Solway & Tyne Texel Sale 2003

REPORT (courtesy of the Scottish Farmer)

The Texel sheep breed maintained its high flying status by smashing yet more breed and UK sheep records at a club sale at Carlisle, on 4th & 5th September 2003.

This time, the breed put its name in the record books for having sold the UK’s highest price shearling ram, when Loosebeare Imp, from Devonshire breeders Bill Quick and sons, Paul, Andrew and Mark, was knocked down for 120,000gns.

This six-figure transaction comes just weeks after the Texel tup lamb, Tophill Joe, sold for the world record price of 122,000gns, at Lanark. Not surprisingly, this second record sale sparked even more heated debate amongst some breeders and commercial farmers over the economics of such a transaction in comparison to the true commercial value of lamb as a commodity. Yet, Steven McLean, chief executive of the Texel Sheep Society, was quick to defend the values, pointing out that this year’s particularly high prices have been driven by the National Scrapie Plan’s move to remove all susceptible genotypes of sheep from the national ewe flock.

“ The sale was a tremendously successful event,” he said. “The demand for Texel tups has grown enormously, not only from breeders but also from commercial men who have witnessed a growing premium for their prime lambs and Texel cross ewes in the market place.
“ However, with less than 20% of the male Texel sheep carrying the ARR/ARR scrapie genotype, there was always going to be an obvious premium for such rams.
“ This has been quite concerning, as it meant that most breeders who would normally have bought some of the highest priced rams were having to form bigger consortiums than they would normally have done, which in turn only increased prices further,” added Mr McLean.

The 120,000gns eclipsed the previous Texel shearling record price of £7800 paid for a ram from Neil Crichton’s Tweed flock, from Loanend, at the Kelso Ram Sales, in 2000.

Loosebeare Imp boasted not only size and shape, but also a tremendous breeder’s head. “He has a magnificent head, a tremendous backend and he is very similarly bred to Annan Braveheart,” explained Bruce Mair, Muiresk, Turriff, who teamed up with Jimmy Douglas, Woodhead of Cairness, Fraserburgh, and John Forsyth, Glensid, Maybole, to buy the ram.

A team of six of the breed’s big guns were the second last bidders. They included Andrew Barr, Parkhouse, Biggar; Gordon Gray, Ettrick, Selkirk; Keith Jamieson, Annan, Dumfriesshire; Jimmy Warnock, Watchknowe, Lanark; Robin Orr, Halbeath, Dunfermline, and Boden and Davies, Woodmarsh, Stockport.

The vendors were probably more surprised by the sale than anyone. “We came to the sale thinking that maybe we should have a reserve of 5000gns on him, but we also thought if we did that we’d end up having to take him home,” explained a thoroughly delighted Paul Quick, who’s previous best sale for a Texel was 4000gns.

Imp is a son of bargain price tup, Summerwood Grand Union, bred by Harry Priestley, which includes Keith Jamieson’s noted Annan flock bloodlines on both sides. Grand Union’s sire is an Annan-bred tup by Craighead Dynamite, while the mother is by Annan Braveheart.

Not surprisingly, the 400-ewe Loosebeare flock, which runs alongside a pedigree herd of 100 Limousin females plus a few pedigree Blondes at Loosebeare Manor, Crediton, also topped the averages league, selling eight shearlings at £16,599.

There were plenty of sparks flying in the ram lamb ring early on in the day, when the Douganhill Farms’ consignment from Castle Douglas, sold to a top of 48,000gns.

Selling at this cracking trade was Douganhill Jeronimo, a lamb brought out by the MacTaggart family — Brian, his wife Janice and their family of Jennifer and David. This transaction also produced a personal best for this 100-ewe flock which, until last week, had sold to a top of 4000gns at Carlisle.
An interesting anecdote of this sale, is the fact that Douganhill does not even own the father of the lamb. The sire, Cornerstone Isaac, was bought privately in Ireland last year by Jimmy Warnock, for his Watchknowe flock. But Brian took a shine to him and was allowed to send two or three ewes to him, which resulted in the 48,000gns lamb. The dam is a home-bred ewe by Cambwell Durie, a tup that has produced 4000gns females in the past.

Forking out the big bid was the father and son team of Matt and Craig Ridley, which also runs pedigree Charolais and Limousin cattle herds at Haltcliffe, Hesket-new-Market, Wigton, Cumbria.

Mintues later, the third top bid of 26,000gns was achieved for Arkle Jaguar, another ARR/ARR scrapie genotype lamb, this time from local breeders, Harry and Carole Wilkinson and son George, Arkleby, Aspatria.

Their flyer of a sale comes after losing 250 Texel sheep in a foot-and-mouth cull. Hence, Jaguar is out of a 1950gns bought in Verity gimmer, by Handbank Fortunatus, which goes back to Ettrick Billy The Kid. The sire is the 4000gns Talcoed Insole, purchased at Worcester.

Again, it took a team of three breeders to come up with the goods — Allan Cullen, Craighead, Carluke; Jim Black, Craighouse, Corrie, Lockerbie; and Doug and Steve Nesbitt, Alwent Hall, Darlington.

Lancashire breeders, David and Jane Houghton, who sold the 122,000gns Texel lamb at Lanark, last month, secured two five-figure sales and the second top ram lamb average at £9581 for four.
They kept the trade alight right on to the end of the sale, when a 20,000gns bid was made for Tophill Jewel, another son of the 12,000gns Knock Impulse — the same sire as the 122,000gns lamb — this time out of a home-bred ewe by Garngour Elite.

