membership and members are reminded of the Society’s bye laws in this regard.”

“The Society’s bye laws have always been clear on the dressing of sheep. It simply isn’t allowed at Society endorsed events, including National and Club sales and shows run under the Society’s auspices or in accordance with Society rules,” said Mr Mitchell.

“The Society’s bye laws are developed in support of members and based on member feedback to the board,” he added.

Mr Mitchell said that in recent years very few sheep had been rejected from sales due to dressing, but that there were instances where members had clearly failed to abide by the rules.

“While the message is undoubtedly getting through that it won’t be tolerated, there are members who continue to test the boundaries and the Society’s inspectors are in place to monitor Society sales to ensure a level playing field for all members.”

The full Society bye laws can be viewed on the Society’s website

Dressing rules

• No dressing

• No trimming

• No carding

• No excessive use of dips

• No artificial whitening

• No use of heat wires or burning or singeing of fleeces

The following items should not be used to prepare fleeces of Texels for sales or shows.

• Carding combs

• Shears

• Clippers

• Curry combs or pin combs

Members agree to abide by the Society rules and accept the decision of the Society’s inspectors. All sheep failing inspection will be ineligible to be shown or sold at the sale.

Members who own sheep that have failed inspection are reported to the Society board, with further disciplinary actions possible.

Furthermore, sheep failing inspection have bye law 11,6.1 applied, impacting on their registration in the flock book and that of their progeny.

Members found to have breached the Society’s bye laws face a number of potential penalties, including:

• Expulsion from the Society.

• Suspension from membership of the Society.

• Suspension for a period from entering sheep for Society shows and sales and taking part in any Society sponsored activities.

• Cancellation of registrations of the member in the flock book or temporary de-registration of the member’s sheep for a period, or disqualification of sheep from any Society event or activity for an unlimited period.

• A fine, to include costs associated with the disciplinary process.

• A reprimand.

Primestock show exhibitor support

As a continued commitment to Society members the Society offers reimbursement of entry fees to Texel Sheep Society members in 2025. Members are eligible after attending and promoting the British Texel Breed in Texel classes at the primestock events listed below.

To claim this sponsorship members should email office@texel.co.uk detailing entries and include proof of entry after each eligible event by 31st March 2026 to be considered by the Society. Payment, if approved, will be made directly by the Texel Sheep Society to the individual member.

Texels enjoy success at primestock events

Texels enjoyed success at primestock shows over the winter months.

Show receptions

The Society will be hosting member receptions at all of this year’s major shows, with all members, exhibitors and friends of the Society welcome to attend.

• At Balmoral Show in May the reception will be in the Stockman’s restaurant at 1330.

• At the Royal Three Counties Show it will take place in the sheep lines at 1700.

• The Royal Highland Show reception will take place in the sheep lines at 1700.

• The Great Yorkshire Show reception will take place at 1730 in the new venue of the Stockmans Restaurant.

• The reception at the Royal Welsh Show will be held at the Society’s Balcony stand at 1800.

Claiming the overall

Meanwhile, at AgriExpo, Carlisle, the reserve overall championship went to Jack Whiteford, Brampton, with his pure Texel lambs.

Further information will be available in advance of each show. Please keep an eye on the Society’s social media channels for more details.

championship at AgriFest South West, Exeter, were Robert Garth and Sarah Priestley, Bentham, with their purebred pair of Texel lambs.

Hot lamb rolls will be on offer at Balmoral, the Royal Highland and the Royal Welsh, with hot pork rolls at Royal Three Counties and a cold buffet served at Great Yorkshire.

Bye law changes

A number of changes have been made to Society bye laws by the society board in support of the membership. Members should ensure they are familiar with the revised byelaws.

Bye law 6.2.3 regarding the naming of sheep. The new bye law states that: ‘The naming of all pedigree Texel sheep is subject to the due care and responsibility of members. The Society retains the discretion to deny or change the name of any pedigree sheep entered into the Society registry.’

Bye law 10 regarding embryo transfer and states that: ‘Females must be fully registered and those born from the 1st January 2025 must have been genotyped using the Society’s genotyping service prior to entering an ET programme.

‘In addition, a DNA sample and genotype must have been received through the Society’s genotyping service for the registration of any service sire(s), prior to entering an ET programme.’

Bye law 12.4 regarding pre-sale shows at Society sales. It states that: ‘Prize winners at the show prior to sale, which subsequently leave the ring unsold, may forfeit all trophies and prize money awarded.’

The full Society bye laws can be viewed on the Society’s website

Sales cataloguing entries updates

• Register Service Sires

Members are reminded that when selling in-lamb ewes, the service sire must be fully registered and parentage verified, before the catalogue has been completed. This will ensure that your customers are readily able to birth notify the progeny.

In future, if a genotype result has not been received from the lab, then the sire will not be eligible to be catalogued as a service sire impacting on the entry of in-lamb ewes into sales catalogues.

• Sales Cataloguing Deadlines

Members are reminded to take notice of cataloguing deadline dates provided by the Society, Regional Clubs and auctioneers.

Sale organisers ensure sale schedules are planned to support all those involved. When members do not submit entries on time, this can cause delays which ultimately affect the service you and your customers receive.

iTexel cataloguing works on both mobile and desktop devices to offer members flexibility in

ensuring that you can enter your sheep into your chosen sales on time.

Please don’t rely on receiving a phone call to remind you to complete your sales entries, complete them on iTexel.uk within the deadlines set by your sales organiser.

• Sales Cataloguing Service Summary

2024/2025 was another successful year for the Society’s cataloguing service.

The fee schedule was amended at the start of the year, to continue supporting those sales operated under the Society auspices.

• 66 sales were catalogued through iTexel during the 2024/2025 season, with more than 8100 entries.

• 77% of ram sale organisers chose to use the fully online integrated system provided by the Society to create their sales catalogues.

This system offers an online pre-entry form, cataloguing entries through iTexel, through to entry fee collection by the Society’s direct debit system.

This provides a seamless and efficient service for members and sale organisers. If your sale does not utilise these functions please get in touch via cataloguing@texel.co.uk.

Almost £53,000 of sale entry fees was collected through the Society’s direct debit system and reimbursed to sale organisers.

Listen to Talking Texel Podcasts

As part of the Society’s 50th anniversary it commissioned a series of podcasts looking back over the Society’s history and featuring breeders from across the ages. Four podcasts, are available on the Society’s website.

Give them a listen today SCAN HERE

Texel shop moves to ShowTime

The Society has a new agreement with ShowTime, the Society’s clothing merchandise supplier.

From March all orders for Texel Sheep Society merchandise are made directly with Showtime, through its website.

This change is to allow members greater flexibility as, while the standard items of Society clothing will continue to be available, customers are not limited to these.

ShowTime’s whole clothing catalogue will be available to order with the Society logo, allowing members to choose which colour and embroidery threads they would like.

To add that final touch, members can also add flock names to items to showcase your flock.

The Society’s 50th Anniversary Publication and non-clothing items will continue to be available via the Texel Shop.

Hall of Fame on Society website

Following the Society’s Anniversary activities, the website has been populated with information spanning the Society’s history.

There is wealth of information available at the click of a finger. This work is a result of the legacy of the 50th Anniversary efforts by the Society to provide members with a greater volume of information through the Society website.

You can find current breed record holders, former Royal show winners and a host of other valuable information in one place.

Andy Lambert is Farm Worker of the Year

Andy

The value of genomics to Texel pedigree and performance

Genomic analysis begins with the collection of a DNA sample from an animal and ultimately provides several benefits for the animal, breeder and wider breed population once this DNA sample has been genotyped. These benefits include;

9 Improved accuracy of performance information

• Particularly for lambs where data has yet to be recorded

• Increased confidence in selecting the best performing animals for breeding

• More accurate information for purchasers

• Leading to faster genetic gain in commercially important traits.

9 Parentage verification for all animals born from 2024-onwards

• Confirms the sire and dam, where information is available

• Adds integrity to the breeder and Society pedigrees

• Confidence for buyers and sellers that animals have the correct pedigree

9 Provision of health information

• Scrapie and Microphthalmia genotypes

• Improves flock and breed health and resilience

• Contributes to selection decisions

It has been a year since the Society switched to genomic evaluations to support members by providing more insights into their animals. Alongside the publication of Scrapie and Microphthalmia information and the adoption of parentage-verification to improve confidence in pedigrees, the use of genomic information promised to improve the accuracy of breeding values and Indexes.

