Dedicated to the best of Texels at Tamnamoney Roger Strawbridge - Coleraine, Co Londonderry
C
ut Roger Strawbridge in two and like a stick of rock he’d read Texel across the centre. A dedicated and successful breeder for 30 years, this Northern Irishman shows no sign of resting on his laurels just yet.
“Neither of these have done the flock any harm at all and it’s always pleasing to see our genetics performing for other breeders,” adds Roger who farms with help from his wife, Barbara, and daughter, Ivanna.
Founded off the back of four ewe lambs, three of which were gifts for his 21st birthday and the fourth purchased by himself at the same time, the Tamnamoney flock is without doubt one of the province’s leading outfits, being behind three Scottish National Sale top prices since 2010.
However, success for Tamnamoney stock isn’t restricted to recent years, with Roger making his first trip to Lanark back in 1997 when, on the advice of fellow breeder Victor Chestnutt, he headed across the water with Tamnamoney Dollar. “Victor told me he was good enough for Lanark. I wasn’t sure myself, but when Victor told me I got him entered and away we went.
“I’ve not yet got to the top of the tree at Lanark myself yet and don’t know if I ever will, but breeding the sires of two sale toppers is a pretty satisfying feeling,” says Roger who has also bred the dam of a Lanark topper. The first of these sale leaders with a Tamnamoney sire was Forkins Rocksolid at 65,000gns, with this one being a Tamnamoney Ned son, while the second was until last year the second highest priced Texel ever sold, Knap Vicious Sid. This 145,000gns sale leader was by Tamnamoney Tuborg Gold.
“He went on to sell for 1200gns which at the time was good money and I was over the moon. When I came out of the sale ring I rang my dad who was in Australia visiting my sister to tell him as it was his idea to start the flock initially. “I went back again in 1999, selling Tamnamoney Finegan at 2800gns to John Forsyth at Glenside. That was a fantastic feeling and really set me on my way. I went back again the following year and sold Tamnamoney Guinness at 2200gns.” Roger has been back to Lanark with lambs almost every year since then, hitting 22,000gns in 2005 with Tamnamoney Lynbrook with this Castlecairn Kennedy son being the flock’s top price to date. “Recent years have been equally as successful with Tamnamoney Bushtown at 10,000gns in 2018, Tamnamoney Colt 45 at 10,000gns in 2019, and two at 8000gns in 2020 in the form of Tamnamoney Dodger and Decimus. Prior to that came Tamnamoney Ultimate at 8000gns in 2013, with Tamnamoney Young Willie McBride at 9000gns in 2016.” Alongside this strong tup trade Roger also targets the inlamb gimmer trade, being a founding flock for the successful Northern Stars Sale, Ballymena. “This has grown in to a great sale for all vendors and has really helped put Northern Irish Texels on the map. We sell between 15 and 20 in-lamb gimmers a year at Northern Stars and it’s a great way to increase income for the flock, with gimmers selling to a top of 11,000gns.” Lifestyle
38 Spring 2021
texel.uk
