Signet recorded rams dominated the recent national Texel sales, with high index rams winning three major championships.
The champion at the Scottish National Sale was Cowal Saltire (CKC1100271) from the Campbell family. The lamb had the highest index in the Lanark sale catalogue at 428 - putting him well within the top 1% of the breed. He won the recorded class at the Great Yorkshire Show before going on to win the performance recorded class at Lanark, which had over 600 rams entered.
At the Welsh National, Procters Santander (PFD1101004) won the performance recorded ram lamb class and again went on to become the overall sale champion. With an Index of 311, his breeding potential ranks him within the top 5% of the breed.
The recorded class at the English National was again won by a high index lamb, Allanfauld Spartan (XMM1101559) from the MacGregor family, whose index of 357 puts him in the Top 1% of the breed on his Signet figures. However, at this sale the championship went to another recorded ram lamb, the winner of the open class - Cambwell Stewart (LTC1100528) from Robert Laird. This full ET brother to a lamb sold for 28,000gns the previous week had an index of 316 - putting him in the top 5% of the breed.
"The dominance of high index Signet recorded sheep at these major Texel sales is unprecedented," said Samuel Boon, EBLEX breeding specialist.
"It shows that when judging criteria focus on growth and carcase traits the sensible use of performance records can assist in the identification of breeding lines that excel in the show ring.
"There has been a 27% increase in the number of Texel flocks performance recording with Signet this year and a lot of flocks sent their highest index breeding stock out to these early sales.
“The strong demand for recorded rams at these sales was a clear sign that breeders recognise the advantages of buying stock rams with known levels of genetic potential and invested believing that performance recording was going to become even more important in the years to come."
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