Let’s look at some of the results of using genomic information to see if those predictions were realised.

Genomic evaluations using an animal’s DNA greatly improve the accuracy of their texelplus indexes.

“Animals with genomic information have more accurate Indexes”

Data for males born in 2022 (shearling rams) and 2023 (ram lambs) was taken from the last ‘non-genomic’ evaluation and the first genomic evaluation in early 2024. Comparing the Terminal Index accuracy values for animals that were genotyped with those that weren’t shows the impact of having a genotype on their figures.

Shearling rams

9 After the first genomic evaluation the Terminal Index accuracy for genotyped animals increased by 20% for ram lambs (and almost 19% for shearling rams)

• For non-genotyped animals the accuracy was unchanged Increased by 20%

9 In the non-genomic evaluation, genotyped animals had accuracy values about 12% higher than nongenotyped animals (43 vs 55% for ram lambs)

9 The average index value increased by 25% (about £1) for genotyped animals compared with a 14% (40-50p) increase for nongenotyped animals

These results vindicate the Society’s decision to develop genomic evaluations and integrate genomic information to support the registry service.

Genotype to add value

Members are encouraged to genotype their lambs and stock ewes, where affordable, to add value to their pedigrees, access the most accurate performance information available and provide health information that can be used in selection decisions or marketing material.

All ewes that are born from the 1st January 2025 onwards must be genotyped prior to entering an ET programme. This means that donor ewes that are flushed as lambs this year must be genotyped or their progeny will not be able to be added to iTexel.

This will provide breeders with extra information on the female lines chosen, providing accurate Index values and the ability to fully parentageverify all ET progeny.

Performance information is available to all members through the texelplus reports on iTexel. Members are encouraged to use these to gain the most up-to-date information on their individual animals’ and flock’s performance.

Summary and detailed reports include full performance information on all animals within a flock, plus others that describe ram performance and a flock’s genetic and inbreeding trends.

Breed-level reports on the performance of ram lambs and stock males and females can help with purchasing decisions.

Low cost, high value information

To support members to access this valuable information affordably, the Society has removed most of the associated costs. For less than £23/year members can read and use these reports, that are updated monthly, to support their flock’s management and genetic progress.

“Recording performance information improves accuracy and genotyping will supplement this”

The comparison between the last non-genomic and the first genomic evaluation demonstrates the benefit genotyping can have on Index values, however, recording simple data on your animals also improves the accuracy of Index values.

The graph below demonstrates the difference in Terminal Index accuracy values at the end of the year for 2024-born ram lambs that had d ifferent sets of data and genotypes recorded.

Five scenarios are described in the chart and are split into animals with and without a genotype.

9 Pedigree = only pedigree data recorded

9 Birth = Pedigree plus birth weight and lambing ease scores

9 Free = Birth plus eight-week weight and scan weights

• no cost to record these weights through the Record Weights screen on iTexel

9 Ultrasound = Free plus muscle and fat depth scores

9 CT = CT scanned animals

• all were genotyped so only one column in the chart

The red line indicates 50% Index accuracy, the threshold where Index data are published. As more data were recorded, the accuracy values increased. While large accuracy gains can be achieved simply by genotyping an animal, recording weight and other trait data in iTexel.

9 A genotype can improve prediction accuracy to above 50%

9 Recording information at birth considerably increases the Index accuracy

9 Adding an eight-week and scan weight increases accuracy to a publishable level

• Can be recorded by all members using the ‘Record Weights’ screen on iTexel

9 Supplementing this free-to-record information with ultrasound and / or CT scanning provides further increases in accuracy

• Provides insights into carcass quality

Analysis of the genotypes held by the Society before the switch to genomic evaluations suggested there was a relatively low level (<5%) of parentage inconsistencies within the breed.

“Using genomics helps to correct parentage inconsistencies”

To date, the evaluation has confirmed the sires of more than 1500 animals born in 2024, 350 of these have had their dam confirmed too; adding value and confidence to their pedigrees.

In contrast, the evaluation has also identified 59 lambs over the last year that appeared to have parentage inconsistencies. Of these, 53 have been rectified by working with their breeders and using the Society’s genotype database to determine the correct result. However, six lambs (less than 0.4% of all lambs tested) have been deleted from iTexel because the correct parent could not be identified.

Lambing data leads to errors

The most common parentage issues were caused by sample labelling errors and simple mix-ups in record keeping or the lambing shed. Members are reminded to take care when recording lambing information and inputting into the flock book; and when submitting DNA samples to the Society for genotyping.

Further incidences include an unregistered ram lamb siring a lamb, unbeknownst to the breeder; and another occasion where a teaser ram’s vasectomy may not have been as effective as was first thought.

Overall, the level of parentage inconsistencies identified is between 3-4%, very much in line with the expected rate. Being able to identify these and correct them is a significant benefit of the switch to genomic evaluations and something that has been welcomed by members.

Glossary

Definition

ET Embryo transfer – a procedure that involves removing fertilised embryos from a donor ewe and implanting them into a recipient ewe

Genomic

Genotyping

Genotype(d)

Microphthalmia

Relating to the DNA of an organism

The process of characterising up to ~50,000 genetic markers on an animal. This is what happens to every DNA sample submitted to the Society

The results of genotyping. Can also refer to specific markers such as Microphthalmia and Scrapie

Microphthalmia (which means ‘small eye’) is a recessive condition where one or both of a lamb’s eyes don’t grow properly or at all.

Scrapie A fatal brain disease of sheep and goats. The genotype groups range from I (genetically most resistant) to V (highly susceptible animals that should not be used for breeding).

Terminal Index This value represents the extra profit value per commercial lamb produced compared to the population baseline, the higher the value the greater the genetic merit. The figures are based on commercial financial data and the animal’s own breeding values.

To date more than 1500 animals born in 2024 have had their sire verified as a result of genomic evaluations.

Genomics is boosting breed health

In addition to adding value to pedigree and performance figures, genomics is also helping to inform breeders and contribute to improving the health and resilience of the breed.

With every completed genotype, members are provided with the Scrapie and Microphthalmia genotypes of their animals through the Gene-tex page on iTexel. Following an increase in the proportion of Microphthalmia carriers between 2020 and 2021, the Society has provided more information on this condition to all breeders and routinely publishes the Microphthalmia genotypes of animals on iTexel.

By looking at the registered male population, fewer than 1% of males registered that were born before 2021 were carriers, this rose to almost 3% of registered males born in 2023. Of the 2024-born males that have been registered to date, 2.2% are carrier animals. While it is too early to say whether the downward trend will continue as more 2024-born animals are registered, it is encouraging that the work of the Society in making members aware of the condition and publishing genotypes appears to be having a positive effect on the health of the population.

Similarly, the proportion of registered males in Scrapie Group I has increased from 67% of those born in 2019 to over 80% of those born in 2024. Over the same period the proportion of registered males in Groups I and II combined has increased from 95% to over 99%.

Animals that are identified as being in Scrapie Group IV are classed as genetically susceptible to the disease and should not be used for breeding out with a controlled breeding programme.

Numbers of registered male animals genotyped and proportion that are Microphthalmia resistant or carriers by year of birth.

Proportion of registered males that have been genotyped and are in Scrapie groups I, II, III and IV.

Inbreeding

Genomics also has the potential to provide more information on inbreeding levels in genotyped animals. The inbreeding values published on iTexel are calculated using five generations of pedigree information and based on the assumption that every animal inherits 50% of its genes from each parent.

Five generations are used because research has demonstrated that recent inbreeding can be more harmful than historic inbreeding. Indeed, there is some evidence that ancient inbreeding can have positive effects on performance figures.

Genomic inbreeding directly measures an individual animal’s DNA, independently of pedigree information meaning that more accurate estimates can be produced. However, there is much more work and genotypes required before the Society may consider developing iTexel and introducing genomic estimates of inbreeding scores for genotyped animals.

Genomics has the potential to help members reduce the incidence of genetic defects such as Microphthalmia.

Gene editing has the potential to benefit the sheep sector, but there are pitfalls too.

Society consults on precision breeding

Society data and technical services manager Ed Smith recently met with researchers from SRUC working on a DEFRA-funded project looking at the welfare implications and methods of assessment associated with precision-bred livestock in the UK.

