2017 saw the addition of new female and male genetics to the flock. First to join the flock at 9500gns having been purchased at the Solway and Tyne Club Sale at Carlisle was FEB1600408, a Baltier gimmer from Robert Forsyth. This ET bred daughter of Garngour Upperclass is out of a dam by Knock Powerpacker.
Meanwhile, at the Kelso tup sales we were fortunate to secure a new stock tup from the Midlock flock of the Wight family. Midlock You’retheone was bought for £23,000 in partnership with the Brijon and Roxburgh flocks and is by a Midlock bred sire which is in turn by the 18,000gns Sportsmans Unbeatable, and is out of a dam by Douganhill Monarch.
The following November in 2017 we were delighted to be able to support the charity auction at AgriFest South West by offering a Texel gimmer for sale.
The gimmer, AFO1600143, is sired by Courthill Valentino and is a granddaughter of our original foundation female, Ettrick GGH1101166. She was offered having been tupped by the previously mentioned £23,000 Midlock You’retheone. She sold for 2200gns to the Quick family for their Loosebeare flock.
In 2018 we decided to take Midlock Youretheone out on the show circuit as an aged ram. His first trip was to Devon County where he stood reserve male champion. We then headed to the Royal Cornwall Show where he was male and overall champion and then went on to stand interbreed champion. At the Royal Highland Show he won his class and sadly went no further and at the Royal Welsh he stood reserve male champion. He returned to the showing in 2019 where he stood reserve male champion at Devon County, male and overall champion at Royal Cornwall and male champion at the Royal Highland.
In 2018 we added to our genetics by purchasing a new and exciting female at the Scottish National Sale at Lanark. The female champion, a glimmer from Robert Bennett’s Plasucha flock caught her eye and later secured her for 18,000gns. This was BFE1707032, an ET-bred daughter of Eden Valley Wiz Kid out of a dam by Garngour Upperclass. She sold with an index of 346 and has previously stood fourth at the Highland Show and champion at Shropshire County Show. The second day of the sale saw us join forces with John Elliot, Roxburgh and Ken Hodge, Greenarch, to secure the pre-sale champion at 40,000gns from the Knox family’s Haddo flock.
The Plasucha ewe has been shown successfully as an aged ewe winning the female and reserve overall championship at the Royal Highland and reserve female at Royal Cornwall. A son of hers by the 40,000gns Haddo tup stood male champion at Devon County and male and reserve overall champion at Royal Cornwall, while a full sister stood reserve female champion at Devon County.
This was Haddo Balvenie, a Clinerty Yugo Khan son which had previously been champion at the Royal Highland Show earlier in the year and is out of an Eden Valley Warlord daughter and carries an index of 470.
The Texel flock currently numbers 10 ewes which have been on a flushing programme to the Midlock tup.
In 2019 we further strengthened the flock’s sire line up, buying Drumbreddan Centre of Attention at Lanark for 32,000gns. Bred by James Hare this strong, powerful tup lamb is by Midlock Yorkie and out of a homebred dam by Knap Yorkie.