The Beachy Beltex flock
The Beachy Beltex flock was established in 1996 with the purchase of 5 imported ewes from Belgium. The following year the
renowned prize winning ram "shogun" was used on the flock to produce some top quality homebred females. The first 4 ram
lambs were sold that year off shogun at Carlisle to average 1100gns. In the years that followed top imported sires such as "Am
Yer Man" and "Bulldozer" were used to establish a good female line. After the purchase of the record breaking 34,000gns
"Tullygarley Elite", the majority of our main bloodlines were formed and still remain within the flock today. Rams have been
sold to a top of £5000 and females to a top of £4500.
After servicing in the Beltex council for 4 years, I was luckily enough to be elected as chairman in 2014 and have just recently
entered the 2nd year of my term. I have had the great honour of judging Balmoral, Royal Welsh and the Great Yorkshire and
this year (2016) I will complete the grand slam by judging the The Counties and the Royal Highland Show. For me, the number
one quality of a Beltex is carcase but must also have a good shoulder, good length, wide loin and excellent confirmation and must
also be very correct on their legs and catch my eye with a good look, however, I would never take a fancy head if their was no
carcase behind it.
I farm in partnership with my parents Robert and Janet, wife Heather and 3 sons namely Cameron, Finlay and Archie. We have
2 farming enterprises being Mid Brockloch and Cargilston totalling 200 acres with 20 rented seasonal grazing. The Beachy
Beltex flock consists of 75 pedigree ewes and each year we carry out an extensive flushing programme to produce some
strong ET lambs. We run 50 Suffolk X Charollais ewes to act as recipient mothers. The rest of the sheep enterprise consist of
110 Suffolks ewes and 25 Charollais ewes. We also run 200 Texel X, Cheviot and Roussin X ewes along with 75 Scotch Blackface
which are all farmed purely on a commercial basis. There is no beef enterprise on the farm but 150 cattle are overwintering
for neighbours. Farm diversification took place over 2014/2015 with the insulation of a 250Kw wind turbine, a biomass boiler
and 4Kw solar panel system.
Favourite music is Status Quo, favourite food is a nice big fillet steak but also very partial to Chinese, favourite is Golf and
Rugby and hobbies are spending time with my family and socialising with all the great friends I have met over the years in the
breed.
Finally my favourite Beltex moments are winning the Royal show with Am Yer Man, the Royal Welsh with Bulldozer and the
same being reserve with Am Yer Man, being reserve champion at the Royal Highland show 3 times and reserve champion 3
times at the Scottish National Show. Also winning the championship at the Carlisle premier sale in 2010 with Beachy Norman
and finally judging the Premier Sale in 2011.
