Meet the young Texel breeder who's making a difference in the industry

A young Texel breeder from South Australia has had his efforts recognised by the national sheep industry.

Troy Julyan, Manoora, SA, who established his own Texel stud, Dlorrah Park, received the 2025 Young Champion Award at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show.

Mr Julyan said the name of the stud was a nod to his late grandfather.

"When I was looking for a name for my stud, I thought of flipping his last name," Mr Julyan said.

"Dlorrah is 'Harrold', my grandfather's last name, spelled backwards.

"I was on the farm with him as much as I could be.

"He passed away a couple of years before I started the stud."

In 2019, at 19-years-old, Mr Julyan bought his first selection of 12 ewes from Texel studs Tullamore Park, Mertex, Newbold and Illawong.

Since then, he has become president of the South Australian Texel Association and has seen his flock grow to 35 purebred Texels.

He also has an interest in the overseas stud market, exporting his ewes and rams to Malaysia and India.

At the ASWS, Mr Julyan won champion ram, as well as reserve champion ram and ewe for the Texel breed.

The Young Champion Award aims to identify talent under 35-years-old in the agriculture industry.

He said receiving the award at the largest sheep show in Australia was exciting.

"It was pretty exciting, and then I exhibited my Texels the next day, so it was a big high all round," he said.

"I've been wanting to win a champion ribbon at the biggest sheep show in Australia."

Growing up, Mr Julyan said he spent a lot of time with his grandfather on his family's Merino sheep farm in Penwortham, SA.

He said he entered the sheep industry when he received five Merino ewes from his grandfather.

"I leased them and then their lambs, and then gave the original ewes back," he said.

"I was 16 and that was my first step into the world of sheep.

"I've grown up with and around sheep all my life and continued to have a passion for them."

Mr Julyan said he was drawn to breeding Texels due to their demand in overseas markets.

"I think they're the best breed with some of the best scanning data," he said.

"I might look at the embryos from the reserve champion ewe and continue that export market overseas.

"One day down the track, it would be nice to import some new semen from overseas, but it's difficult to do that at the moment with all the biosecurity restrictions.

"It would be pretty cool if we could open up some new genetics and a new profile."

Since 2019, Mr Julyan has been a regular exhibitor at shows, including the ASWS, with the aim of promoting the Texel breed and getting younger people into stud breeding.

"There's definitely room there to sell more rams and be more focused on the carcase, which you'll find through the Texel," he said.

"But getting out and showing and making a presence in the showring will drive that."