Spotlight Award Winner 2025
Melissa Buchan of the Clinterty flock, Aberdeenshire, has been named the winner of the Texel Sheep Society Spotlight Award, 2025.
Nominated by the North of Scotland Texel Breeders Club, Melissa stood out from the other high calibre nominees for her depth of knowledge of the livestock industry, alongside her enduring passion for the Texel breed itself.
Announcing Melissa as the winner Society chief executive John Yates said she was a credit to herself and her family, displaying superb commitment to the livestock sector and having a great understanding of how the Texel breed can contribute to the future of the UK sheep industry. “Melissa is a fantastic ambassador for the breed and her commitment to Texel shone through. I have no doubt that, in time, Melissa will be a great asset to the breed and the wider industry
Heavily involved with the family’s Clinterty flock, Melissa works full time as a fieldsperson for Aberdeen and Northern Marts, supporting clients in marketing their livestock to its best advantage. Alongside this, Melissa is heavily involved with the flock, helping her father, Brian, and brother, Gavin, in transitioning towards producing shearlings for the commercial trade, having previously had a focus on breeding ram lambs.The family believe the shearling market to be a more sustainable business model which will suit them better. However, they have enjoyed some great days selling ram lambs, including in 2016 selling Clinterty Yuga Khan and Clinterty Yogi Bear for 60,000gns and 52,000gns, respectively.
Melissa cites the lasting friendships she has gained from her involvement in the Texel breed and Society activities, such as the YDP Five Nations Weekend as one of the biggest benefits of being in the breed. “The knowledge I’ve gained from being around other, like-minded young people has been immense, particularly when we’ve had the chance to visit flocks and learn from other breeders,” she explains.
Other nominees for the award were:
Caroline Hamilton
Scottish Texel Breeders Club & YDP Area A
Caroline has had a keen interest in Texels her whole life, thanks to the family’s Crewburn and Carjasco flocks which have helped shape Caroline’s life to date, seeing her work for an artificial breeding company after studying at SRUC, before going on to work in animal nutrition.
Currently secretary of the Scottish Club, Caroline organised a young breeders event in 2024, giving youngsters the opportunity to get more involved in the breed. The successful day included a number of workshops and team building events that she hopes will become an annual event.
Caroline says the friendships she has made through her involvement in Texels have been a highlight for her.
Ross MacPherson
Solway & Tyne Texel Breeders Club
A devotee of pedigree breeding, Ross’ involvement with the breed stems back his entire life, with the Hexel flock founded by his father, Donald, in 1993.
Keen to develop the flock, Ross says the flock’s greatest achievement to date is topping the Scottish National Sale, Lanark, with the 70,000gns Hexel High Voltage in 2024, this was a dream come true, and a feeling he will never forget.
However, he is keen to push further and places a huge emphasis on both studying pedigree trees as well as structural correctness and flock management. His greatest pleasure comes from seeing Hexel stock performing well for their customers.
Harley Turner
Gloucester & Borders Texel Breeders Club
Having been involved with a number of high profile Texel flocks, including Paul and Anna Johnson’s Corriecravie flock as well as the Boden family’s Sportsmans and Mellor Vale flocks, Harley is currently shepherd for James Theyer’s Clanfield flock.
Harley says it was Paul Johnson’s support and knowledge from the age of seven that encouraged him to stick with Texels, with his greatest achievement being his involvement in bringing out the world record breaking Sportsmans Double Diamond and the entire consignment of Sportsmans and Mellor Vale lambs in 2020.
Recent years have seen success follow Harley, with the Clanfield flock, taking the breed championship at last year’s Royal Welsh Show as well as selling the 30,000gns Clanfield Golden in 2023.
John Trimble
Northern Ireland Texel Breeders Club
John’s passion for Texels developed at nine years old when he attended an open evening with his father. Founding his flock in 2000 with four ewes John has gone on to enjoy great success, taking the novice championship at the Northern Ireland National Sale in 2005 and the reserve championship the following year.
A respected breeder, John says his greatest achievement was judging the Northern Ireland National Sale in 2022, an opportunity he relished.
On the breeding front, John’s highlight isselling a ewe lamb, TYC09016, to the Farrell family’s Oberstown flock which went on to breed the 2014 Sire of The Year, Oberstown Usain Bolt.
Looking ahead John is keen to share his knowledge and passion with the next generation, including his own children, Charlie, Robbie and Annie, and their Cherrylea flock, which is already having success within the show and sale rings.
Barney Richardson
North West Texel Breeders Club
A relative newcomer to Texels, having founded his flock in 2021, Barney has made strong progress, having won the novice class at the English National Sale on his first attempt in 2022 and standing second in the same class in both 2023 and 2024.
Barney got involved with the breed as he wanted to produce shearling rams for the commercial market, as Texels are used as the terminal sire on his familys hill farm. Where Barney works with his father, Neil. They also breed pedigree Swaledales which have sold to a top of 20,000gns.
A keen shearer, Barney shears 35-40,000 sheep a year, conducting his Spotlight Award interview from his winter shearing work in New Zealand and in 2024 won the English intermediate circuit.
Tom Lewis
Shropshire & Borders Texel Breeders Club
Having bred Texels for 10 years Tom is passionate about the breed and producing strong shearling rams for the commercial market.
Having attended the YDP Five Nations Event in both 2022 and 2023, and the Society’s Club Champions Day in 2024, Tom says the chance to meet likeminded individuals from across the UK has been invaluable in progressing his flock.
Running his flock alongside his scanning and shearing businesses, Tom says his greatest achievement to date is winning the championship at the Shropshire and Borders Club Sale, with the Club forming a key part of his involvement with the breed.