Previous work has focused on pigs, poultry and fish, with sheep, cattle and turkeys now being considered. The researchers were curious about what interest the industry may have in gene editing in sheep and how this technology may be applied in the future.

The project is also looking at how to make precision-bred animals legal to enter the food chain, with an aim to develop a welfare framework for assessing gene-edited animals that would be relevant and valid for practical on-farm use.

Dr Smith explained that he thought it was likely to be many years before gene-editing would have widespread implementation in the sheep industry. Likely targets could include Bluetongue, Schmallenberg and Foot and Mouth, if suitable genetic markers were found. However, any benefits would also need consideration from a public and Zootechnical perspective.

“One barrier to adoption discussed was the many breeds within the UK sheep industry, as each breed would require its own edited stock and an obvious desire to not reduce any genetic diversity.”

Developing future breeding strategies

Society data and technical services manager Ed Smith recently attended the English workshop of the ‘Breeding Better Beef and Sheep’ project. Led by the Royal Agricultural University, the Society is a collaborative partner in this project, funded by the AgriFood for NetZero network, that is looking at which breeding strategies can contribute to Net Zero in agriculture.

The English workshop was hosted at the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester; similar workshops have also taken place in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Several industry stakeholders, farmers and Texel breeders met to discuss aspects of breeding and what drives breeding goals and decision-making on their farms.

Topics covered on the day included reducing waste (minimising disease and maximising productivity), using breeding values and Indexes and even touched on gene-editing as a future technology. There was also a consensus on the importance of record-keeping to monitor breeding choices and their outcomes.

There will be a follow-up workshop in each country over the summer to collate the information collected from the four nations and from a literature review. In addition, 20 participants will receive feedback after

a cost:benefit analysis conducted by SRUC and a carbon assessment using the Agrecalc software as part of the project.

Dr Smith said the research project will provide valuable insight into how farmers can best develop their flocks to be more financially and environmentally sustainable.

Achieving net zero will be easier with more data to inform breeding decisions and adoption of genetic improvement tools,” he explained.

BREEDING BETTER BEEF AND SHEEP CO-DESIGNED BREEDING STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE NET ZERO

We are a group of academics and industry stakeholders , who have been funded by the AFN Network+ to undertake this research, co-designing breeding strategies to reduce GHG emissions.

we are looking for:

We are a farmer co-operative owned by you. Our mission is to drive sustainable demand. 90% of our collection sites are within a one hour drive.

Adding value to your wool.

Welcome to new members

The Society is delighted to have welcomed the following new members to the Texel flock since the autumn.

The Society wishes them well in their Texel endeavours and is sure they will receive a warm welcome from members at Society and Regional Club events.

Useful information for new members can be found on the Society website.

Society Regions

SCAN HERE

Club flock Competitions

The Society is pleased to be able to report the results of flock competitions organised by regional Texel clubs which took place last year across the UK and congratulates all the winners and those who took part.

Contact information for regional Clubs can be found on the Society website – www.texel.uk/contact-us

Dyfed Club

Judges – Nick Legge and Peter Stubbs, Thornbury

Champion flock

J and E Davies, Teilo

Reserve champion flock

Carwyn Lewis, Hathren

Gloucester and Borders Club

Judge – Anthony Carter, Millcroft

Champion flock

James Theyer, Clanfield

Reserve champion flock

Nicola Hartwright, Whitehart

Northern Irish Club

Judge – Frank Rushton, Fresh Fields

Champion flock

Martin Millar, Millar’s

Reserve champion flock

John Trimble, Curley

North of Scotland Club

Judge – Ben Wight, Midlock

Champion flock

Kenny Pratt, Hilltop

Reserve champion flock

Matthew Seed, Auchry

Northern Area Club

Judge – Frank Rushton, Fresh Fields

Champion flock

Mark Ireland, Heys

Reserve champion flock

Chris Riby, Stonehills

North West Club

Judge – Kenny Pratt, Hilltop

Champion flock

Mark Ireland, Heys

Reserve champion flock

Robert Pierce, Oldford

Scottish Club

Judges – Donald and Ross MacPherson, Hexel

Champion flock

Allanfauld Ltd, Allanfauld

Reserve champion flock

Robert Cockburn, Knap

Shropshire and

Borders Club

Judge – Giles Pyman, Thacka

Champion flock

Claybury Texels, Claybury

Reserve champion flock

John Lea, Blore View

Full results from regional flock competitions can be found on the Society’s website.

Solway and Tyne Club

Judge – Robert Laird, Cambwell

Champion flock

Ewan MacTaggart, Rascarrel

Reserve champion flock

Donald and Sarah MacPherson, Hexel

South Wales Club

Judge – Will McCaffrey, Scholars

Champion flock

E G Morgan, Blaencar

Reserve champion flock

J and G Davies, Aman

South West Texel Club

Judge – Jim Hartwright, Whitehart

Champion flock

Phil Martyn-Uglow, Hornacott

Reserve champion flock

Messrs Chave, Peacehay

SCAN HERE

HIGHLAND

NORTH OF SCOTLAND

SCOTTISH

NORTHERN IRELAND

RUTHIN DUTCH

SHROPSHIRE & BORDERS

SOUTH WALES

DYFED

SOUTH WEST

SOLWAY & TYNE

NORTH WEST

NORTHERN AREA

DERBYSHIRE

GLOUCESTERSHIRE & BORDERS MIDLAND

SOUTH EASTERN

SOUTHERN CENTRAL

Show Judges

With warmer weather the thoughts of many breeders will be turning to this summer’s show circuit and the Society will once again be supporting a number of major shows across the UK.

A line-up of experienced judges will take to the rings at these events as detailed here.

Balmoral Show

14th- 17th May 2025

Charlie BodenSportsmans and Mellor Vale

A man who needs no introduction to anyone in the Texel breed, Charlie Boden has spent his life involved with the Texel breed and his family’s Sportsmans and Mellor Vale flocks.

Responsible for many show champions and sale toppers, including the world record holding 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond, Charlie has judged at most of the UK’s major shows, including the Royal Highland, Royal Welsh Show, Royal Three Counties Show and Great Yorkshire Show. In judging Balmoral, he follows in the footsteps of his father, Geoff, who had the honour in 1984.

Charlie has a keen focus on the key attributes of the breed, looking for a correct sheep with style and presence, backed up by the essential carcass qualities Texels are renowned for.

Royal Three Counties Show

13th- 17th June 2025

Phil Weaver - Empire

Nottinghamshire-based breeder Phil Weaver runs the 300-ewe Empire flock in partnership with his wife, Helen, and alongside a sizeable commercial flock, using homebred Texel rams as terminal sires.

Focussed firmly on producing shearling rams for commercial customers, Phil sells at many of the major sales, including Kelso Ram Sale and the Main NSA Ram Sale, Builth Wells, where last year he sold the sale topping Empire Gladiator at 30,000gns.

Having previously judged numerous shows, Phil will be looking for class winners with good tops and backends, combined with super locomotion and class.

Royal Highland Show

19th- 22nd June 2025

David J McKerrowUppermill

Texel devotee David McKerrow has been around the Texel breed since it first came to the UK, firstly with his family’s Grougfoot flock and latterly with his own Nochnary and now Uppermill flock managed in partnership with his sons, David and James.

A seasoned judge and show competitor, having shown at every Royal Highland Show for 45 years, David has enjoyed great success over the years at both summer shows and winter primestock events. More recently, David has enjoyed notable success in the sale rings, including Uppermill Fury at 11,000gns and last year Uppermill Highway Express at 10,000gns and Uppermill Hotshot at 11,000gns.

Now based in Aberdeenshire, David has judged all the major Texel shows, including The Royal, The Royal Welsh and Balmoral as well as judging at The Royal Smithfield Show and is looking forward to adding the Royal Highland Show to that list.

He will bring a keen eye to the judging ring at the Royal Highland, looking for good conformation, tight skins and that show ring spark that marks out the best.

Great Yorkshire Show

8th- 11th July 2025

Gwilym Williams - Caron

Welshman Gwilym Williams is well known in the Texel breed, with the Caron flock having enjoyed a blockbuster few years in recent times.

