Texels were once again to the fore at the 2011 English Winter Fair

Texels were once again to the fore at last weekend’s English Winter Fair, with Steve and Sara Gibbons, Hay-on-Wye, taking the supreme championship with their pair of 51kg Dutch Texel lambs. These homebred lambs had won the Texel class before going on to take the overall championship under judge Martin Brown, Bedale. Mr Brown went on to buy the lambs at £590/apiece (£11.39/kg).

Supreme Champions with Sara (l) and Steve Gibbons (r), with sponsor Alan Philips of Blue Merle and judge Martin Brown

And there was further success for the breed in the butchers’ lambs classes at the event too, with Robin Slade (Weekfield) taking first place in four of the six classes with homebred Dutch Texel sired lambs from his 400-ewe flock at Leominster, Herefordshire.

The breed continued the winning ways in the carcass competition too, with Owen and Anne Beresford (Hollyfields), taking both the championship and reserve championship with Dutch Texel sired lambs. Champion was a 24.1kg carcass, while reserve was another heavyweight, a 25.8kg carcass. These sold at £10/kg and £10.30/kg, respectively.

Congratulating the winning exhibitors on their success Texel Sheep Society chief executive John Yates said it was a mark of the breed’s adaptability that it continued to stay at the forefront of these events. “British Texels have constantly adapted to fit commercial producers’ needs since their first importation in the 1970s.

“Dutch Texels continue to play an extremely important part of in our breed’s success and their inclusion in the flock book is a great asset. A suitable blend of phenotype is essential to meet markets requirements both now and in the future and British Texel breeders are well positioned for this challenge.”

And members of the Derbyshire Texel Breeders Club helped out a good cause at the event by selling homemade cakes on the Society stand. The Club raised a total of £314.42 for The Cerebral Palsy charity during the show.

Mr Yates also reminded Society members that they can apply to have their entry fees rebated by the Society for the leading primestock events across the UK.