In-lamb Texel gems on offer from the flocks of renowned breeders

Consignments will be on offer from local breeders Chrissy & Martin Mullan (Blue Gates Flock), Adrian Liggett & Brian Williamson (Corbo & Farmhill Flocks); John Trimble (Curley Flock); Messrs Bell (Kiltariff Flock), Stanley & Martin Warnock (Straidarran Flock) and guest consignment from Donald and Ross Macpherson’s Hexel Flock based in Berwick-Upon-Tweed.

The Blue Gates Texel Flock owned by Chrissy and Marty Mullan, Limavady, offer up 16 gimmers and four ewe lambs for sale this year. The Blue Gates sale gimmers are mostly sired by Fairywater Columbo. Purchased for 5k, he is a Mullan Armani son, and claimed first place Ram lamb, Reserve Champion and Highest price Ballymena Premier Sale 2019. Columbo is from the same family that bred 9k Superstar, 6.5k Valiant, 6k Yellowstone and Fairywaters 11k Gimmer.

All the Blue Gates gimmers are in-lamb to this year’s new service sire, Annakisha Edan, second Place ram lamb Blessington Premier sale 2021. Purchased for 10,000gns, he was jointly the highest priced Texel sold in Southern Ireland in 2021. Annakisha Edan is a Hexel Born to be Wild son, out of a Hope Valley ewe, who is a daughter of Garngour Alabama and out of a Dam by Vicious Sid.

Adrian Liggett and Brian Williamson, owners of the Corbo and Farmhill Flocks, Omagh, established since 1998 and 2002 respectively, offer up for sale eight in-lamb gimmers and five ewe lambs from the best breeding families in their flocks, including the same female bloodlines as the Corbo Coors Light daughter sold in Lanark 2021 for 13k.

They are all sired by two influential sires, Auldhouseburn Crackpot and Corbo Coors Light. All Corbo gimmers come in-lamb to the recently purchased 20K Alderview Explosive, a Kingspark Dynamite son with the Farmhill consignment offering a select few in lamb to Midas Elvis, a Hexel Born to Be Wild son.

The ewe lamb consignment are daughters of 3K Tullagh Dragon who bred lambs to 5K and 3K.

The Curley Flock of John Trimble, Newry, was formed in 2000 and has strived to produce quality Texels for both commercial and pedigree markets.

The Curley flock offer up 16 in-lamb gimmers from champion breeding bloodlines from the same families as those having bred Oberstown Usain Bolt, Curley Boudicca and Ballyhivistock Dan Dare. The Curley gimmers are mainly daughters of 6K Garngour Challenger, 24k Teiglum Braveheart and 32k Drumbreddan Centre of Attention. The consignment service sires are Garngour Easyjet, a Proctors Chumba Wumba son and Garngour Ewe Joker, a Knock Yardsman son both purchased privately.

This year’s guest consignment comes from the renowned Hexel Flock of Donald and Ross MacPherson based in Berwick-upon-Tweed and in its 27th year breeding pedigree Texels.

The name Hexel is synonomous with background breeding in many pedigree flocks across the UK. Initially attracted to using Texel rams on their cross bred flock the Macpherson’s gradually built their pedigree flock to achieve notable success with Born to be Wild, Lexus and Wildcard who went on to be well known Texel sires to the success of 2020 with their highest price yet for a ram lamb, Hexel Diango selling in Lanark for 65,000gns and taking the top call for a ewe lamb at 20,000gns. The MacPhersons offer up a few select gimmers and ewe lambs, all group one scrapie.

The gimmers are all in lamb to 10K service sire Coniston Equinox a Sportsman’s Double Diamond son. The consignment offers opportunity to purchase from maternal bloodlines to 15K Hexel Apex, 9K Hexel Blockbuster, 20K Hexel Didi, 8K Born to Be Wild, 65K Django and 14K Diamond Joe.

Also featuring among this year’s consignors for their first January Gems sale is Barclay Bell & Sons Kiltariff Flock, Rathfriland. Established over 35 years the flock has enjoyed much success at shows and sales over the years, including NI Premier Sale Supreme Champion twice and Reserve NI Flock Champion in the last 10 years. The Bells offer up six select gimmers from their best breeding families and the same bloodlines as 2.6k Kiltariff Bastareaud. Their consignment comes in lamb to 5K Corskie De Niro, an Ellen Valley Caesar son.

Limavady based breeders Stanley & Martin Warnock offer up eight of their strongest gimmers from their Straidarran Flock. Breeding Texels for 25 years for commercial and pedigree markets, the flock has enjoyed notable success both in shows and sales, with lambs going on to bred for well-known flocks such as Tophill and Foyleview. Their consignment offers up mostly Tamnamoney Casanova daughters and from their best maternal breeding bloodlines including those of 1700gns Eldorado. The gimmers come in lamb to Tamnamoney Decimus, a Procters Cocktail son; Forkins Egypt, a Strathbogie Dirty Dances son; and Sportsmans Dare Devil, a Garngour Craftsman son.

All consignors are well renowned breeders within the pedigree Texel and commercial markets and offer 70 quality ewe lambs and in-lamb gimmers with Texel breed character suitable for those wishing to start a new flock or expand an existing one.

The sale catalogue is available for download from the Texel Society webpage or the Mart office Tel 028 2563 3470. Viewing pre-sale will be available adhering to Covid-19 restrictions.