The Blue Texel breed is increasing in popularity in recent years and numbers have been building steadily with more and more breeders dipping their toe in the water with the relatively new breed.

The August premier sale in Carrick-on-Shannon is where the best of the best go and it didn’t disappoint last weekend. The sale attracted over 130 sheep.

Judge on the day was Ian Lammie of Cairnrock Blue Texels from Scotland. Ian negotiated his way through some very large classes with his overall Blue Texel champion coming from a large class of over 40 ram lambs. Bred by Clive and Sandra Barnett from Raphoe, Co Donegal, this March-born lamb “Valleyview Greyson” is a Beili Euphoric son out of a Derg ewe.

The judge’s choice went on to make the top price on the day of €2,600. The second top-priced male of the day came also from the Barnetts in the form of Valleyview Griffith, again by Euphoric. He sold for €1,750.

The reserve champion male bred by Martin McLaughlin, Co Donegal, was lot 73 Cashelview Garrison, another lamb bred by Beili Euphoric. He was sold at €1,000.

Reserve overall champion and female champion Blue Texel went to Nigel Hogan’s Diamond Flock with his ewe lamb by stock ram Derg Flintstone selling for €1,000.

Female champion and reserve overall champion from the Diamond Flock of Nigel and Patrick Hogan Co Carlow. She found a new home at €1,000 and is pictured with Nigel Hogan.

Also coming in at €1,000 was a ewe lamb from Francis and Jennifer Donohoe’s Johnstown Flock. This February-born ewe lamb is by Cleenagh Dominator. She had earlier been tapped out as reserve female champion.

The first prize-winning shearling ram went to Declan McCaffrey’s Cracking Flock. This ram is by the now well proven Carly’s Blues Captain out of an imported ewe.

Shearling ram first prizewinner from the Cracking flock of Declan McCaffrey sold for €920, pictured with Shanon Murphy.

Cracking Freddie Dodge sold for €920, with a son of his, Cracking Goldrush, selling for €940.

Galway breeder Kevin Swift showed Swifts Golddust, a full brother to last year’s sale-topper Swifts Fantasy who sold to a UK buyer at €3,000. Golddust was purchased by Cork-based breeder Frank Buckley for €1,250.

Overall Dassenkop champion Powerful GoGo Girl, bred by Philip Crowe, Co Cavan. She sold for top-priced female of the day at €1,900.

In the Dassenkop section, overall champion and reserve overall went to two full sisters, Powerful GoGo Girl and Powerful Gorgeous, from Cavan-based breeder Philip Crowe. These two ewe lambs sold for €1,900 and €1,500.

Champion male in the Dassenkop section went to James Higgins, Co Mayo, for Hurricane Gingerbread Man, with reserve male going to Andrew Lucas’s Barnstone Guinness.

  • The next Blue Texel society sale is in Athenry on Saturday 17 September followed by Carnew on Friday 30 September.