Notable successes include setting a new shearling ram record at the English National Sale in 2021 when selling Caron Dynamite at 32,000gns and selling Caron Fire Fly for 22,000gns at the Main NSA Ram Sale, Builth Wells, in 2023. The Caron prefix has had numerous success at local shows and has won female champion many times and reserve male champion at the Royal Welsh Show.

Gwilym has many years experience judging at local shows and he also had the privilege to judge the Royal Welsh Show in 2017 and the Main NSA Ram Sale at Builth in 2014. Gwilym will be looking for a true Texel type with plenty of carcass, tight skins and correctness.

Farming with his wife, Nerris, and children Jenna, Lowri and Cennydd, Gwilym has a keen eye for livestock and aims to ensure his Texels are fit for the needs of the modern commercial market, as well as for pedigree breeders.

Gwilym says it is a privilege to be invited to judge the Texel classes at the Great Yorkshire Show 2025 and he is looking forward to seeing a great show of sheep.

Royal Welsh Show

21st- 24th July 2025

David Chestnutt - Clougher and Bushmills

David takes on the task of judging the Royal Welsh with a broad experience of the breed, having been brought up alongside his family’s Clougher flock and his own Bushmills flock.

A keen judge and showman, David and his family have won numerous championships at Balmoral and local Northern Irish shows, with David having previously judged shows both at home in Northern Ireland and further afield, including the pre-sale show at the Welsh National Sale.

David will be looking for a flashy, modern Texel, retaining the all-important traits the breed is known for, including a sharp outlook, tight skin and tremendous carcass.

Sale Judges

Later in the summer attention will focus on the Society’s National Sales and once again, some highly experienced and knowledgeable judges will be placing the entries.

Scottish National Sale, Lanark

20th-21st August 2025

Graeme Knox - Haddo

The Knox family have been breeding Texels since 1990 and selling at Lanark since 1993, having won the championship in 2018 when completing a unique double of winning the Royal Highland Show and Lanark championship with the same ram lamb.

Sale highlights have included Haddo Balvenie at 40,000gns, with the family also breeding the 2023 First Season Sire Of The Year, Haddo Falcon.

Graeme has judged shows across Scotland and is looking forward to seeing the usual high standard at the Scottish National Sale.

English National Sale, Worcester

25th-26th August 2025

Ryan Bradley - Far Hey and Bradleys

Involved with Texels from a young age, Ryan Bradley runs the Far Hey flock and Bradleys flock with his family at home in Lancashire.

With the Far Hey flock founded in the late 1980s and the Bradleys flock in 2010, the family now run a small nucleus flock, maximising the genetic potential through use of ET.

Both flocks have enjoyed a multitude of show and sale successes, including in recent years having the reserve female champion at Lanark in 2018 and selling Bradleys Eubank for 70,000gns in 2021.

Along with that the flock had the overall champion at Lanark in the same year as well as taking the male championship at Great Yorkshire Show in 2019 and going on win the interbreed pairs championship at the same show.

Ryan’s previous judging appointments include the Royal Three Counties Show, Royal Lancashire Show and Royal Cheshire Show, as well as numerous local shows.

A full-time builder, Ryan says Texels eat up all his spare time and he looking forward to judging the English National Sale.

Welsh National Sale, Welshpool

27th August 2025

Robert Pierce - Oldford

Cheshire-based Robert Pierce first began breeding Texels when he was 11, stepping up a gear once he turned 16 with the purchase of two Stainton ewes.

Further female additions, again from Stainton, along with ewes from Ettrick and Claybury, helped spread the genetic base in the foundation, with the aim to produce high quality commercial rams.

Recent years have seen strong ram lamb sales, including having the top priced ram lamb, top priced female and overall champion at the Welsh National Sale.

Also well known for selling top end females, Robert will be looking for correct, balanced sheep, with the carcass and fleshing the breed needs, along with character to mark out the prize winners.

Northern Ireland National Sale, Ballymena

29th-30th August 2025

Will McCaffrey - Scholars and Cressage

Will McCaffrey originally established the Scholars Flock in 2004 on his parents’ and now family holding on the Cheshire/Shropshire border. Within a few short years, the flock had developed into a prominent name in the show and sale rings alike.

In 2009 Scholars sheep took champion, reserve champion and interbreed titles at Shropshire and Cheshire County Shows. It was 2011 which saw the first major accolade at the Royal Welsh when Will achieved first prize with a gimmer.

Reserve male champion at the Great Yorkshire Show with a ram lamb then followed in 2012 with this lamb, Scholars Twenty Twelve later selling privately. Will was in the ribbons again in the Autumn of 2012 with second prize in the open ram class at Lanark and later selling for 13,000gns.

A trio of back-to-back achievements at the Royal Welsh soon followed with the flock taking reserve female champion in 2015, reserve overall champion in 2016 and culminating in breed champion in 2017 at the flock’s last outing at the show.

Additional female titles were added to in 2019, again at the Scottish National Sale, with female championship honours falling to a gimmer which later sold for 6500gns.

In 2021 Will sold the Scholars flock to the Ellis family and began managing it alongside their Shropshire-based Cressage flock. Within his first season the flocks sold ram lambs to 38,000gns and 30,000gns and in 2024 had the joint winner of the First Season Sire of The Year Award in the form of Scholars Governor.

Main NSA Ram Sale, Builth Wells

22nd September 2025

Geraint Williams - Dragon

Geraint Williams has spent the last 35 years around Texel sheep, having first been introduced to them when his father, Gerallt, founded the Caron flock in 1988.

With that flock now under the ownership of Geraint’s brother, Gwilym, and his family, Geraint runs the Dragon flock with the help of his wife, Kim, and their family.

Farmed alongside other breeds of sheep and a pedigree herd of British Blue cattle, Geraint also runs a mobile sheep dipping and scanning business.

Having run his own ram sale for 20 years, selling between 40 and 50 rams each time, Geraint is keenly focussed on good conformation, tight skins, good legs and a level top line.

A previous judge at both the Welsh and Northern Ireland National Sales, he is looking forward to judging at this year’s Main NSA Ram Sale, Builth Wells, a venue where he has enjoyed success in the Texel classes at the Royal Welsh Show.

Five Nations Weekend heads to Ireland

This year’s Five Nations Weekend for young Texel breeders and those with an interest in the breed will take place in Ireland over the weekend of Friday 27th to Sunday 29th June.

Hosted by the Irish Texel Sheep Society the weekend will include flock visits, social activities and competitions, giving young Texel enthusiasts the opportunity to learn alongside their peers from across England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Friday 27th June will see participants visit the Doherty family’s Hillcrest flock and the Greene Family’s Larahirl and Greenstar flocks, followed by an evening out in Letterkenny.

Then on Saturday they will visit Finn Valley Show to take in the All Ireland Texel Championships, with the presentation of the Drumgooland Shield taking place. This will be followed by another evening out in Letterkenny.

Sunday 29th June will see participants travel home.

Tickets are €260/£220 a person for the weekend, including bed and breakfast accommodation, coach travel, with collection and drop off at Belfast airport, meals, and show entry ticket.

Booking is now open and all booking queries are to be emailed to info@irishtexel.com

Spaces are limited, so early booking is recommended. Please note this event is organised by the Irish Texel Sheep Society and the British Texel Sheep Society has no role in its organisation.

YDP committee welcomes new members

New members have joined the Society’s Youth Development Committee following elections in the autumn.

Rhian Watkins of the Corras and Cupids Hill flocks has joined the committee to represent southern England, with Stewart Ferris of the Bellefield flock taking on the role for Northern Ireland.

Rhian Watkins replaces Ben Roberts, Poundapitt, on the YDP committee following Ben’s retirement, while Stewart Ferris is taking on the position following David Chestnutt’s retirement.

The Society thanks both Ben and David for their work on the YDP committee over the time they have been committee members.

Both Rhian and Stewart will serve three year terms until autumn 2027, helping guide the Society’s YDP offering over that time, ensuring young breeders are given every opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge at the same time as making friends and connections across the sheep industry.

For more information on the Society’s Youth Development Programme

Rhian Watkins. Stewart Ferris.

Melissa Buchan outshines competition to win 2025 Spotlight Award The Winner

Nominated by the North of Scotland Texel Breeders Club, Melissa stood out from the other high calibre nominees for her depth of knowledge of the livestock industry, alongside her enduring passion for the Texel breed itself.

Announcing Melissa as the winner, Society chief executive John Yates said she was a credit to herself and her family, displaying superb commitment to the livestock sector and having a great understanding of how the Texel breed can contribute to the future of the UK sheep industry.

