Taking Stock

Females dominated proceedings at last weekend's East of England Show, clinching the overall interbreed beef title, the commercial beef championship, the interbreed sheep championship and the interbreed pig silverware.

Leading the way was Doug Mash's French bred Limousin cow Segala from his family's Brockhurst herd. Imported just over a year a go and shown with her November 2006-born calf at foot, Segala now heads to the Royal and Royal Welsh.

Standing reserve here was the Aberdeen Angus champion, Briston Echo, from Duncan Jeary's 60-cow herd. By Tegnose Pensboy and out of Briston Briarthorn, Echo was also shown with her March-born calf at foot.

Heading up the commercial classes was the Limousin cross heifer Miss Moneypenny from Sennybridge-based Elfed Williams. Brought out by Neil and Sally Lloyd of Black and Blue Show Team, Miss Moneypenny was bred by Andrew Davies and cost Mr Williams £7100.

Among the juniors it was the turn of another Limousin, Ironstone Brandy, from Smtihs of Bloxham's Ironstone herd which led the way. By Unesco, Brandy is out of record price Limousin female Bailea Umandy.

Narrowly pipped into reserve spot was Mike and Jean Dickens' Limousin cross heifer Splash, this one was bred by the Skidmore family.

Charolais cattle captured both the individual and pairs interbreed championships at the rain affected Three Counties Show.

Conditions were so bad that interbreed cattle judging was moved inside, where judge Jim Goldie found himself assessing a Limousin bull he bred.

Having made Shamleys Victoria, an outstandingly well grown Charolais heifer from Mrs Jamilla Robinson's herd at nearby Tenbury Wells, his champion, he called on independent referee Martin Jones to decide whether Goldies Trophy should be reserve champion. The bull he sold to Somerset breeder Colin Hutchings three years ago for 6000gns, was given the nod.

Trading on mainland UK may be held up by foot-and-mouth restrictions, but for Northern Irish breeders there has been no let up in the sales season, with last week's premier Texel sale at Dungannon showing just what the province has to offer.

Leading the way with a 28,000gns sale were the ram lambs. The sale topper, Forkins Nijinsky, is by Douganhill McFly and out of a dam by Knock Impulse which is famous for having sired the highest priced ram lamb in the UK, Tophill Joe for 122,000gns. Bred in Alistair Gault’s flock at Newtownabbey, Nijinsky was purchased by Tom Bailey from Co Meath, Eire.

More prices and pictures to follow......

Here are some more sale results and pictures from last week's Dungannon Texel sale, which was led by a 28,000gns bid.

Second top was a 16,000gns call for another lamb bred exactly the same way as the 28,000gns lamb. By Douganhill McFly and out of a ewe by Knock Impulse, Cherryvale Nijinsky was bred by Alistair Gault's son and daughter Beth and Jack. He sold to John Currie, Danny McKay and Austin Shaw.

Leading Texel and Limousin breeder Richard Oates takes another step towards retirement from pedigree sheep breeding on Saturday, with the dispersal of the adult portion of his Lumbylaw flock, at Billerwell Farm, Bonchester Bridge, Hawick.

The flock, which has been performance recorded for 25 years, came out top on performance across all UK Texel flocks last year.

The on-farm sale is being conducted by Carlisle auctioneers Harrison and Hetherington in conjunction with George F White, Alnwick, where Richard and his wife Marion’s middle son Tom is a partner and land agent and auctioneer.

Texel buyers were ready to spend on the best on offer at the breed’s English National show and sale at Worcester this week and paid a top price of 7800gns – but the trade was selective with around 50% of rams sold.

Two well known names from the north and south joined forces to secure the most fancied shearling ram when Bill Quick and Sons from Devon and Jim Goldie from Dumfries paid 7800gns for Peacehay Masterpiece.

Consigned by Frank Henry Chave and Son, Wellington, Somerset he was breed champion and stood reserve for the inter-breed title at this year’s Royal Show. His sire, Lyonshall King of Clubs, was champion at the Royal Show in 2006. Masterpiece – an ARR/ARR tup – is out of a Douganhill Ferrari sired ewe.

Masterpiece was way ahead on price in the shearling section – the next highest was 1650gns paid by R Fitton, Bolton, Lancashire for a tup from Mrs A Nairey’s Meinspride flock at Blackburn that was champion at the Cheshire Show.

It was certainly a case of “like father like son” last weekend as Texel breeders quickly moved into top gear at Carlisle and produced a top bid of 14,000gns for a son of Cowal Maverick who last year made the same price at the breed’s main Scottish fixture.

The Solway and Tyne Texel Breeders Club’s show and sale at Borderway Mart was a great pipe-opener to the belated start of the main tup buying season and put good sires from leading flocks up for grabs – despite being ahead of the premier gathering at Lanark.

