There are few things that Stephanie Dick has not achieved in the beef industry with pedigree Limousin, Aberdeen Angus and British Blues not to mention commercial calves, but she’s also making a huge impression in the sheep world with Blue Texels.
Having lambed her first pedigree Blue Texels in 2021, not only has Stephanie won the champion and reserve breed honours at the Great Yorkshire in 2021 and 2022 respectively, her Stephick flock also lifted the same two awards at the Royal Highland in 2023 and 2024.
Even more impressive is the fact that it was four different sheep that were winning the top awards for this fast up and coming flock, based Mains of Throsk, Stirling, where Stephanie or Steph as she’s better known, farms with her father Ronald Dick.
Notably, three out of the four winners go back to the foundation female Derg Dior, an in-lamb female bought privately from Northern Ireland breeder Allen Shortt. Dior was flushed as part of the purchase deal and the six embryos produced were sent over with Dior, in recipients, for Steph to hit the ground running in establishing her flock.
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Supreme champion at the Great Yorkshire in 2021, at what was in fact Steph’s first time in the show ring with sheep, was the ET ewe lamb Stephick Flojo, bred from Dior and sired by Sunnybank Escobar. Reserve at the Harrogate event the following year was Stephick Fairytale, a gimmer also bred from Dior but sired by Beili Blues Euphoric.
This year’s breed winner at Ingliston, Stephick Her Majesty, which also won the first Scottish National Blue Texel show at Stirling in June and the inter-breed sheep that day, is a daughter of Cairnock Ferrari and bred from Stephick Fairytale.
And, last year’s male and reserve overall champion the Royal Highland was Stephick Hitman, a ram lamb by Cynllwyn Golden Boy, bred from the 4000gns Whatmore Dream.
But where did this enthusiasm for pedigree sheep come from? “Two pet lambs that Dougie MacBeath left here for ‘bed and breakfast’ when I was about 10-years-old and he never came back to collect them,” joked Steph.
“Those lambs – Minty and Monty – gave me a passion for sheep. The lambs never left the farm and I started a commercial ewe flock from them which over the years was built up to about 100 ewes.
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“Initially, the ewes were crossed to a Suffolk ram and we’d keep the best home-bred female replacements and finish the rest off grass,” said Steph who also used Texel rams over her commercial females until she was introduced to Blue Texels and experimented with a Blue ram bought privately from Jason Wareham, Sussex.
“I really liked the colourings of the Blue Texels and they are completely different to anything else,” said Steph.
“The Blue Texels out of my commercial ewes which were lambed inside, were so easy lambed and they were quick to get up and ‘sook’ – I didn’t have to touch any of them. They also had the growth rates and finished easily off grass. Furthermore, they killed out really well,” she added.
Steph was so impressed with the cross-bred Blue lambs, she invested money from her Aberdeen Angus sales in pedigree Blue Texels. Most were bought privately and a few through the ring, but she has always been selective in her acquisitions, purchasing top females from established families for her flock which she aims to keep small.
“I want to breed showy, flashy sheep with good carcase traits for commercial producers and if I can sell to pedigree breeders also, then that’s a bonus,” she said adding, “I mainly sell tups as lambs and have slowly started selling gimmers now that flock numbers have been built up.”
The Stephick flock numbers 15 breeding ewes built up from three from the Derg flock, a Whatmore female bought from Henry Jewitt and a Hunters ewe purchased from Stuart and Wendy Hunter.
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Steph has also purchased three stock rams in recent years – Cairnrock Ferrari bought in partnership with Allan Campbell, Strawfrank; Cynllwyn Goldenboy which is shared with Thomas Illingworth, Glenrock, and Caryls Blue Exclusive from Caryl Howells which she owns outright. The goal now is to produce star studded breeding stock by flushing the best females to the most suitable sires, through AB Europe.
It’s a policy which is paying dividends too given the fact that this fledgling flock has already produced lambs to 2000gns and gimmers to 3500gns in its short lifespan.
However, in contrast to many new breeds which rely solely on pedigree breeders to ensure their long-term viability, Steph is confident Blue Texels are here for the long haul when they produce the goods on a commercial basis.
