The “number one sheep breed in the UK” is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with the Balmoral Show being one of the first events to kick off celebrations.
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00:00Well, going after the spring and the bad weather that we've had, it's an absolute credit to
00:05these guys, the way they've turned these sheep out today.
00:08Sheep were well-fleshed, they were well-grown as well, and now they're a credit to the exhibitors
00:15today.
00:16The first imports came in in the early 70s, and the imports were brought in to improve
00:21the carcass on the commercial lamb, and they certainly did that in a massive way.
00:28In the latter years, the taxel hasn't just been used to produce the butcher's lamb, it's
00:34actually been used now to produce females as well that can go on to another terminal
00:38sire and produce a commercial lamb in turn as well.
00:44There has been a change.
00:47The main reason the breed was brought in was for carcass, not so much worrying about characteristics
00:52or anything like that, but over the years, that side has changed, and as it's important
01:00to keep the carcass side, it's also, especially for the show ring, to find them sheep with
01:06that slightly bit more character through their heads and ears.
01:10Ballin' Whirl is obviously, it's the first royal show of all the royals in the Northern
01:16Ireland and the mainland, and it's a great way to start the celebrations over what I
01:22call back home, because I originate from here, and it just gets everybody out, it gets all
01:27the breeders out, especially this year after such a hard spring, and it's just a great
01:32way to start the show season off here at Ballin' Whirl Show.
01:35Well, currently the taxel is the number one sire in the UK by quite a margin, and as long
01:42as we continue to look after the commercial side, as in breeding sheep that can produce
01:49very good, fast-growing, quality lambs for the butcher shop, then the future's always
01:54going to be bright for the taxels.
01:57The wife and the kids have got their own flock, and the kids are seriously big into the show,
02:02and getting out, it's all for the young ones, to get out, showing these sheep, meeting new
02:09people and picking up new ideas, and yeah, it's all for the young ones, really.