Ballyhivistock Texel and Rouge De L’Ouest to hold dispersal sale of adult flocks

The Ballyhivistock name is no stranger to the Texel and Rouge De L’Ouest sheep circles in Ireland and the UK, and it is with great sadness Robert and Christine offer up their adult ewes for sale. Robert and Christine wish to acknowledge two very special charities and offer up the sale of a Texel gimmer to be sold with proceeds for Macmillan Cancer Support and the sale of a Rouge gimmer with proceeds for the Boom Foundation.

The Macmillan Cancer Support is well known for proving physical, financial and emotional support for people suffering cancer and their families. The Boom Foundation remains the only charity in Northern Ireland dedicated to supporting patients suffering from Sarcoma cancer, of which there are over 100 new patients diagnosed each year in NI.

The Ballyhivistock Texel Flock founded in 1991 between Samuel Simpson and his Stepson Robert Calvin. Breeding initially concentrated solely on ram lambs and shearling rams for commercial trade, with the primary objective to produce great carcases and tight skins. Show and sale success after 19 years of breeding led to the first outing to the NI National sale in 2010, where the flock topped at 5,000gns and averaged 2,900gns for their 3 entries. In 2013 the flock sold females up to 2,100gns at January Gems in-lamb sale. Over the years, Robert and Christine built up very good home trade for both rams and females to both pedigree and commercial breeders.

Embryo Transfer work was never undertaken but the intention was always to continually improve the breeding within the flock, with the use of quality rams and recently the purchase of quality ewe lambs from specific breeding lines made in 2022 to expand the breeding genetics, hence the reason the majority of gimmers for sale have been bought in.

The Flock has had consistent success in the NI Texel Sheep Breeder’s Club Flock Competition in ewe lamb, flock and junior stock ram sections over the years. Robert recalls the highlight winning the Senior Stock Ram section with Ballyhivistock Dan Dare in 2021. He was a son of 4,000gn Curley Boudicca and his daughters have bred exceptionally as have his brother, Ballyhivistock Danny Boy, who was also used in the flock. Daughters of both are available in the sale.

Robert and Christine are putting forward one of their favourite gimmers, YZI2302385(E1), with proceeds for donation to Macmillan Cancer Support. A Stonepark Ferrari daughter out of a Sportsmans Cannon Ball dam, with lots of potential, she was purchased as a ewe lamb at Blessington in 2023 from the Hillcrest Flock. Robert and Christine wish purchasers every success with their investment in Ballyhivistock Texel Females.

Rouge De L’Ouest rams had been used for a number of years as the sire for the Texel gimmers and to sweep the main Texel flock. In 2006 it was decided to purchase a small number of females with the intention of breeding pedigree Rouge both for sale and to cross with the Texel to breed commercial ewes. This was very much an enterprise aside from the Texels. Although Robert and Christine enjoyed the Rouge, Ballyhivistock Texels were proving increasingly popular and in strong demand so in 2012 the decision was taken to concentrate on the Texels and the Rouge were sold.

In the interim the few retained rouge ewes were put to the Texel ram to breed Rouge x Texel Females and a small number of Rouge ewes were purchased from Moore Hamilton’s Glengalliagh Flock for the same purpose.

Two of these ewes were sisters purchased as ewe lambs, MAH P58 and MAH P59, who bred and reared big lambs. In 2017 the Ballyhivistock Rouge De L’Ouest Pedigree Flock was re-established with six ewes, including Kinsella Naomi and a ewe lamb, Ruval Tracy, purchased privately from Alan & Ruby Wallace. Kinsella Naomi was Champion at the In-Lamb Sale 2017. George Knox kindly offered the use of the famous Kinsella Nemo on the 5 other ewes in the flock which resulted in a great combination.

The first outing to the Rouge Premier Sale in Dungannon in 2018 resulted in Champion for Ballyhivistock Upperclass, out of MAH P58. The intended lead ram that year was Ballyhivistock Ultimate who sold privately prior to the sale and is considered the best rouge bred in the flock to date and was out of P59, there are a number of rouge females in the sale which go back to this influential line.

The Ballyhivistock Rouge De L’Ouest Flock continued to claim accolades at Premier level notably in 2019 1 st prize open ram lamb and 1 st prize ewe lamb, the ewe lamb, Ballyhivistock Valkyrie, a daughter of Ruval Tracy, stood Champion; 2021 1st Prize ewe lamb, female Champion and Reserve Overall Champion with Ballyhivistock You Beauty and the top price ewe lamb with Ballyhivistock Yvonne, 1,100gns; and 2023 1st Prize Ram Lamb with Ballyhivistock Blue Eyed Boy.

Robert and Christine are no strangers to the show arena, supporting Texel and Rouge classes at their local Ballymoney Show. In 2023 the Rouge Club ran a National Show and as Vice-Chairman Robert set example by supporting as many shows as possible, with a first daunting run out to Balmoral Show. Throughout the show season four different ewe lambs were placed first at different shows, including Balmoral and the National Show.

All ewe lambs were retained and are presented for sale as gimmers, including Ballyhivistock Betty SCY/B11 (UK1730733/01825), a Glengalliagh Your the Lad daughter, who was First Prize ewe lamb at Balmoral 2023 and sells in aid of the Boom Foundation.

Robert and Christine are sad to see the Rouge Flock go. They found them prolific and an easy managed, consistent breed and wish purchasers every success with their investment in Ballyhivistock Rouge Females.

The sale is an EU Export Sale and should provide both established and new prospective new breeders of Texel’s or Rouge De L’Ouest with an opportunity to purchase quality stock from a genuine flock dispersal managed under commercial conditions where no Embryo Transfer has even been undertaken and as such the ewes are expected to have natural maternal instincts and rear their own lambs.