The Society’s inaugural Textravaganza National Show was held at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, in 2021 to give breeders an opportunity to showcase their stock in a year when only a few agricultural shows were staged due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The second Textravaganza National Show took place on 6th July 2024 as part of the Society’s 50th anniversary celebrations, with more than 200 head entered, the largest show of Texels anywhere in the UK in 2024.
Full details of each of the National shows can be found on the relevant year tab below.
The Society’s 50th Anniversary Textravaganza National Show took place at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, on Saturday 6th July 2024 and featured more than 200 Texels, making it the largest show of Texels in the UK in 2024.
The show was preceded by the Society’s Club Champions Day and the Summer Sizzler barbeque which took place on Friday 5th July at the same venue.
Splitting the judging duties were Crieff, Perthshire-based Robert Cockburn of the Knap flock who placed the female classes and Wennington, Lancashire-based Jennifer Aiken of the Coniston flock who took charge of the male classes.
Adding another dimension to the event was the Society’s International Visitors Workshop which welcomed Texel breeders from Uruguay, Chile and The Netherlands.
Society chief executive John Yates said the International Workshop took in a number of activities, starting with Textravaganza and followed by a number of farm visits and technical workshops with SRUC and AB Europe.
Alongside the event, the Society has been fundraising throughout 2024 for the Society’s 50th anniversary charity, The Farm Safety Foundation, better known as Yellow Wellies.
“The work of Yellow Wellies in highlighting the need for farmers to take care of both their physical and mental health is vital for safeguarding the future of the farming industry,” explained Mr Yates.
The Society is grateful to the following sponsors for their support of Textravaganza.
Neogen, AB Europe, Lawrie and Symington, D and C Fawcett, McCartneys, British Wool, Farmgene, Wynnstay, Galloway and MacLeod, Ruthin Texel Club
And Official Media Partner – Farmers Guardian
Supreme Championship Presentation
Sharon Watkinson, Neogen – Robert Cockburn – Roy Campbell with Supreme Champion, John MacGregor with Reserve Champion, Jennifer Aiken, John Yates
The Texel Sheep Society’s inaugural National Texel Show was held on Friday 30th July 2021 at Borderway Mart, Carlisle.
A crowd of more than 400 breed enthusiasts watched on as a gimmer from the Knap flock of Robert Cockburn took the event’s supreme championship under judges John MacGregor and Richard Henderson of the Allanfauld and Ballynahone flocks, respectively.
Society chief executive John Yates said the event had been a huge success with a high standard of entries across the board and an excellent attendance of breeders from all corners of the UK.
With the show season significantly curtailed over the last two years due to Covid-19 this new event gave many breeders a great opportunity to come together and enjoy a true celebration of the Texel breed.
Alongside the show, the event also played host to a raffle in aid of the Farm Community Network which raised more than £2000 for this worthwhile charity.