“I understand they’ll never take over from the Texels, Beltex or the Suffolk, but they are an ‘easycare’ breed that produce good lamb crops when crossed over most commercial ewes.”
“Blue Texels do appear to be the original dual-purpose breed as they make for good, easy lambing ewes that will scan at 200% and breed lambs with plenty of vigour. I can genuinely say that I have never had to ‘sook’ a lamb.
“They’re a good terminal sire too, producing fast growing lambs that finish off grass, and, the breed doesn’t appear to have the health issues of other breeds,” said Steph.
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Such is Steph’s enthusiasm for the Blue Texels that not only is she looking to breed her own maedi visnae accredited Suffolk cross Mule recipient ewes to implant embryos into, she is also chair of the Scottish Blue Texel Club which was formed in April 2023.
In saying that, Steph is also chair of the Scottish Limousin Club and Scottish co-ordinator of the Aberdeen Angus Youth Development Programme – breeds which she is equally passionate about.
“The Limousins will always be my passion as I have grown up with them, but I do also love the Aberdeen Angus, British Blues and Blue Texels when I have started them from nothing and am now producing home-bred champions, also they are mine so the money goes into my account!” smiled Steph.
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With the business stretching to 3000acres and predominately a mixed beef and arable unit, the Blue Texel flock thankfully doesn’t take up much time when it has to compete with farm’s 250-strong pedigree Ronick Limousin herd; Steph’s 15-cow Stephick Aberdeen Angus herd, a handful of pedigree British Blues and 50 suckler cows which include Limousin females crossed with the Blue and Angus to produce store calves and then some Fleckvieh cows used as recipients.
The business also grows 2000acres of crops made up of winter and spring wheat and barley, beans, oats, oilseed rape and Scotch timothy grass grown for seed; and includes a large contract drainage enterprise employing six staff.
However, as a real stock person and with a keen eye for quality, Steph tries to avoid too much tractor work, but at harvest and sowing times you will find her on the big square baler or a power harrow.
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Instead, her passion is being left to manage and bring out the true potential of the pedigree beef herds when she has produced several breed champions at local and national level.
Add in her success in Young Farmers’ stockjudging competitions at the Royal Highland Show over the years, where she has secured the overall beef individual, beef pairs twice and been a member of the winning Glasgow Herald team on no fewer than five times and there’s not much that Steph doesn’t know about beef cattle. That knowledge is fast being transferred across to Blue Texel sheep too.
“Blue Texels are a fantastic pedigree breed to be in when the society is full of like-minded young people who enjoy a great social life,” concluded Steph, who has three tup lambs and three gimmers – one of which is a full sister to the Highland and national Show champion – entered for the breed sale at Carlisle on Friday, August 30th.
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Farm Facts
Family: Grandfather David passed away two years ago and the farm is now run by Steph and her father Ronald, with her uncle Christopher being a partner in the business.
Farming enterprise: Totals 3000acres around Stirling based on 2000acres of cereal, oilseeds, beans and 1000acres of grassland.
Livestock: 250 pedigree Limousins; 15 pedigree Aberdeen Angus; 50 commercial cows; 15 pedigree Blue Texel ewes.
Sales: Most pedigree stock sold at society sales with those not fit for breeding finished and sold deadweight, with commercial calves sold store.
On The Spot:
Biggest achievement? That is a hard one to pin down as I feel I appreciate all my achievements in different ways, but the ones that are closest to me are the wins with home-bred animals – RHS junior champion Angus with Stephick Evora and Blue Texel champion with Stephick Her Majesty. Although winning the Angus at the Highland with Crew Lady Jasmine in 2018 is a personal favourite as it was my first big win.
Best investment? Either Weeton Evora my foundation Angus or Derg Dior my foundation Blue Texel. But my all time favourite is Ronick Voici, the cow that started my Limousin herd and just passed away this year at 19 years – she was the animal that made me want to be a farmer, so I owe it all to her!
What profession would you go for if you didn’t farm? Probably something like an air hostess so I could travel the world, or move to America and be a barrel racer. If I had more brains maybe a vet.
Best beef cow/sheep you have seen? Best beef cow – I have always been a fan of Baileys Ice Princess and Millbrook Ginger spice, two great limousin cows. Sheep – Who knows I’m more of a cow girl – maybe we can ignore that question!
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