“Melissa is a fantastic ambassador for the breed and her commitment to Texel shone through. Melissa is a great asset to the breed and wider industry.

“The spotlight award provides an opportunity for Clubs and the Society to promote the strength in depth of young people in our membership. This year’s nominations were a pleasure to interview, all high achievers, some with high performing flocks, others who go the extra mile in supporting Clubs and local events. All had in-depth knowledge of the breed and the value it adds to them and the industry,” he explained.

Mr Yates said that regional Clubs had long been at the core of Society activities and it was

Melissa Buchan North of Scotland Club

Heavily involved with the family’s Clinterty flock, Melissa works full time as a fieldsperson for Aberdeen and Northern Marts, supporting clients in marketing their livestock to its best advantage.

Alongside this, Melissa is heavily involved with the flock, helping her father, Brian, and brother, Gavin, in transitioning towards producing shearlings for the commercial trade, having previously had a focus on breeding ram lambs.

The family believe the shearling market to be a more sustainable business model which will suit them better. However, they have enjoyed some great days selling ram lambs, including in 2016 selling Clinterty Yuga Khan and Clinterty Yogi Bear for 60,000gns and 52,000gns, respectively.

Melissa cites the lasting friendships she has gained from her involvement in the Texel breed and Society activities, such as the YDP Five Nations Weekend as one of the biggest benefits of being in the breed.

“The knowledge I’ve gained from being around other, likeminded young people has been immense, particularly when we’ve had the chance to visit flocks and learn from other breeders,” she explains.

What is the Spotlight Award?

The Spotlight Award, now in its third year, is made to a young breeder and recognises some of the unsung heroes within the breed who work to support their local Texel Club and raise the profile of the breed in the process.

Who is eligible

The award is open to members under 35, with Clubs and Youth Development Programme committee members asked to nominate members who they felt had made an outstanding contribution to the breed in their local area or nationally.

The judges and judging process

All nominees were judged on an interview basis conducted via video call. Nominees were judged on their knowledge of the breed, the sheep and wider agricultural industry and the skills and knowledge they bring to club activities. The award was judged by Society chief executive John Yates, Society vice chairman Dafydd Jones, and the Society’s events manager and YDP coordinator Ailish Ross.

How to nominate for the 2026 award

All regional Clubs and YDP Committee members are invited to nominate for the 2026 award during autumn 2025, with interviews for nominees taking place in January 2026. Nominees should be under the age of 35 and be someone who has worked hard to excel within the Club or with their own flock.

2025 Spotlight Award Nominees

Caroline HamiltonCrewburn and Carjasco

A keen interest in Texels thanks to the family’s Crewburn and Carjasco flocks has helped shaped Caroline’s life to date, seeing her work for an artificial breeding company after studying at SRUC, before going on to work in animal nutrition.

Tom LewisHollyhurst

Having been breeding Texels for 10 years Tom is passionate about the breed and producing strong shearling rams for the commercial market.

Having attended the YDP Five Nations Event in both 2022 and 2023, Tom says the chance to meet likeminded individuals from across the UK has been invaluable in progressing his flock.

Currently secretary of the Scottish Club, Caroline organised a young breeders event in 2024, giving youngsters the opportunity to get more involved in the breed.

Ross MacPhersonHexel

A devotee of pedigree breeding, Ross’ involvement with the breed stems back his entire life, with the Hexel flock founded by his father, Donald, in 1993.

Keen to develop the flock, Ross says the flock’s greatest achievement to date is topping the Scottish National Sale, Lanark, with the 70,000gns Hexel High Voltage in 2024.

He is keen to push further and places a huge emphasis on both studying pedigree trees as well as structural correctness and flock management.

John TrimbleCurley

John’s passion for Texels developed at nine years old when he attended an open evening with his father. Founding his flock in 2000 with four ewes John has gone on to enjoy great success, taking the novice championship at the Northern Ireland National Sale in 2005 and the reserve championship the following year.

A respected breeder, John says his greatest achievement was judging the Northern Ireland National Sale in 2022, an opportunity he relished.

Running his flock alongside his scanning and shearing business, Tom says his greatest achievement to date is winning the championship at the Shropshire and Borders Club Sale.

Barney RichardsonFernyford

A relative newcomer to Texels, having founded his flock in 2021, Barney has made strong progress, having won the novice class at the English National Sale on his attempt in 2022 and standing second in the same class in both 2023 and 2024.

A keen shearer, Barney shears 35-40,000 sheep a year, conducting his Spotlight Award interview from his winter shearing work in New Zealand and in 2024 won the English intermediate circuit.

Harley TurnerClanfield

Having been involved with a number of high profile Texel flocks, including Paul and Anna Johnson’s Corriecravie flock as well as the Boden family’s Sportsmans flock, Harley is currently shepherd for James Theyer’s Clanfield flock.

Harley says it was Paul Johnson’s support and knowledge that encouraged him to stick with Texels, with his greatest achievement being his involvement in bringing out the world record breaking Sportsmans Double Diamond and the entire consignment of Sportsmans and Mellor Vale lambs in 2020.

More than 200 Texel Sheep Society members and friends came together in Chester from 15th-17th November to celebrate the Society’s 50th Anniversary at a Social weekend

The weekend saw people from across the UK come together to mark the landmark in the Society’s history.

Society chief executive John Yates said the weekend was an excellent way to wrap up the Society’s celebrations. The entire weekend was an overwhelmingly exciting celebration of all things Texel and the people who had made the breed and the Society what it was today.

“It was important to recognise the hard work and dedication of all who have been associated with the breed over the last half century as well as take time to look forward to what the Society, the breed and breeders can achieve together in the next 50 years.

“As members and others associated with the Society move into the next era of the British Texel Sheep Society we must all display that same pioneering spirit in order to ensure the breed and the Society remains as relevant in future as it has been in the past.”

Friday Night

Kicked off by a 1970s evening on Friday, members embraced the theme, with spectacular outfits and wigs on display. With many attendees unrecognisable in their costumes!

There were a trio of prizes awarded, by judges Jeff and Jennifer Aiken. After a well fought dance off Allan Wight of the Midlock flock won the best dressed male and Christine Gray, Ettrick the best dressed female with Charlotte Stubbs crowned with the cutest dressed award.

Saturday Night

Saturday Night’s Black Tie Celebration Ball saw the culmination of the Society’s Anniversary festivities.

The night was opened with a fantastic poem from Society Chair, Jeff Aiken

With grace given by Andy Barr, from of one of the founding flocks, Parkhouse. Attendees enjoyed a three course meal, with a video montage of the Society Anniversary year played in the background.

The evening then focused on celebrating those who have succeeded in the past year, alongside those who have shaped and guided the Society throughout the last 50 years.

The Society was delighted to have eighteen previous and current Society Chairs and Chief Executives present.

Top row (L to R): Steve McLean, Victor Chestnutt, Peter Mitchell, Simon Bradley-Farmer, David J McKerrow, Henry Gamble, John Yates, Steve Richardson, Gordon Gray, Keith Campbell, Roy Campbell, Jeff Aiken.

Bottom row (L to R): Graham Jones, Doug Nesbitt, Keith Jamieson, Jimmy Warnock, John Earle, Alex Brown.

Presidents’ Awards

A pair of Presidents’ awards were also made at the event to Jimmy Warnock of the Watchknowe flock and Nigel Hamill of the Ballynadrenta flock.

A member since the Society’s inception, Lanarkshire farmer Jimmy Warnock is a former Society chairman who has dedicated 50 years to furthering the breed and promoting it at every opportunity.

Jennifer Aiken surprised Jimmy with a rendition of the Texel Anthem, which he wrote in 1978 and was published in the 1979 Texel Journal.

Northern Ireland-based breeder Nigel Hamill has similarly been a fervent supporter of the breed and in particular supporting young breeders as they find their way in the breed.

Special Recognition Awards

The Society made a number of 50th Anniversary Awards to members and associates of the Society who have made exceptional contributions to the Society over the years.

Outgoing Society chairman Jeff Aiken said said the award recipients had all gone above and beyond what was expected of them in supporting the Society and its members.

Receiving the first of these awards was Aubrey Andrews of the Miserden flock, a board member for 15 years as well as a long-serving member of the Society’s breed development committee and

the Society’s chief inspector at Society Sales.