Willie Knox, from those great sheep breeding acres of Aberdeenshire, came south with a smart pen of ram lambs including the eventual sale topper Haddo Neptune.

His sire achieved a flock-best last year for brothers Keith, Allan and Roy Campbell when he was snapped up at 14,000gns by Mr Knox; his first son on offer here at Carlisle sufficiently impressed judge Steve Smith from Welshpool to take the reserve championship.

Out of a ewe by Craighead Hercules, Neptune goes to the Doncaster-based Heyworth Lodge flock owned by Jennifer Lodge.

This weekend marks the end of an era for the East Anglian sheep industry. It has, in the death of noted Texel breeder Chris Lewis, lost one of its true characters.

Chris, known to many as commentator at both the Royal Norfolk and East of England shows, was a true great of the sheep world. With a ready stockman's eye which often carried a michievious glint, he helped shape the Texel breed into the world renowned force it now is.

Indeed, his Edingthorpe flock was the 87th registered in the UK. But, having known Chris for most if not all my life, I know his sheep farming abilities were just a small part of the man who lived at Windmill Farm.

The most memorable part of Chris was of course his sense of humour, who else would have picked the prefix Moulin for his flock of Rouge de L'Ouest? To own Moulin Rouge sheep was the ultimate demonstration of a man who never failed to inject his own brand of humour and wit into any situation.

Beyond the sheep industry Chris was a knowledgeable and skilled cricketer and sailor and above all else a true gentleman.

His loss at the age of just 65 will take many people some time to comprehend, particularly those of us fortunate enough to spend any time in his company at this year's Royal Norfolk Show.

I was lucky enough to be asked to judge at this year's show on Chris' recommendation. For me there can be no greater compliment.

Even in these times of complete unpredictability no one could ever have imagined that this year’s premier UK sale of Texel sheep at Lanark would have seen breeders buying rams in the early hours of the morning with a police cordon around the market.

But that was how the Texel Sheep Society was forced to cope with last week’s sale where, despite the unreal circumstances, bidding reached a top price of 40,000gns.

Auctioneer Brian Ross was almost understated in his comments, describing the day as “totally unreal”. It was a day that saw Texel rams gather at Lanark for the breed’s main autumn fixture –albeit almost a month late – and as well as being plunged into the implications of Wednesday morning’s foot-and-mouth movement clampdown, had to cope with the added panic caused by a vet’s suspicion that a shearling ewe was showing mouth lesions.

The ewe, finally given a clear bill of health after hours of uncertainty, then left breeders and auctioneers waiting for DEFRA’s instructions on what was to happen next. Finally the sale was allowed to proceed and trading began at 7.00pm on Wednesday evening with the gavel falling on the final lot at just after 1.20am on Thursday.

“Not the sort of day you ever want to experience again. Very traumatic for everyone involved but at least we eventually got sheep in the ring and there were buyers there until the end,” said Brian Ross.

For part of the day there was a “lock-in” imposed on the market as police sealed the building, but fortunately potential buyers were already on the premises inspecting stock prior to the sale.

Trade was remarkably strong for the best tups considering the circumstances and eventually bidding went into top gear off for the ram lamb from Jim Clark’s pen that had caught everyone’s eye.

Garngour Nirvana, a powerful son of Hexel Lexus, with superior carcass shape, skin and character, was one of two big money entries from the Clark family’s flock at Lesmahagow. Nirvana (ARR/ARH) is out a dam by the good producer Clynnog Joe Tex. He heads for Malcolm Reid’s flock at Kelso for 40,000gns.

A call of £6000 for a Texel shearling was enough to top the first "virtual" ram auction held at Springwood Park, Kelso last Monday.

The top spot was taken by the Texel Hexel Maverick, from Donald MacPherson, Berwick and sold to Jonathan Watson, Berwick. Sired by straidarran Legacy, Maverick's dam is by Baltier Icatcher.

Last weekend’s three-breed fixture at Borderway Mart brought Texel, Berrichon du Cher and Zwartbles sheep under the hammer with the day’s top call of 1800gns made for the Texel champion that had led the entry in the Solway and Tyne Texel Breeders Club show and sale.

Consigned from the Wardhall flock of Aspatria, Cumbria breeder A Mounsey the lamb is by Cowal Maserati and had stood champion under judge S Symes who runs the Anglezarke flock at Chorley, Lancashire. He strays in Cumbria with G Wilkinson, Aspatria.

Tamnamoney Lynbrook has proved a successful sire for the Clark family’s Garngour flock at Lesmahagow and he came good again with a son at 900gns. Taken by J Mitchell, Stocksfield, Northumberland, this lamb is out of a Castlecairn Kennedy sired ewe.

