Scots star at the Great Yorkshire Show

“It was very close between the Beltex and the Cheviot, but the Beltex is full of breed character with a tremendous eye and she is a great handler. The Cheviot is also very sweet and so correct on her legs,” said Mr Wight, who breeds Blackface, Texel, Bluefaced Leicesters and Scotch Mules at Midlock, Crawford.

Show stopper was the Buckles family’s one-crop ewe from Buckles Farm, Kirkby Stephen, that was bought at Carlisle, last year at Ted Fox’s College dispersal for 8500gns.

She is by a Kingledores sire and first won the terminal sire section ahead of the Texel winner, a tup lamb from David McKerrow and sons David and James, Nochnary.

The reserve was Claire Guy and her mother Ruth from Richmond. Bagging the big one for the 12-ewe Warrenwoods flock was a home-bred gimmer by a Hownam Grange sire.

Texels and North Country Cheviots again made their presence felt in the inter-breed pairs, winning the champion and reserve.

The Texels comprised of two lambs, the champion from Nochnary, and the female leader from Charlie Boden’s Sportsmans flock from Stockport.

Reserve supreme was the Northie duo, made up of the champion and the top male, a two-shear ram from the Thomsons, Hownam Grange.

Second reserve individual was Percy Tait’s massive Rouge tup, a home-bred shearling ram by a home-bred Knighton ram, from the Worcs-based flock.

Any other continental breed Dutch Spotted sheep well and truly made their presence felt for their debut in the show ring at the Yorkshire, winning two of the top four awards including the supreme overall.

That was Andrew and Pam Parker’s gimmer from Lockerbie, that was imported from the Netherlands, last year. She is by a Dutch sire and stood third at Northumberland Show.

Pam, who is breed secretary of the Dutch Spotted Sheep UK, also picked up lead male accolade with an imported shearling ram, also by a Dutch sire. It was second at Northumberland.

Greenside Onyx, a Millennium Bleu gimmer from Laine Daff, Uplawmoor, Renfrewshire, triumphed to notch up the reserve. Third at Ayr, this home-bred female is by a Calla Beltex sire and out of the Bleu Du Maine ewe, Greenside Katy.

Beltex A BUMPER show of Beltex saw the top two awards go to Scottish-bred sheep.

Show stopper and inter-breed sheep was the Buckles family’s one-crop ewe that was bought last year at Ted Fox’s College dispersal at Carlisle, for 8500gns. Placed at the Highland, this ewe from Kevin and Rachel Buckle and sons Jack and Tom, Buckles Farm, Kirkby Stephen, is by a Kingledores sire that bred the 2016 Highland Show champion. She was producing a third breed title here for the 100-ewe Buckles flock that runs alongside the boys’ 20-ewe Broxty flock.

The male champion from Claire and Andrew Wood, Preston, followed to lift the reserve overall. This was Cree Action Man, the shearling ram that was bought at Carlisle, last year for 13,000gns from Allan and Jane Campbell, Carsewalloch, Newton Stewart. First at the Highland as a tup lamb, he was on his first outing since the sale.

Second best male was a tup lamb by the 60,000gns Topflight Appachino from Paul Tippetts and Christine William’s Hackney flock from Wolverhampton, while the equivalent amongst the females went to a gimmer from Henry Jewitt’s Jewitt’s flock from Barnard Castle.

Berrichon Scottish breeders, Arabella and Alana Johnston may not have won the supreme title, but they did take the top female and reserve overall honours with a home-bred three-crop ewe.

Their star winner was a daughter of the home-bred Kirkton Jupiter, a former male champion at the Great Yorkshire and the Highland in 2011, out of a home-bred ewe that goes back to Kirkton Mercury, a previous breed leader at Ingliston.

Bluefaced Leicester JUDGE John Dykes had his work cut out for him in the busy Blue ring which comprised traditional and crossing-types, presenting the tri-colour to Caitrina Ward’s one-crop ewe from Whitby.

Producing a first breed championship for this seven-ewe Kimrina flock, was a Midlock-bred female bought at Carlisle, from Allan Wight for 1700gns. She sold carrying triplets, of which one won the ewe lamb class.

The next best female followed to take the reserve overall for Scott Thomason, who triumphed here last year and in 2015. His home-bred gimmer is by an F9 Myfryn sire bought at Carlisle, and out of a ewe by the Z1 Hazelwood. She stood first here last year for the flock from Barrow-in-Furness.

