This is a subscriber-only article
The farm: “I run a mixed suckler and sheep unit on 163 acres of grassland, of which 143 acres are owned and the rest is rented. The suckler herd consists of 40 spring-calving cows, with the male cattle finished as steers. An additional 20 heifers are purchased as weanlings and taken through to slaughter. Our sheep enterprise consists of 160 commercial ewes, with lambs sold through Tesco. I also run 60 pedigree Texel ewes under the Springwell prefix.”
Family farm: “The farm is very much a family affair with my wife Alice and son Robert involved. In the past, there has been some casual labour to help out during busy periods. However, Robert has just finished his final year at college and is coming home to farm full-time, which will be a big help going forward.”
Pedigree breeding: “Our Texel flock was established by my father in 1977 after seeing a feature on the breed in the Irish Farmers Journal, so we have been breeding Texels for over 40 years. Our flock is the oldest Texel flock in Northern Ireland. We sell most of our breeding animals through the society’s club sales. We are not located in a prime sheep farming region, so only a few rams are sold direct from the farm.”
Showing at Balmoral: “We have been showing sheep at Balmoral Show since the early 1980s, missing just three shows during this time. We have six sheep entered for the show this year, with two shearling rams, two gimmers, one ewe and a ewe lamb. Robert and I will both show sheep and it is a team effort.”
Highlights: “We have won a few championships over the years. Along with showing sheep, I have been fortunate to carrying out judging duties at the Royal Welsh and Highland shows, as well as the premier Texel sale held in Blessington.”
Quotable quote: “It is better to breed animals that are consistently good every year, rather than producing a show-stopper every now and then.”
SHARING OPTIONS: