GYS: Scots make their mark throughout the sheep sections

Chris Adamson’s first championship in six years exhibiting here was made all the sweeter by the fact the breed was celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Runner up in the MV accredited section was the Border Leicester two-crop ewe from Tori and Ben Stanley

Supreme champion at the Royal Highland for the 20-ewe Whitfield flock the gimmer, which was also first at the National Show at Stafford, is sired by Whitfield Bombastic, a son of a £1000 Woodhouse ram bought privately and out of a homebred ewe.

“She is a very stylish, eye-catching sheep, and very correct,” said the sheep inter-breed judge Myfyr Evans, Denbigh.

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This two-crop ewe from Oliver Watson, stood Badger Face Texels supreme

“It was very close between the top two, with the Suffolk also being very sweet and again very correct on her legs.”

This was Ali Jackson’s gimmer which was the MV-accredited supreme from Maulscastle, Annan. Champion at Cumberland Show, she was purchased privately from Jed Sharp of the Sharps flock and is sired by Lakeview Logie.

Judge Simon Johns with Stephen Short and Martin Preston from Highcliffe Farm, Halifax with their Hampshire Downs that took the pairs inter-breed

Runner-up in the MV-accredited section was the Border Leicester champion, a two-crop ewe from Tori and Ben Stanley, Derby. Backed by Scottish genetics, she was purchased as a lamb at Lanark from Tom Nelson, Kilphin, and is sired by Knockglass Johnny Be Good.

Hampshire Downs from Stephen Short from Halifax lifted the inter-breed pairs title.

MORE NEWS | GYS: Scots make their mark throughout the sheep sections

Dutch Spotted champion from the Jacksons

A Bluefaced Leicester pairing made up of a homebred gimmer and shearling ram from John and James Graham, Burnbank, Stirling took the non-MV-accredited inter-breed pairs and went on to take the reserve overall.

A Texel duo from David McKerrow and sons David and James, Uppermill, won the inter-breed lamb pairing with the overall champion group of three made up of the winning MV-accredited trio of British Berrichons from Frances and Lynn Barbour, Newark, Sanquhar, who took the reserve overall here last year.

MV champion was the Suffolk gimmer from A Jackson

Blackface

A ram lamb from Jamie Murray and family, Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, topped the section. April-born, he is sired by a £3600 Millhouse and out of a £9000 Wanwoodhill sired-ewe.

Runner-up was a homebred four-crop ewe on her first outing from Peter Turnbull, Kildale, North Yorkshire. Backed by homebred genetics, she is by a son of a £12,000 Shepherds Croft tup.

Bluefaced Leicester

Graeme Jackson, North Yorkshire, produced the supreme among the Bluefaced Leicesters, with a three-shear ewe bought at Hawes Auction Mart from breeder Tom Willoughby, Penhill.

John and James Graham, Burnbank, Stirling, lifted the reserve with a homebred shearling ram. Previously unshown, he is sired by a Buckles tup bought out of Hawes, and out of a homebred ewe.

British Rouge

Retaining her title and securing gold among the Rouge for a second year on the trot here was a one-crop ewe from Ian Teasdale’s Jet flock from Beadlam. She was also supreme at the Royal Highland Show last month.

Sired by the privately purchased Fairyglen Utube, she is out of Knighton Who’s That Girl, bought at a flock dispersal at Carlisle.

Ali Jackson, Annan, took the reserve with a January-born ram lamb by Glenkeen Ace and out of the show ewe, Sunrise You Peach.

The Texel supreme came from A and S Campbell

Hampshire Down

West Yorkshire breeder Stephen Short, Halifax, was crowned supreme among the Hampshire Downs with the shearling ram Westland Imperial – a tup bought privately along with the remainder of the flock earlier this year.

A December-born ewe lamb by Chaddlehanger King Eric, out of an Irish-bred ewe, from Austin Chapman, Richmond, was reserve.

Lleyn

A two-shear ram on his first outing took the supreme among the Lleyns for Alan and Ann Davies, Gwynedd. He is sired by a tup purchased from Richard Turner and out of a homebred ewe.

Brothers Tom and Ian Walling, Selkirk, secured the reserve honours with a previously unshown gimmer by the 2022 Highland Show champion Mullamore Jake, out of a homebred ewe by Whitlaw Floyd.

Ayrshire breeder, Tom Blackwood, bagged the Valais Blacknose champion

Mule

James Robinson, Carnforth, took the tri-colour in this section with his Highland Show champion – a gimmer bred by Neil Marsden, Highberries, that was bought as a member of the first prize pen of ewe lambs at Hawes last year. She is by Highberries Highlander and out of a Swaledale ewe.

Last year’s champion from Chris Hewitt, Tatham, a ewe bought as a gimmer from Graeme Jackson, had to settle with the blue and white sash. She is sired by the N2 Shittlington, and was shown with her two Texel cross April-born lambs at foot.

North Country Cheviot – park-type

A Scottish-bred three-crop ewe from Jack Webster, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, took the tri-colour rosette in this section, with the supreme having been purchased as a gimmer at a Lockerbie sale from Philiphaugh Estates, Selkirk, managed by Alan Cowens.

A previously unshown gimmer from the Stones family, Richmond, North Yorkshire, took the blue and white sash. She is a daughter of Allanshaws Brazilian and out of a homebred ewe.

Reserve non-MV

Kerry Hill

The Highland Show champion from Chris Adamson, Littleborough, went one step better at Harrogate, to win the inter-breed sheep honours.

She is by Whitfield Bombastic, a son of a £1000 Woodhouse ram bought privately, and was also first at the National Show at Stafford.

Runner-up was a two-shear ram from Andrew Fisher, Harrogate, purchased from Will Evans at the breed sale at Ludlow.

Dutch Spotted

The Jackson trio – Ali, Hannah and young Robbie – of the Tiptop flock from, Maulscastle, Annan, continued on their winning ways to lift the supreme with their Highland Show champion.

Tiptop Encore, a homebred two-crop ewe is sired by Tiptop Diablo, a ram that sold for £4500 as a tup lamb, and out of an imported ewe. A red rosette winner from the Royal Welsh and the Great Yorkshire last year, she was also inter-breed sheep champion at Cumberland.

Welsh breeders Dale and Robbie Wilson, Llandrindod Wells, took the runner-up with the January-born ewe lamb Cnwch HD Crème De Le Crème, a daughter of Whatmore Forty Winx, bred from Cnwch Fleur De Lys. She was second at the Highland.

Ryeland

Alison Robinson, Wigton, topped the Ryelands with her homebred three-shear ram, Hawthorns Brown 15 – the breed’s 2022 Ram of the Year, and a son of Hawthorns Victor, out of a Russtam ewe.

Reserve was a homebred gimmer from Anabelle Burton and Tom Wright of Ryeside Ryelands, Hawes. Their entry is sired by Ryeside Zapper and out of a homebred female. Already a star performer, she was best lamb here and reserve female at the Great Yorkshire in 2023, and also scooped the breed honours at the Highland and the Three Counties last month.

Coloured Ryeland

Taking the tri-colour among the coloured Ryelands was a gimmer from Katie and Mark Atkinson-Shaw, Thirsk. Female champion here last year, Coxwold Dior is sired by a Ryeside tup and out of a homebred ewe.

Anabelle Burton and Tom Wright of Ryeside Ryelands, bagged the reserve honours with a homebred shearling ram.

Shetland

Kate Sharp’s Ewingston flock from Humbie, East Lothian, produced a whopping ninth championship win at Harrogate, and a third consecutive supreme here.

Taking the tri-colour this time was the white shearling ram, Highland John Jo, purchased from John Abernethy, Shetland. He is fully island bred.

Reserve was a one-crop ewe from Phillip and Amy Cowan, Bishop Auckland, which was on its first outing. Backed by homebred genetics, she is sired by Wadley Oxo and out of Wadley Mulam.

Suffolk

There was another win for Dumfriesshire breeder Ali Jackson among the Suffolks when his gimmer not only took the breed title, but also the MV-accredited supreme and reserve inter-breed honours.

Champion at Cumberland, this gimmer was purchased privately form Jed Sharp of the Sharps flock, and is sired by Lakeview Logie.

A January-born ewe lamb followed to take the reserve for Jill Tooze, Easingwold, North Yorkshire. It is a daughter of Rempstone Rembrandt and out of a Strathbogie Joe-sired ewe.

Swaledale

Last year’s champion, an aged ram from John Dixon, Richmond, was back to reclaim the title. Now a four-shear, the ram was purchased from Thomas Brogden, Helbeck. He is sired by a Helbeck tup. The blue and white rosette was presented to a homebred gimmer from Amanda and Andrew Bainbridge, Richmond. Previously unshown, it is a daughter of a Andrew Marston-bred tup purchased for £9000 and out of a homebred ewe.

Texel

First-time exhibitors in their own right, Allan and Susan Campbell, Crawlaw, Galston, went straight to the top among the Texels with a gimmer bred by Ben Vernon of the Charben flock.

Sheep inter-breed at Newmilns Show, she was purchased at Carlisle and is sired by Knap Flying Scotsman and bred from a Charben ewe.

Robert Watkins, Hereford, bagged the blue and white ticket with a two-shear ram, purchased from the Loosebeare flock at Kelso Ram Sales. A son of Loosebeare Chief, he is bred from a Loosebeare Vomer-sired ewe.

Jacob

Supreme among the Jacobs was a homebred shearling ram from Ryan Edwards, Eastham, Tenbury Wells. First at the Royal Highland, the tup is sired by Nutwood Quick Form and out of a homebred ewe. The gimmer, Meadowland Little Heather, was awarded the blue and white rosette for Vera Ridout and Abbie and Hayley Higginson of the Meadowland flock. Sired by Luhura Reprieve, she is out of a Dun-mor-bred ewe.

Badger Face Texel

A two-crop ewe that was champion at the Balmoral Show for Clive Richardson, Cleenagh, was champion at Harrogate for Oliver Watson, Drigg, who bought the sheep privately.

Jack Whiteford, Brampton, took the runner-up title with a gimmer bred by John and Bryony MacGregor of the Tamtain flock, Allanfauld, that had been bought at an online sale through Harrison and Hetherington.

Hebridean

A three-crop ewe stood supreme for Darren Cassie, Rugby. Knightley Annie, is backed by homebred genetics being sired by Knightley Willie and out of a homebred ewe.

The three-shear ram, Sparramwood Jive, took the runner-up spot for Nick Fecitt, Sedbergh. It is sired by a Skipwith tup.

Bleu du Maine

Scots made their mark among the Bleu du Maines, when Neil Millar, Lockerbie, took the supreme with the six-year-old ewe, Aviemore Ruby. Bought from Aberdeenshire breeder, Bruce Mair, at a sale at Carlisle, she is by a Perdi ram.

A shearling ram bred by Neil and bought privately took the reserve for Sally Shone, Malpas, Cheshire.

* Champion Berrichon at the show was a three-shear ram from Richard and Jade Bett and not as previously reported in last week’s issue.