Following on from winning the breed title at last month’s Royal Highland Show, brothers Keith, Allan and Roy Campbell’s two-crop ewe was back out in fine form to take the overall championship at the Texel Sheep Society’s 50th anniversary Textravaganza National Show at Carlisle.
From a catalogued entry of 200, she was first picked out as female champion by Perthshire-based judge Robert Cockburn, who said: “She’s a big, strong ewe that’s got it at both ends. She’s a working ewe but still looks fresh, with that classic Texel head.”
A daughter of the 65,000gns Hexel Django, out of a Teiglum Charmer-sired ewe, she nursed twins this year before hitting the show ring. Two years ago, as a gimmer, she stood champion at the Royal Welsh and reserve at the Great Yorkshire.
‘She’s a working ewe but still looks fresh, with that classic Texel head’
The Campbells bought their first Texels in 1983 and now run 35 ewes in their Cowal flock, based at Drimsynie, Lochgoilhead, under the watch of shepherd Chris Toner.
Robert Cockburn teamed up with the judge of the male section, Jennifer Aiken, to decide the overall champions.
For reserve overall, they opted for the male champion, a ram lamb destined for sale next month from Archie and John MacGregor’s 30-ewe Allanfauld flock at Kilsyth.
Sired by Sportsmans Grand Slam, a 20,000gns purchase at Lanark last year, he is out of a ewe by Claybury Dunkirk.
Allanfauld secures reserve overall win and reserve female title
Topping off a successful day for the Allanfauld team, they also secured the reserve female title with their home-bred gimmer. A daughter of the 22,000gns Plasucha Fireball, she’s out of a Sportsmans-bred ewe by Garngour Craftsman.
Reserve in the male section was the second prize ram lamb, a Hexel Geronimo son from James Porter’s Saltcotes flock in Penrith. His dam, by Craig Douglas Dancer, is a full ET sister to the 30,000gns Saltcotes E-class, which Mr Porter sold in 2021.
Huntly’s Sandy Hunter, who runs the Wedderburn flock at Glens of Foundland, stood first in the shearling ram class with Wedderburn Gucci, a home-bred son of Claybury Dunkirk, out of a Teiglum-bred ewe.
And, the Knox family, of Mid Haddo, Fyvie, received a first prize in the ewe lamb class with a daughter of Sportsmans Grand Slam, the stock ram that they share with the Allanfauld and Garngour flocks.
Then, Logan Knox, 16, a fifth year pupil at Turriff Academy, triumphed in the young handlers section, taking the overall award ahead of the winner of the junior class, eight-year-old Matthew MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, who finished up reserve overall.
Results
Aged ram – 1, Ewan MacTaggart, Rascarrel; 2, Keith and Andrew Campbell, Overburns.
Aged ewe – 1, Keith , Allan and Roy Campbell, Cowal; 2, Steven Renwick, Craig Douglas; 3, Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld.
Shearling ram – 1, Sandy Hunter, Wedderburn; 2, DG and N Williams, Caron; 3, Steven Renwick, Craig Douglas.
Open gimmer – 1, Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld; 2, Boden and Davie, Sportsmans; 3, Keith, Allan and Roy Campbell, Cowal.
Texplus ram lamb – 1, Charlie Boden, Mellor Vale; 2, Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld; 3, Keith and Andrew Campbell, Overburns.
YDP gimmer – 1, James Porter, Saltcotes; 2, Ewan MacTaggart, Rascarrel; 3, Harry Griffies, Cairngryffe.
Open ram lamb – 1, Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld; 2, Sandy Hunter, Wedderburn; 3, Boden and Davies, Sportsmans.
Ewe lamb – 1, WJ Knox, Haddo; 2, Boden and Davies, Sportsmans; 3, Charlie Boden, Mellor Vale.
YDP ram lamb – 1, James Porter, Saltcotes; 2, Craig Campbell, Highfield; 3, Ewan MacTaggart, Rascarrel.
Group of three – 1, Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld; 2, Bofden and Davies, Sportsmans; 3, Keith, Allan and Roy Campbell, Cowal.
Young handlers (10 and under) – 1, Matthew MacGregor, Allanfauld; 2, Alexander Clark, Teiglum; 3, Andrew MacGregor, Allanfauld.
Young handlers (11-16) – 1, Logan Knox, Haddo; 2, Murray Clark, Garngour; 3, Carla Jones, Kitrob.