A strong, in-depth shearling gimmers class caught the eye at the Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders’ 15th annual winter sale of pedigree females at Skipton Auction Mart.

A first-ever championship success at the popular fixture was achieved by Red Rose breeder David Pickervance, Brindle, Chorley, with a home-bred in-lamb shearling ewe that returned to Lancashire when bought for the day’s top price of 680gns by Alec Steff, Burnley.

The February, 2006, victor, Brindle PBD06018, is by Grougfoot Investment II, a regular producer of show champions, out of a Thinacres Captain-sired dam. She is in lamb to Watchknowe Noval, a product of Foundry Murphy’s Law.

It’s been an unprecedented year for Texel breeders but despite being deprived of their big-money headline tups as tempting service sires, buyers of in-lamb females still had plenty of top genetics to encourage them into generous bidding at Carlisle where prices twice reached 7000gns.

The Christmas Stars sale comprised entries from seven leading flocks – Annan, Castlecairn, Cowal, Fordafourie, Goldies, Milnbank and Clinterty – but the two leading calls came for gimmers from Keith Jamieson’s Annan consignment and the Campbell family’s Cowal flock.

One of the first gimmers in the ring from Annan set the trend and was claimed at 7000gns by Malcolm Reid, Kelso. By Garngour Lightening and out of a Knock Impulse ewe, the ARR/ARR gimmer was by the Knock Firefly son Lindstair Nick Nack.

It might have been a difficult year for Texel tup sellers but the big names were back in action again at last week’s Select Seven sale at Lanark where bidding reached 16,000gns for a gimmer shearling from the Cambwell flock of T and A Laird and averages went as high as £2668 for the nine gimmers offered from the Springwell flock of Henry Gamble.

Buyers were clearly here to shrug off the grim days of 2007 and look forward to the year ahead. And it was a gimmer by the appropriately named Cambwell Laird from the Laird family’s flock at Biggar, Lanarkshire that caused the day’s biggest stir.

Bred out of a ewe by Tima Icarus and from the same family that bred the 110,000gns Newhill Major, she was in-lamb to Llangwm Nut Cracker and heads for the Kelso-based flock of Malcolm Reid.

Texel breeders in the market for in-lamb females moved up a gear at last weekend’s Christmas Cracker sale at Carlisle when entries from six flocks produced a good trade for most vendors with the day’s top of 7500gns paid for a smart gimmer from John Forsyth’s Glenside pen.

The bid, from Falkirk breeder A Beaton, Slamannan, helped lift this Ayrshire-based flock’s average to £1051 for 28 gimmers sold.

His choice was a gimmer by the successful tup Castlecairn Keltic Star – already the sire of lambs to 36,000gns and whose progeny have made a big impact in the show ring. The ARR/ARR gimmer was in-lamb to the Claybury Midlander son Claybury Nimrod.

In-lamb Texel shearlings nudged the £300 average when 100 were sold at the annual Scottish Premier sale at Lanark. And it was leading Ayr-based breeder John Forsyth who produced the day’s highest earner selling a shearling from his Glenside flock at 1700gns.

The ARR/ARH genotyped shearling – which stood champion - is by Castlecairn Keltic Star and out of a Claybury Invader sired dam. She was offered in lamb to Baileys Money Maker who stood male champion at last year’s Great Yorkshire Show. Buyer was Mrs C A Jones, Dolgellau.

Robert Cockburn from Perth sold a shearling from his Connachan flock at 900gns to K R Gauld, Auchterader. She is by Durisdeer Lotus and in-lamb to Hull House Nijinsky – a ram lamb he purchased jointly this year for 5000gns.

The bid was matched when the next lot from Connachan – also by the Durisdeer sire and in-lamb to Midlock Nutcracker – was sold to D Gray, Selkirk.

The first shearling in the ring made 620gns. Consigned by David, Isla and Lisa Gray from their Tima flock at Selkirk, the shearling is by Cornerstone King and is in-lamb to the Muiresk Forever grandson Teilo Mathonwy.

Averages: 100 shearling gimmers £296; two ewes £105 and six ewe lambs £182. (Lawrie and Symington).

The great divide that splits Cheshire into two trading areas under bluetongue restrictions once again imposed a two-venue sale for the traditional New Year in-lamb fixture for Texel and Beltex breeders with prices reaching 800gns at Beeston Castle and 450gns at Chelford.

The continued co-operation between auctioneers Frank R Marshall (Chelford) and Wright Manley (Beeston Castle) ensured trading facilities were offered to all vendors consigning sheep to both the North West Texel Breeders Club and Beltex Sheep Society fixtures – although the unrestricted client base doing business at Beeston Castle enjoyed the most spirited trade.

It is worth noting that two north west buyers successfully negotiated with vendors who agreed to take sheep home and to test them under the new pre-movement regulations at the end of the month. No show classes were held at either venue.

The Texel club fixture always attracts a good entry from Selkirk-based breeder Gordon Gray and the need for him to sell sheep through the ring at Beeston Castle this year did nothing to deter the appeal of sheep from his noted Ettrick flock.

Anglesey breeder Harry Evans was at the sale in search of some top class ewes - and the Ettrick consignment had just what he wanted. He gave the day’s top price of 800gns for a shearling by Muiresk Jeremy – a son of top producer Craighead Hercules – in lamb to the Ettrick Jackpot sired Ettrick Nutcracker.

He also paid 650gns for a shearling by Lyonshall Lucky Strike that was carrying twins to Teilo Mathonwy.

Texel breeders with an eye for sheep with pedigrees built on performance recording had no shortage of stock to choose from when Richard Oates put just over 220 head on to the market to disperse the adult portion of his Lumbylaw flock – and they pushed prices to 2600gns.

Moved to Borderway Mart, Carlisle, for the sale, this offering including sheep bred from families produced from 25 years of recording. Lumbylaw, which led the way with performance recording in its Limousin herd, has applied the same commitment to Texels. In 2006 the flock’s performance achieved top UK ranking from a total of over 10,000 recorded lambs.

Top call of 2600gns came for a 2003-bred ewe by Callerton Gleneagles and out of a ewe by East Middle Floodgate. She had a gigot score of 4.99mm and a muscle index of 336 and was the dam of Lumbylaw Kenya who was the UK’s National Index trait leader with a score of 443.

Due in March to Lumbylaw Nelson – a son of the high performance sire Lumbylaw Madras – she goes to Northern Ireland to join the flock of well known Limousin breeders Crawford Bros at Co Fermanagh.

British Texel Society chief executive Steve McLean is to leave the breed society for a career on the other side of the fence with Marks and Spencer.

According to the Society Steve will leave in September and the search for his replacement is already in hand, although any suggestions that candidates will be subject to an Apprentice-style recruitment process appear to be spurious!

The Society's statement from President Tim Heally is below:

"Our CEO and Company Secretary, Steven McLean, will be leaving us in September to take up a position with Marks and Spencer. We are obviously sad to see him go, but clearly this is a tremendous opportunity for him, and we all wish him the best of luck.

The search for Steve's replacement is already under way, and it is the Boards intention to make an appointment as soon as possible. I know that Steve will be doing his utmost to ensure a smooth transition, and in the meantime it is very much business as usual for Steve and for the Society.

The Board is committed to giving the best possible service to all our members and to continue the development and expansion of services that will ensure the Society remains at the forefront of the UK Sheep Industry.

We will inform you as soon as Steve's successor is appointed."

Last week's show and sale of Texel prime lambs at Thainstone attracted a strong entry of 55 pairs.

Judge and butcher Paul Smith of Mason Lodge, Skene, Westhill, selected his overall champion in the form of Ellon-based G L Stuart's 52kg pair of pure Texels. These sold for £120/head (230p/kg) to the judge.

Meanwhile the reserve champions were exhibited by Brian Buchan, New Aberdour, Fraserburgh and these 48kg cross Texels were bought by the Broadstraik Inn, Elrick, Westhill for £120/head (250p/kg).

Averages: pure Texel light - 179.7p; pure Texel heavy - 190p; cross Texel light - 179.5p; cross Texel heavy - 185.5p (Aberdeen and Northern Marts).

Well yesterday was the first time I have been to the Royal Norfolk Show and I have to say I was more than impressed! With more than 600 livestock entered - an amazing result in terms of this year's bluetongue problems - the stock looked great. I'm a beef girl at heart and I have to say that was the best show of beef cattle I've seen this summer.

Taking the silverware home was no stranger to success this year Peter Gooderham and his two year old Limousin heifer Sundale Bon Bon. fresh from her interbreed win at East of England, the Broadmeadows Cannon daughter will now head to the Kent County Show.

Standing reserve to her was the Hereford cow and calf Primrose Gay Maid 1st from B Wyand.

The dairy championships were decided on the Wednesday which means unfortunately we can't bring you any pictures. Leading the way was the Holstein from Robert Paterson's Airfield herd in the hands of Ken Proctor.

Airfield CC Beth is by Calbrett -1HH Champion and out of a homebred cow. Giving 37kg at 112 days into her second lactation, she has currently given 4612kg.

Taking reserve was the Guernsey from Jason and Katharine Salisbury. On Sharnford Marigold's second ever outing, this was the best the couple have ever done int he four years the herd has been established. Running just 30 cows they roduce milk for thier Suffolk Farmhouse Cheeses company.