Canada was the original home to the Bluefaced Leicester in North America thanks to the efforts of Dr. and Mrs. Brian Nettleton of Nova Scotia , the UK Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders Association, and the Raine family and their OLD PARK flock which provided the pedigreed stock for the two North American bound exports in the 1970's.

In recent years Canada has been devoid of any Bluefaced Leicester flocks; with many sheep producers and fiber enthusiasts scouring the Providences for any source of breeding stock or fiber. The border between the USA and Canada has been closed for quite a few years to livestock movements due to several global and regional outbreaks of diseases. With the recent re-opening of the border between the USA and Canada for breeding quality sheep, there is a surge of Bluefaced Leicesters headed north across the border.

The first two Canadian flocks have already been established, one in Ontario , the other one in Alberta . The keen interest in the USA 's Bluefaced Leicester is due largely in part to the improvements seen in several major USA flocks from the use of imported UK Bluefaced Leicester semen. From the original Old Parks beginnings, contributions of several well known UK flocks have rapidly upgraded and modernized the USA Bluefaced Leicester. All of the newly exported breeding stock are F1 and F2 progeny from UK sires carrying such names as Barlaes, Hazelwood, Eskley, CarryHouse, Cocklaw, Rossiebank, Walton, Teviot, and Beeston in their pedigrees.

There are several more USA export – Canadian imports planed, which should be approved and completed within the next month. The newly formed Canadian flocks are already experiencing very positive responses to the news in the way of reservations on next seasons lamb crop and wool clip.

If this wasn't enough “Great News!” for the Bluefaced Leicester in North America: A recent tour group of USA sheep producers traveled to the UK with scheduled stops at the Scottish Agricultural College, several very well known farms, and North Sheep 2007 as their final sheep related stop on the tour. Members of the tour were quite impressed with the UK scheme for producing grass fed lamb and utilizing the Bluefaced Leicester to sire commercial Mule ewes.

In the USA there has been a small grass roots effort (pardon the pun) of educating and exposing the market lamb producer to the benefits of utilizing the UK sired progeny in their efforts to produce a fast growing, small carcassed lamb on grass vs. the traditional large framed, grained finished lamb. This founding group is known as the North American Mule Sheep Society (NAMSS – www.MuleSheep.com ). NAMSS with its forward thinking members actively promote grass fed lamb with informational booth displays and sheep on stand at sheep events across the country. Their hard work and efforts are being rewarded with increased interest in their sheep and their finished product.

There may be a Bright Blue future for the Bluefaced Leicester in North America too!

Thank you to all those UK sheep producers who have been supportive of our needs and efforts.

Kindest Regards,

Bluefaced Leicester Breeders Association, BFLBA.com

Brenda C. Lelli, Beechtree Farm, Coopersville , Michigan, USA

The Bluefaced Leicester Union of North America (BLU) has published its premier flock book, beginning with the 2005 registrations. Borrowing liberally from the UK flock book format, with additions of breed information & a detailed listing of the first influential UK sires, it is a good beginning.

In 1997 Deb Gourley, Elite Genetics, visited the UK and got the project underway for semen importation under the Elite Genetics permit. A small group of USA breeders put up the money to fund that importation. That first lamb crop was on the ground in 1998. In response to that major infusion of new genes, BLU was founded to provide a proper registry for the breed, promote the breed and the breeders. By 2005 it was felt a void existed in regard to information readily available to breeders and prospective buyers on the backgrounds of various flocks and individual animals. This flock book will meet that need.

There will be an annual publication of flock books, striving to keep the Bluefaced Leicester information accessible to all. BLU is proud of the UK origins of the breed and eagerly look forward its future in the USA sheep industry.

From the UK to the USA:
The Lower Heights Farm Flock Book Collection: Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders' Association Flock Books, Volumes 1 to 42

This collection represents a “passing of the torch” from the United Kingdom , home of the Bluefaced Leicester breed, into the hands of a new generation of committed breeders in the United States . It is a record of a period in the history of the breed; a great body of information – partial pedigrees, photographs, owners, farms, contact information – passed into the hands of a new generation of Bluefaced Leicester breeders. We are very thankful for this unique opportunity, as we continue on our own path, a different branch of the parent tree.

The collection was purchased in early 2006 from Thomas and Dorothy Armer of Lower Heights Farm, Clitheroe, Lancashire . In deep appreciation of the opportunity to acquire this collection, it is being dedicated to them, in honor of their recent retirement from farming, and for their 30 years of involvement with the Bluefaced Leicester breed. The collection is privately owned by Kristen Barndt of Reveille ( Pennsylvania ), and Kelly Ward of Ward Farms ( Michigan ), and it is on long-term loan to the Bluefaced Leicester Union of North America (BLU).

We feel that the information contained within these books will assist in updating pedigrees and tracing bloodlines, and allow US breeders to contact more UK breeders with the goal of selecting rams for importation. It is our hope that we may build new and lasting relationships with many BFL breeders in the UK .