Charollais and Texel shine in Great Yorkshire interbreed

It was the cream of Devon that rose to the top in the continental sheep rings, with the maedi visna-accredited champion and reserve both from the South West on the second day of the Great Yorkshire Show, held from 13-16 July.

A Foxhillfarm Charollais shearling impressed judge and master sheep breeder Paul Tippetts, Shropshire. He said the red-ticket winner had a great carcass, great legs and carried itself superbly.

The accolade is a first for the Foxhill Farm team, Cullompton, Devon, and capped a first outing to the sheep classes for Michael, Melanie and Charlotte Alford.

See also: Churchroyd takes dairy interbreed again at Great Yorkshire Show

Foxhill Vermin © Tim Scrivener

Shown by stockman Will Price, Foxhill Vermin is fresh from championship success at the Devon Show and comes from an elite flock of 12 Charollais ewes at Foxhill Farms, where the Alfords run a range of sheep and beef breeds.

He is out of a home-bred ewe that bred a ram lamb that made 2,500gns at Worcester last year, and is by Loanhead Triathlon, which also bred the famous Va Va Voom that hit 16,000gns, also at Worcester.

Mr Tippetts, himself a Great Yorkshire interbreed winner in 2018, said Vermin was a great example of the Charollais breed, with the structure and commercial relevance he was looking for.

Texel gets reserve

Auldhouseburn Dynamo © Tim Scrivener

Anthony Carter of Millcroft Texels, Dawlish, Devon, made his £600 purchase at Worcester last August look like great value when he took the Texel championship with Auldhouseburn Dynamo.

Mr Tippets then tapped him out as overall reserve, which also followed a Devon Show championship, making 2021 a great year for Mr Carter, who started breeding Texels in 1991, when he bought six ewes.

Dynamo is by the Hexel Born to be Wild son Uskvale Corker and out of a Rhaeadr Best of the Best Auldhouseburn ewe.