Dutch Texels in the UK... and a bit about Belgium.

In the early days of the British Texel Sheep Society, founded in 1974, Texels were imported from France as virtually no Dutch flocks were Maedi Visna accredited. French Texels were broad and imposing and quickly won favour with UK breeders who clamoured to get into the new breed. Exports from the Netherlands began a few years later but by then the French type of Texels had established itself and promoted by importers keen to meet the soaring demand for the fashionable new breed.

Texels from Holland nevertheless became popular with some breeders and these stood out in the UK’s carcass competitions and Winter Fatstock shows: the flocks of Charles Wright, John Kingsley-Heath, Robin Slade and Eugen Ritter were household names in the eighties and nineties. French type Texels however dominated the show - and sale rings and whilst Dutch Texels played their part in improving the shape and refining the wool of the coarser French types. Breeders who use them stay loyal to the type and Dutch Texels are attracting attention at Kelso, one of the largest sales venue of shearling rams in the UK. Meanwhile Dutch breed societies continue to encourage longer and larger Texels and ram measurements for height and length at eighteen months of age have risen year on year. Dutch Texels have increased in size, whilst maintaining their sought after shape and muscling.

The same Dutch type of Texel is also found in Belgium. In 1989 importations started to arrive from Belgium, but in an effort to distinguish these Texels from others registered with the British Texel Sheep Society, a new name was given to them: Beltex.

As someone who speaks Dutch (Flemish in Belgium) it is easy to understand the system which operates for breeders in Belgium. The country has few sheep (so few it has derogation from EID) and no longer are there dedicated breed societies. Texels are governed by the umbrella organisation KHV for small ruminants in the Flemish provinces. The name Beltex does not exist outside the UK; Belgian breeders call them Texels.

 

 

The bloodlines of Belgian Texels are identical to their Dutch cousins, but Belgian breeders keep sheep mostly as a hobby and traditionally prefer a small but extreme muscled type and are slow to change over to the larger type of neighbouring Holland. Most breeders however source their stock rams from Holland and some rams bred in Belgium are used in Holland. Since 2006 when the country’s sheep population was decimated by Bluetongue, imports from Belgium to the UK have all but ceased.

The superior carcass quality of Texels from both Holland and Belgium is indisputable although it is sad to observe the distinct shape and flat top line of some Beltex changing to sheep with longer necks and an uncharacteristic upright stance.