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Chairman’s Foreword

A s I sit here progressive technologies to continue to
on a cold,
meet these needs and focus on the most
wet snowy important commercial and functional traits.
January evening,
having attended the I was very proud to accept the position of
last of the in-lamb Society Chairman at the Society’s AGM &
sales at Longtown, Social weekend co-hosted by my own local
I find myself club, Northern Area Texel Breeders, held
reflecting on how I at Oulton Hall, Leeds, in November, it was
got here. a tremendous weekend and thoroughly
enjoyed by all that attended.
The journey started in 1991 when I
purchased my first Texel females. Little did My thanks go to our retiring chairman David
I know or even dream that 27 years later I McKerrow for all the work he has put in
would, or even could, be Society chairman! over the last two years. I don’t think many
Chairman’s Foreword
It is a little daunting to look back at the past people know or realise that not only was he
chairmen, whom I hold in great esteem and chairman of Texels he was also chairman of
to think that I now take up that mantle. BASCO, which was not an easy remit.
The role of Society chairman has changed May I also extend my immense thanks to
significantly over the years, as has our all the staff at Stoneleigh and welcome on
unmatchable breed of sheep which has board Ailish and Christine and our new
developed to meet different criteria and the director on the board, Dafydd Jones.
demands placed on it by the market place.
The Society and us individual breeders, have It is the greatest honour for me to be able
also learned to adapt with the changes to to represent each and every one of our
our environment to keep in time with this members as chairman of the Society. I will
ever changing industry. do my best to fulfil the role to the best of
my ability.
I am pleased to say that, with the guidance
and governance of the present board Steve Richardson
of directors and particularly our chief Chairman
executive, John, the Texel breed is keeping up
with scientific progress. The R&D projects
we are involved in mean we are leading the
field in all breeds and the sheep industry as
a whole.

Back to the start of this article, I continue to
be encouraged by the desire and hunger at
sales whether it is ‘in-lamb sales’ or ‘National
sales’ of ram lambs, shearling rams or club
sales. Buyers continue to be prepared to go
texel.uk
to ever greater financial lengths to purchase
the best genetics available to them.
With this in mind, we must also, as breeders,
be prepared to adapt and move with

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