Next to collect their award was SRUC’s Jo Conington who has supported the Society’s research and development since the early 2000s.

After that came Paul Phillips of the Kimbolton flock, who was recognised for his dedication to texelplus performance recording. Additionally, Paul’s invaluable input in the Society’s development of iTexel database.

A brace of auctioneers were also recognised, with the first of these being Clive Roads of McCartneys who has served as the Society’s

auctioneer at the English National Sale for more than 30 years.

And the second being made to Lawrie and Symington’s Brian Ross. Brian’s association with the breed extends beyond his rostrum duties at the Scottish National. His dedication to the Texel breed and the people involved spans for 40 years.

The Society then gave an award to chief executive John Yates for his dedication to the furtherance of the Society and the breed over the 16 years he has been with the Society.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the announcement of the winner of the Society’s 50th Anniversary Flock Competition which saw nominated flocks from the Society’s affiliated regional clubs compete under judge Roy Campbell of the Cowal and Royel flocks.

Taking the champion flock award in this unique competition was the Ettrick flock of Gordon Gray and family, Selkirk.

Reserve champion was Matthew Seed and family’s Aberdeenshire-based Auchry flock, with the ewe lamb class won by the Draper family’s Claybury flock.

The senior stock ram class was then won by Matthew Seed with the homebred Auchry Commander, while the best junior stock ram was James Theyer’s Clanfield flock with Okehall Hammerhead.

Society donates £7500 to Farm Safety Foundation charity

The Society’s 50th Anniversary Social Weekend saw the conclusion of fundraising for the Society’s 50th Anniversary charity, The Farm Safety Foundation, better known as Yellow Wellies.

Underpinned by the 1974km Texathon challenge which saw Society staff, John Yates, Ed Smith, Ailish Ross and Megan Baker, along with immediate pastchair Jeff Aiken, travel 1974km by bike and on foot, the total raised was £7501.

Fundraising efforts were rounded off by the auctioning of a crook kind ly donated by breeder Keith Jamieson and his late wife, Margaret, of the Annan flock and a bottle of whisky given by Harry Woodmass, Harene.

As a result, the Society was able to present a cheque for £7501 to Alix Morley of the Farm Safety Foundation to support its work in encouraging farmers to take better care of both their physical and mental health.

Society Chair Jeff Aiken said the work of Yellow Wellies, which itself celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, was critically important, particularly among the younger generation, to help the farming community tackle the challenges they face on a daily basis.

Gordon Gray receives his championship award from judge Roy Campbell.

James Theyer is presented with his junior stock ram award.

James Draper won the ewe lamb class.

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New 52,000gns female record leads in-lamb sales

The seasonal in-lamb sales once again proved popular among breeders as many sought to add new genetics to their flocks at sales the length and breadth of the UK. Total takings at these sales came to more than £1.5m, underlining the breed’s popularity and the demand for the best of the breed.

26TH NOVEMBER 2024

Christmas Classic tops at 3000gns

Kenny Pratt’s Hilltop flock took the top call at the Christmas Classic in-lamb sale, Thainstone, when selling at 3000gns.

Sale leader, PKH2303466, is an Auldhouseburn Fancy Pants daughter out of a dam by Sportsmans Chieftain and sold in-lamb to Drumbreddan Hard Ass. She was taken by Jordan Green, Drumburn.

Averages; 12 in-lamb ewes £505.83; 61 in-lamb gimmers £894.20; 17 ewe lambs £558.82 (Aberdeen and Northern Marts).

7TH DECEMBER 2024

Peacehay gimmer leads Worcester at 1600gns

The Chave family’s Peacehay flock produced the day’s top price at the Gloucester and Border Counties Club’s in-lamb sale at Worcester, when taking a 1600gns call.

Sale topper was CFP2303048, an Usk Vale Fandabidozi daughter out of a dam by Peacehay Untouchable and in-lamb to Strathbogie Epic. She sold to Maria Cork, Yeaside.

Averages; 24 in-lamb gimmers £678, four ewe lambs £840 (McCartneys).

6TH DECEMBER 2024

Corbo leads December Dazzlers

Adrian Liggett’s Corbo flock took the top call of 3700gns at the December Dazzlers sale, when selling a gimmer by Hexel Fan Club.

Taking the highest call of the day was LIG2300778. She’s out of a dam by Holylee Acrobat and sold carrying to Oberstown Hercules. She found a new home with Eire-based breeder John Neville.

Averages; 52 females £754.78 (Richard Beattie Livestock Sales).

24TH NOVEMBER 2024

Winter Warmers Texels hit 850gns

Melton Mowbray’s Winter Warmers Sale saw in-lamb gimmers sell to 850gns for one from Jennifer Lodge’s Heyworth Lodge flock.

Sale leader was a Moseley-bred gimmer, LKL2300135, a Lakeview Flintstone daughter out of a dam by Garngour Alabama and in-lamb to Ettrick Grin’N’Bear it. She sold to T Green, Heckington, due with twins.

Averages; two in-lamb ewes £415, 16 in-lamb gimmers £409, 21 ewe lambs £353.50 (Melton Mowbray Market).

12TH DECEMBER 2024

Brace at 2000gns

lead Shropshire and Borders in-lamb sale

The Shropshire and Borders Texel Club’s in-lamb sale, Welshpool, was led by a brace of 2000gns bids.

First to make this price was a gimmer from Cefin Pryce and family’s Caereinion flock. This was PEC2301151, a daughter of the £10,000 Loosebeare Chief out of a dam by Blaencar Bandit and with a top 1% texelplus index. She sold in-lamb to the 24,000gns Caereinion Goliath and was taken by the Creer family, Ballaglonney.

Second to make this money was DHL2302252 from the Draper family’s Claybury flock. This daughter of the homebred Claybury Delta Force is out of a dam by Stainton Vantage II and sold carrying to Wedderburn Highlander and with a top 25% texelplus index. Buying her were Geoff Morgan and family, Blaencar.

Averages; six aged ewes £738.50, 42 gimmers £737, nine ewe lambs £420 (Welshpool Livestock Sales).

13TH DECEMBER 2024

Drambuie daughter fires Greenarch and Roxburgh trade at 4000gns

The sale of the Greenarch and Roxburgh gimmers on behalf of Ken Hodge and John Elliot, respectively, was led at 4000gns by a daughter of the £65,000 Campsie Drambuie.

Sale topper was HEV2307611, a gimmer out of a dam by the homebred Greenarch Watchman and in-lamb to Wellingley Ego. She sold to J V Hodgson and Son for the Harold flock.

Averages; Roxburgh Flock; 50 gimmers £1372.50, Greenarch Flock; 46 gimmers £1162.72 (Harrison and Hetherington).

16TH DECEMBER 2024

Hilltop gimmer sets new 52,000gns female record

Kenny Pratt’s Hilltop flock provided the shining light at the Christmas Stars Sale, Carlisle, when setting a new breed female record and an all breeds female centre record at 52,000gns for a Plasucha Fireball daughter.

Setting the new benchmark was PKH2303513 an ET bred gimmer out of a dam by Sportsmans Cannon Ball and inlamb with twins to Drumbreddan Hard Ass. After a spirited bidding battle this one was knocked down to Bruce Renwick for the Castlecairn flock.

Averages; 72 gimmers £2952.40 (Harrison and Hetherington).

13TH

DECEMBER 2024

Claybury

lamb tops Carlisle Crackers

A Haddo Fabio-sired ewe lamb from the Draper family’s Claybury flock topped the Carlisle Crackers sale when making 6000gns. This one is out of a dam by Claybury Delta Force and was knocked down to Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn.

Averages; 48 gimmers £1185.67, 10 ewe lambs £2047.50 (Harrison and Hetherington).

17TH DECEMBER 2024

Lylehill gimmer tops Festive Crackers at 3800gns

A Mellor Vale Déjà vu daughter from Alan Glendinning’s Lylehill flock provided the spark at the Festive Crackers Sale, Ballymena, when selling for 3800gns.

Leading the prices was GAX2300232, a gimmer out of a Plasuchabred dam by Midlock Dynamo and in-lamb to Lylehill Hit and Run with a single. Buying this one was J Walsh Ballintra, Co Donegal.

Averages; 58 females £1061.77 (J A McLelland and Son).

