Perthshire breeder Robert Cockburn took home the top title at the Textravaganza national show of pedigree Texel sheep.
The show, held at at Harrison and Hetherington’s Borderway Mart in Carlisle, was organised to offer Texel breeders the chance to showcase their stock following the cancellation of most major agricultural shows in the past two years.
Texel Sheep Society chief executive, John Yates, said the event was a “tremendous success” with a great show of sheep around a packed ringside of more than 400 Texel enthusiasts from across the UK.
The overall champion title went to a gimmer from Robert Cockburn’s Knap flock, based near Errol in Perthshire. By the 17,000gn Sportsmans Cannonball and out of a dam by the 32,000gn Mullan Amigo, she stood female champion before taking the top title.
John MacGregor, who runs the Allanfauld flock with family at Kilsyth near Glasgow, was one of the judges who decided on the overall championship.
Commenting on the overall champion, he said: “This gimmer really caught my eye the minute she came in the ring and had flesh throughout as well as being really sparky and feminine too.”
Meanwhile, the reserve overall champion title went to a gimmer which stood reserve female champion.
Consigned by Messrs Boden and Davies who run the Sportsmans flock in Cheshire, she is by the 65,000gn Garngour Craftsman, which is a son of the record-breaking 350,000gn Sportsmans Double Diamond, and out of a dam by the 42,000gn Knockem Abracadabra.
In the male classes, the champion title went to a ram lamb from David McKerrow and family, who run the Nochnary flock based near Freuchie in Fife.
Named Nochnary Eusebio, he is by the 3,500gn Tamnamoney Dalrida, and out of a home-bred dam by the 28,000gn Knock Banker.
The reserve male championship went to ram lamb, Holtridge El Primo, from David Dunlop’s Holtridge flock in Cheshire. He is by Mellor Vale Dakota, and out of a dam by the 75,000gn Teiglum Younggun.
He later sold for 6,000gn in a three-way split to: Messrs MacGregor, Allafauld; Alan Clark for the Garngour flock at Lesmahagow; and Gordon Gray for his Ettrick flock based near Selkirk.
The Textravaganza national show also included a raffle in aid of the Farming Community Network (FCN) –Â a charity which supports farmers and their families.
Texel Sheep Society events and sales cataloguing manager, Ailish Ross, said the raffle was well supported and more than £2,000 for the charity.
Ms Ross said: “The Society is delighted to have been able to support the vital work that FCN does across rural communities and to have raised such a good amount to help those less fortunate within the farming industry and support the work of more than 400 volunteers that play a part in FCN’s work in providing free, confidential, pastoral and practical support to anyone who seeks help.”