A prominent pedigree sheep breeder in the west of the Province is celebrating three consecutive championships at the Northern Ireland Texel Club’s annual Danske Bank Flock of the Year competition. Now John Foster’s Springhill Flock at Castlederg is the only flock to do so.

His flock will now represent the Northern Ireland Texel Club in the National Flock competition in 2014.

Springhill Texels was established in 1983 with the purchase of three select ewe lambs with the aim of producing top quality tups for the commercial shepherd.

The Flock’s success in the sale ring reached a peak in 2011 and has not looked back since. The sale of Springhill Silverstone, a Halley Pathfinder son out of a Blackstown Milo ewe sold for 8,800gns at the 2011 Texel Premier Sale in Ballymena. From the same pen that year the Springhill Flock sold Springhill Supersonic for 2,500gns and Springhill Superman for 2000gns. 2011 was no exception for the sale of Springhill females with prices topped by the sale of Springhill Sue-Ellen at 4,200gns. Success continued into 2012 with Springhill Supermodel selling for 5,800gns at the Premier sale, while the flock’s top two gimmers realised 3,200gns and 3,000gns and again in 2013 with the top three ram lambs selling to average £1,925 and shearlings peaking at £1,300gns. In 2013 gimmers sales peaked at 1700gns for a Blackstown Rocky Daughter in lamb to Springhill Upwell.

The ethos of the Springhill flock continues to focus on its original aim of producing top quality rams for both the commercial and pedigree markets. The quality of the stock has been confirmed by consistent success in the Northern Ireland Texel Clubs annual Danske Flock and Volac Show Competitions. The flock lifted the Volac Texel Show Flock of the Year award in 2012 while securing Reserve Overall award in 2013. However the flock’s success in the Northern Ireland Texel Club Annual Danske Bank Flock of the Year Competition has yet to be beaten, with the Springhill flock achieving first in the large flock section of the competition in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The flock was awarded 2nd place in the large section of the competition in 2006, 2008 and 2009, while securing Reserve Overall in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2010. The flock has consistently featured in the “Best Pen of Ewe Lambs” in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2013 and the stock ram sections in 2007, 2008, 2009 2012 and 2013. Lifting the Overall Championship title in 2011, 2012 and 2013 puts the Springhill Flock on a pedestal of its own with no other flock in the Province boasting such an achievement. This hattrick sees the flock going forward to represent Northern Ireland Texels in the National Flock Competition in the Autumn.

The National Flock Competition will be held in October 2014, when up to 19 Pedigree Texel Flocks from across the United Kingdom and British Isles will come under the scrutiny of Judge Brian McTaggart of the Douganhill Flock, Castle Douglas, Scotland.