Double Diamond daughter shines brightest at Select Seven

An Auldhouseburn gimmer from Alan Blackwood and sired by the 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond was the 20,000gns sale topper at the Select Seven in-lamb sale.

Leading the day was BYZ2333652, a gimmer out of a Garngour-bred dam by Knock Yardsman. Sold in-lamb to Mellor Vale Hercules, this one was knocked down to Stuart Barclay, Harestone.

Averages; 60 gimmers £1958.25, six ewe lambs £2117.50 (Lawrie and Symington).

14TH DECEMBER 2024

Skipton Stormers reach 550gns

A 550gns call for a gimmer from Spyros Spyrou’s Gib Farm flock was the highlight of the Northern Area Club’s Skipton Stormers Sale.

Topping the sale was one by Sportsmans Dare Devil and in-lamb to Coach House Gambler, she sold to K and G Brierley, Rochdale. A full sister, again in-lamb to Coach House Gambler, sold at the same money to the same buyer.

Averages; 22 gimmers £458 (Craven Cattle Marts).

21ST DECEMBER 2024

Clanfield gimmer is First Choice at Builth Babes

A centre record of 7500gns led the Builth Babes in-lamb sale when James Theyer’s Clanfield flock sold a Rhaeadr First Choice daughter.

Leading the day was THE2301432, a gimmer out of a dam by Auldhouseburn Expression and in-lamb to Holtridge Honky Tonk. She sold to Alan Blackwood’s Auldhouseburn flock.

Averages; two in-lamb ewes £577.50, 10 ewe lambs £939.75, 43 gimmers £1338.13 (Builth Market Auctioneers).

20TH DECEMBER 2024

Fan Club daughter proves star attraction

A Hexel Fan Club daughter from Adrian Liggett’s Corbo flock provided the twinkle at the Northern Stars Sale, Ballymena. Adrian’s 9500gns topper, LIG2300777, is out of a dam by Hartside All Star and sold carrying to Oberstown Hercules when bought by J Browne, Drumeagle.

Averages; 74 females £1907.03 (J McClelland and Son).

4TH JANUARY 2025

Mullan Firefly gimmer lights up J36

It was David Gray’s Tima flock which took the top call of 2800gns at the North West Texel Club’s in-lamb sale, Kendal.

Leading the trade was GCT2315288, a Mullan Firefly daughter out of a dam by Procters Class Act and carrying to Sadlerhead Fury. She was the pick of Cathal Harkin, Loughash.

Averages; 29 in-lamb gimmers £920, four ewe lambs £768 (North West Auctions).

13TH JANUARY 2025

Knap gimmer leads

Longtown Ladies

A 4200gns sale for a Knap gimmer from Robert Cockburn was the highlight of the Longtown Ladies sale, with this price paid for the Dundas Evolution daughter CKP2307591.

This one is out of a dam by Sportsmans Cannon Ball and sold carrying to the homebred Knap Hammerhead when bought by Paul and Lin Calcraft, Somerset, for their Lapley flock.

Averages; 37 gimmers £1242.97, 17 ewe hoggs £799.85 (Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Auction Marts). For full reports from all these sales

JANUARY 2025

Gladiator daughter claims the limelight at Lanark

A ewe hogg by Strathbogie Gladiator took the top call of 6200gns at the Lanark Ladies in-lamb sale for Donald and Sarah MacPherson, Hexel.

This one, MZH2401191, is out of a dam by Coniston Equinox and had been champion in the pre-sale show. She was bought by B I and B M Mosey, for their Blackdale flock.

Averages; 24 gimmers £953.75, 19 ewe hoggs £942.24 (Lawrie and Symington).

First Choice daughter tops Derbyshire Dazzlers

Topping the Derbyshire Dazzlers in-lamb sale was a gimmer from the Boden family’s Sportsmans flock in the form of BGS2306480.

This Rhaeadr First Choice daughter is out of a dam by Seaforde Empire King and sold carrying twins to Knap Grumpy. She had stood champion in the pre-sale show and was bought by Ben Vernon, Charben, at 1200gns.

Averages; eight gimmers £708.75, six ewe hoggs £379.75 (Leek Auctions).

11TH JANUARY 2025

Cherrylea Fireball daughter lights up Ballymena Babes

The Herdman family’s Templepark flock led the trade at the Ballymena Babes in-lamb sale when taking the top call of 4000gns for their gimmer HKP2302435.

Sired by Cherrylea Fireball, this one is out of a dam by the homebred Templepark Candy Crush and sold inlamb to Strathbogie Gaffer. Scanned with twins she sold to Mark Patterson, Alderview, with a half share retained by the vendors.

Averages; 54 gimmers £1048.06, 16 ewe hoggs £1181.25 (J A McClelland and Sons).

28TH DECEMBER 2024

Duhonw reduction hits 10,000gns

A 2021-born Clinterty Yuga Khan daughter led the major reduction sale of the Duhonw flock of Michael James and family when making 10,000gns.

Sale leader, JMU2110517, is out of a dam by Whitehart A Lister and sold carrying to Ettrick Gaucho when bought by Nicola Howie, Cairnton.

Averages; nine flush ewes £5985, 47 implanted pregnancies £1438.72, 42 flock ewes £1640, 34 gimmers £2300.74, 18 ewe lambs £1417.50 (Harrison and Hetherington).

19TH JANUARY 2025

Brace at 500gns lead South Wales in-lamb sale

A pair of 500gns sales topped the South Wales Texel Breeders Association’s in-lamb sale. Both of these came from Messrs Davies Trefere flock, with the first being DBT2304919, a Llwyngan Concorde daughter out of a dam by Whitehart Anchor Man. She sold carrying to Preenbank Duke and was bought by A R Jones, Lampeter.

Second to make this money was DBT2304880. This Preenbank Duke daughter is out of a dam by the homebred Trefere Cobra and sold in-lamb to Llwyngan Concorde when bought by B I Price and Son, Builth Wells.

Averages; eight gimmers £479.06 (Clee Tomkinson and Francis).

CONISTON (AXC)

J & J Aiken

Wennington, Lancashire

T: 07971 546623 (Jeff)

E: jenniferaiken99@gmail.com

SAMSAR (BHY)

SJ & SL Beachell

Beswick, Driffield

T: 07989 402913

E: samsar39@hotmail.com

STONEBECK (BUT)

A C & J Butcher

Ulverston

T: 07884 411662

E: stonebecktexels@gmail.com

LOGRAM (CLV)

Mark Collins

Howsham, York

T: 07715 044439

E: markvetlg@gmail.com

SILPHO (DJS)

J & J Duffy

Silpho, Scarborough

T: 07976 373879

E: duffy.john@virgin.net

HALDANE (YLD)

L Dewhirst & D Knaggs

Stainsacre, Whitby

T: 07871 969168

BUTTERCROSS (KEG)

D Henery & T Keating

Little Houghton

T: 07702 566578

GREENARCH (HEV)

Ken Hodge

Mobberley, Cheshire

T: 07968 585698

E: ken@greenacreshouse.co.uk

HEYWORTH LODGE (LSH)

Jennifer S Lodge

Doncaster

T: 01405 785238

T: 07764 305571

Area 5

CHALET (IBC)

Ian Bennett

Langtoft, Driffield

T: 07940 220227

BEECHTREE (BSQ)

David Burkill

Driffield

T: 07983 718774

MIDDLEDALE (BIU)

Paul Byas

Kilham, Driffield

T: 07748 946965

SAINT JOHNS (CAX)

A J Chapman

Driffield

T: 07932 419062

MANDERLEA (KAM)

Mark A Keighley

Leeds T: 01132 843462

MOSELEY (LKL)

Luke Lodge

Doncaster

T: 07824 643259

GARBUTT (QCM)

Craig & Liz Mandale

Cold Kirby, Thirsk

T: 07387 971528

CHAIRMAN – Mark Keighley 07702 741320

SECRETARY – Sarah Beachell 01377 270230

FIMBER (LJF)

J & RM Lucas & Son

Driffield

T: 01377 236698

www.fimber-texels.co.uk

MOFFETT (QMF) C B & D

Moffett

Hummerbeck T: 07717 85821

TYNEWOOD (PKM)

Kimberley Pickering

Gowthorpe, York T: 07823 335088

QUARRYSIDE (SYN)

P D Sykes & Son

Holmfirth T: 07775 898647

PARKHOLME (TGP)