Adding a touch of international flair to the proceedings, Jewel sold to Tommy MacTaggart, Rascarrel, Castle Douglas; Welsh breeders, John Morris, Green, Anglesey and Idris Morris, Y Fachell, Caernarfon; and Englishmen, Boden and Davis, for their Sportsman’s flock, at Stockport, Cheshire.
Minutes later, the Scots team of Gordon Gray, Ettrick, Selkirk; Alan and Karen Wight, Midlock, Crawford, Biggar; and Peter and Lynn Gray, Scrogtonhead, Galston, forked out 11,000gns for Tophill Jetstream. This one, another by Impulse, is out of a Baltier Freddie-sired ewe.

On the other side of the coin, Tophill went to the same money for the best from John Forsyth’s Glenside flock, now based at Lochlands, Maybole. This much talked about lamb, brought out by Jeffrey Aiken, is by the 88,000gns former record priced lamb, Claybury Istabraq and out of the 4000gns Muiresk-bred ewe that bred Glenside His Nibs.

Northern Ireland breeder, Alastair Gault, came up trumps for his first time in the sale ring at Carlisle, receiving 11,000gns in a joint bid from Andrew and Kay Watson, Crookholm, Canonbie and Jack Irving, No 6 Stonehouse, Gretna. Top breeding is behind this lamb, named Forkins Jacko. The sire is the 4000gns Haddo Hat Trick, purchased at Lanark as a shearling where he stood first in his class, while the dam, a Sweetwall-bred ewe, is an ET sister to Sweetwall Gigolo.

Two lots came under the hammer for 10,000gns, including Milnbank Jubilee, a maternal brother of the 28,000gns Milnbank lamb sold at Lanark, recently. This one, by the 50,000gns Craighead Hercules and out of a 8500gns Ettrick-bred ewe by Knock Firefly purchased in 2001, was purchased by Peter Woof, for his Stainton flock at Storth End, Kendal and RS and J Bradley, Far Hey, Salterforth, Colne, Lancs.

Helping to finance that transaction, Stainton also sold at 6000gns to George Hunter, Beck Houses, Greyrigg, Kendal. This one, Stainton Instructor, a shearling ram by the 10,000gns Annan Goldsmith, is out of a show ewe by Annan Ygorra. Classy with it too, Instructor also made his presence felt at the Great Yorkshire this year where he stood breed champion.

The pre-sale champion, Haddo Jolt, from Willie Knox and sons Graeme and Andrew, Mid Haddo, Turriff, was the second to hit the 10,000gns mark selling to John Mellin, for his Skipton-based Hull House flock. Securing a third championship win at Carlisle for this 90-ewe flock was a ram lamb son of the 27,000gns Claybury Invader out of a ewe by Muiresk Blondin.

The same sire was also behind a 6000gns sale from Mid Haddo to Hugh Jackson, Boat, Thankerton, Biggar, and Andrew Barr, Parkhouse, Biggar. Haddo Judge is out of a ewe by Glenside Drum Major.
There were more big bucks flying when the best from Peter Richardson’s Skiddaw flock came under the hammer, selling for 9000gns to Peter and Lynn Gray, for their Scrogtonhead flock, at Galston, and Alan and Karen Wight, Midlock, Crawford. This lamb is by Muiresk Forever and out of ewe by Muiresk Exocet.

Dearest of the Group 2 scrapie genotype rams, at 7000gns, was Robbie Mulligan’s Brague Jodami, a tup lamb by the home-bred sire Brague Inspiration, from Banbridge, Co Down, Northern Ireland. Duncan and Stuart Currie, Beautry House, Rathmell, Settle, forked out the goods for this flashy lamb out of a ewe by Harmar General.

Other Leading Prices
Ram lambs:
5000gns — Collielaw Jumbo, by Sheeoch Hawk-eye, from R and M Struthers, to R and J Osborne, Castlehill, Durisdeer, Thornhill, Dumfries, and J and C Hastings, Rosehill, Holywood, Dumfries.
4500gns — Haddo Jaguar, by Muiresk Forever, from WJ Knox, to WG Halliday, Paulsland, Ecclefechan, Lockerbie.
4000gns — Kerse Jonah, by Dinwoodie Iceman, from A Dunbar, to P Richardson, Sandhills, Basenthwaite Lake, Keswick, Cumbria.
3500gns — Goldies Juggernaut, by Clinterty Impressive, from JK Goldie, to the Institute of Rural Science, University of Wales, Wales.
3300gns — Baltier Jordan, by Craighead Hercules, from R Forsyth and Sons, to F Stead, Cults, Whithorn, Newton Stewart.
3200gns — Baltier Jeb, by Muiresk Forever, from R Forsyth and Sons, to I Morris, Y-Fachell, Llanddeirno, Wales; Goldies Jet Propelled, by Clinterty Impressive, from JK Goldie, to G Taylor, Springfield, Station Road, Thirsk.
3000gns — Tophill Jedi, by Knock Impulse, from JD Houghton, to A Gault, 37 Carntall Road, Newtonards, Co Tyrone, and R Henderson, 36 Clooney Road, Tobermore, Magherafelt; Brague Jasper, by Carrowdore Highlite, from R Mulligan, to M Reid, 105 Whitebridge Road, Ballygawly, Co Tyrone.

Shearling rams:
3800gns — Garngour Impressive, by Castlecairn Hadrian, from J and H Clark, to J Hamilton, Silvermuir, Ravenstruther; R Hamilton, High Crewburn, Strathaven and RM Johnstone, Eastertown, Crawfordjohn.