Graham Taylor

Thirsk T: 01845 526380

THORNCLIFFE (WKT)

R P & S Whiteley

Holmfirth

T: 07775 774637

E: sue.whiteley@tiscali.co.uk

WELLINGLEY (LJW)

PC & EJ Longdin

Doncaster

T: 07760 125513

BLACKDALE (UBM)

BI & BM Mosey

Giling East, York T: 07552 237739 Elliott

E: elliottgisborne@ianmosey.com

WINKSLEY HILL (MHW)

B & A Myers & Daughters

Ripon T: 01765 658456

LOXLEY (NJL)

John & Alison North Settle

T: 07753 842044

E: jlnorth22@gmail.com

HANDBANK (PRH)

RM & EA Payne & Son

Stocksbridge T: 01142 883241

E: anne@handbanktexels.co.uk

PERGILL (PMF)

Jill Perrings

Settle

T: 07731 936156

E: catkinsflorist@gmail.com

HAMMERTON (PBH)

DA & H Pickles

Green Hammerton, York

T: 01423 330118

M: 07703 837332

BRONTEMOOR (PSR)

JM & SM Priestley

Brampton, Cumbria

T: 07812 456736 Richard

E: brontemoor@nevisinternet.com

STONEBRIDGE (RSS)

Steve Richardson

Barnsley

T: 07764 223231

E: steve@stonebridgetexels.co.uk

Aiming high at Seaforde

A flock which was founded following several years of shepherding experience gained at the Sportsmans and Milnbank flocks has quickly made its presence felt in the breed for Mark Priestley.

“Ilearnt a lot in my time with those flocks and once I came home fulltime I quickly began to miss working with Texels and I’d made a lot of friends in the breed during that time, so it was the natural next step to start a flock,” he says.

Mark’s Seaforde flock was originally founded on a handful of older ewes in 2017, but he soon realised that to breed the type of sheep he was aiming for would require investment in better females.

“I worked with the Sportsmans flock for four years and that hugely shaped my view of the breed and the type of Texel I am aiming

to breed. So, I rethought what I was doing and started to buy a few dearer, well-bred gimmers.

“The first of these was a Knap gimmer purchased from the English Premier Sale, Worcester, for 6000gns in 2019. This was CKP1802793, a Mullan Amigo daughter and was exactly what I was looking for in a female.

“She had character, great legs and feet and plenty of carcass to add balance to her. I also added a privately purchased gimmer from George Howie’s Knock flock as well as two more from Knap and one from Alan Blackwood’s Auldhouseburn flock, all bought privately,” he explains.

Mark Priestley capped a memorable few years in Texels by winning the breed championship at Balmoral in 2024.

Those purchases and a dedication to embryo transfer work have been the formula for success for the flock, which to date has sold to a top of 26,000gns for Seaforde Egyptian Warrior at the Northern Ireland National Sale, Ballymena, in 2021 as well as claiming the championship at Balmoral Show last year with a gimmer.

“Egyptian Warrior was out of the first Knap gimmer and she has proven her worth over the years. Warrior himself sired the £36,000 Kelso topper Teiglum Firefly.”

The following year the flock again topped the Northern Ireland National Sale with Seaforde Fergie Time at 15,000gns, with this one being out of the first flush from the Auldhouseburn gimmer.

“For many flushing may not be the desired route to take. However, in our situation it is the most efficient way to run the flock.

“While I farm a total of 120 acres, there is only 15 acres at home, so we have to put ewes and lambs away from a young age. Working this way means I can put the recipient ewes away from home, while keeping the pedigree ewes closer to hand.

“On top of that, I could never afford to buy enough top quality ewes to produce the number of lambs we do through ET. I’d need to buy 30-40 ewes and that would be far beyond my budget,” says Mark.

As a result, the pedigree flock currently numbers seven Texel ewes, which run alongside 14 Suffolks and a trio of Dutch Spotted. “The bulk of the flock is made up of recipient ewes, with these totalling about 250.”

And while he invested early in quality females, on the male side Mark chose to use semen from proven sires for the first few years rather than investing in a stock sire.

“Sportsmans Cannon Ball was the first sire that really made a mark on the flock, with Procters El Presidente another which has done well. I saw both of those tups when they were sold at Lanark and both were the type I liked and thought would knit well with our females, so I was keen to get semen from them.

Seaforde His Majesty took the male championship at Balmoral before selling privately to Jonny Cubitt’s Drumcon flock.

“Then in 2023 I bought a share in the 30,000gns Auldhouseburn Gazza and he has already proven himself, with a son sold privately for £20,000 to Jonny Cubitt’s Drumcon flock having been male champion at Balmoral last year. He went back to the Knock ewe, being out of a ewe lamb I

flushed which was herself by El Presidente. Other Gazza sons sold for 5500gns and 4600gns at Ballymena.”

Mark says that while his background and first love is Suffolks, he finds the Texel a fascinating breed to be involved with.

Mark says the opportunities in Texel are vast and the breed is well placed for the future.

“There are so many more opportunities in the Texel breed than any other. The demand for Texels at all levels of the industry is staggering.

“I remember going to the Main NSA Ram Sale at Builth Wells when I was working for Charlie Boden and the trade there for commercial tups was outstanding. There are a lot of flocks doing a great job for the breed and the same is true at sales all over the UK. The shearling ram trade, while not something I’m involved in, is incredible to see and something the breed can be incredibly proud of.”

He says the work done by the Society to sustain the breed and ensure it remains at the forefront of the industry is something every breeder should take a moment to appreciate.

“There’s no doubting the service provided by the Society to its members is second to none and I think it is important to recognise that. Whether it is the iTexel database, the Society’s involvement in genomics or show

and sale reporting, no other Society can match it and as members we should be extremely grateful for that.”

On a personal level he also pays tribute to Charlie Boden and Robbie Wilson for the knowledge he gained while working for them and more recently to Robert Cockburn for his willingness to share knowledge and experience.

At home Mark says flock management is based around maximising growth in the lambs without aiming for excessively big sheep.

“I do worry that the breed could, overall, be getting too big and that may be detrimental in the long-term. It’s no secret that bigger sheep take more keeping and in a commercial setting that isn’t a good thing. The high number of commercial flocks keeping replacement Texel cross females is great, but they don’t want their ewes getting too big.”

With most lambs born from recipient ewes, Mark aims to house ewes about three weeks ahead of lambing, with ewes offered high energy blocks from about six weeks before lambing.

“Concentrate is then introduced about a month out, with ewes initially offered 0.5kg a day moving up to 1kg a day a fortnight before lambing. They then stay in for about three weeks after lambing and are then put out in small groups of about 25 ewes and lambs which makes for easier management in the first few weeks.”

Creep feed is then introduced to lambs on an ad-lib basis at about a month old, with this continuing until about a fortnight after weaning. At that stage ewe lambs have feed withdrawn and are just run at grass, while ram lambs move to twice a day trough feeding for three weeks.

Seaforde Egyptian Warrior set a new 26,000gns centre record at Ballymena (top), while PRQ2302488 was Balmoral champion.

“Then they’ll come home to graze a green crop of Tyfon, Avalon and Alpin, with trough feeding continuing three times a day for the last six weeks or so in the lead up to sales. I try not to house ram lambs if at all possible as I believe they’re better off outside,” he adds.

Looking ahead Mark says the aim is to be among the top sellers at Lanark in the next 10 years, but current import restrictions affecting Northern Ireland are limiting the opportunities.

“The current situation, caused by firstly Brexit and latterly Bluetongue, has definitely made things more difficult. It has meant Northern Irish breeders are more reluctant to take sheep to mainland sales. On the plus side that has helped bolster the trade at the Northern Ireland National Sale.

“However, on the flip side, it is affecting our ability to get new genetics into Northern Ireland. I’d be keen to see a few GB breeders make export eligible semen available from some of their best stock rams and possibly ram lambs too. I think for those willing to do it there would be a real opportunity. It would be a good show of cooperation between breeders,” he says.

Seaforde Fergie Time topped Ballymena for Mark at 15,000gns in 2022.

Working mainly on his own, Mark employs help for the busy weeks of lambing, while his mother and father, Amanda and Noel, are always keeping an eye in the background and his fiancé Natasha helps out at weekends. “My nephew Joe is also a great help in the school holidays and is keen on all the breeds we have.”

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