John Stott’s Laund flock from Chipping, Preston, was also in the tickets, winning the top two amongst the boys. Supreme was as a shearling ram bought at Kelso last year from James Nisbet, Sorn. He is by a G2 Marriforth sire and was on his first outing since.

Runner-up was a tup lamb by a Dalpeddar sire.

Charollais First-time exhibitors, Russell and Margaret Gray, Langside, Kirkfieldbank, had a holiday to remember when they scooped two of the top four awards.

The couple who opted to have a week’s holiday for the Yorkshire, went straight to the top, winning the supreme with a home-bred gimmer by Oakchurch Ozil – the tup that won the inter-breed sheep championship at the Highland in 2015 and also made up part of the winning pair the same year for the couple. She is out of a home-bred ewe by Banwy Moonshine and was placed at the Highland.

The Grays, who took four sheep to the show which all won red tickets, also picked up the reserve female honours with a one-crop ewe by the same sire. Reserve female at the Highland last year, she is out of a ewe by Logie Durno Lynchpin.

Best amongst the boys was David and Jonathan Norman’s three-shear home-bred ram from the Cockermouth-based Kirkhouse flock. He is the result of an in-lamb ewe bought from Tim Pritchard, that was bought at Welshpool, which changed hands due to Castellau Lord of The Manor. He was reserve male here as a lamb, and inter-breed champion at Cockermouth, last year.

Jacob Linlithgow breeders, Gordon Connor and Scott Dalrymple, made their presence felt amongst the Jacobs, taking three of the top four awards back across the Border for the second year in succession.

The duo, who run 60 ewes in their Dun-Mor flock, saw their supreme from last year, Dun-Mor Ace, a three-shear ram take the tri-colour. This massive tup which stood champion at the Highland, is by Edingale Harlem and out of a Pentranent ewe. Not just a handsome chappie either, he was also the sire of the reserve male, Dun-Mor Corker, a tup lamb out of a home-bred ewe that stood first in his class at Ingliston.

Female champion and reserve overall was a gimmer that the team bought privately at the Black Isle Show last year from Cath Urquhart. She is by Greenlands sire and was placed at the Highland.

Lleyn THERE were plenty of celebrations in the Walling camp, when brothers Tom and Ian – who was celebrating his 32nd birthday – won two of the top four awards in the Salers and Lleyns.

Their top award came with a home-bred one-crop ewe that scooped the female and and overall championship for the 1000-ewe flock from Over Whitlaw, Selkirk. She is by a Nelless sire bought at Carlisle in 2012 for 1600gns and was a regular winner as a ewe lamb before taking the reserve overall title at last year’s Highland.

The duo also lifted the blue and white sash amongst the females with a home-bred gimmer that stood female champion at the Ingliston event. She is by a Dylan Jones-bred ram bought at Builth.

A four-shear ram bred by Robert Johnstone, Falkirk, was male champion and reserve overall for Welsh breeder, Wyn Davies. He picked up the same award at the Royal Welsh, last year NCC A GIMMER from Claire Guy and her mother, Ruth, went all the way to lift the top ticket in the Northie lines and the following day secured the reserve inter-breed honours.

Producing a first supreme here for the small Warrenwoods flock from Richmond, owned by nurse Claire Guy but run by Ruth, was a daughter of a Hownam Grange sire bought at Lockerbie in 2014 that goes back to Allanshaws Majestic. She was a regular class winner last year.

The gimmer also teamed up to win the reserve inter-breed pairs alongside the male champion, a two-shear ram from Jimmy and William Thomson, Hownam Grange, Kelso. Their Soutra The Boss, a two-shear ram bought at Lockerbie last year for £6000, is by a Synton sire and was on his first outing since.

The duo also bagged the reserve female and reserve overall with a one-crop ewe by Illam Top Tup – the champion winner here in 2015 that was bought at Lockerbie for £4800. She was also on her first outing.

Ryeland Best for Scotland in a busy Ryeland section which included coloured sheep, was Susan Bryden’s male champion, Hunland Viscount, a white two-shear ram, that went on to take the reserve overall Susan, who owns the 14-ewe Broomwells flock from Lockerbie, bought this ram from the Holloways flock, privately last year and collected a red ticket with him at the Highland. He is by Hunland Sutton.

Susan also won the ewe lamb and the group sections.

Shetland SPECTATORS were treated to what is believed to be the biggest ever Shetland sheep show in the UK when the event attracted 131 entries for the 20th anniversary of breed classes at the Yorkshire, judged by Scottish breeder, Rena Douglas.

There were a few big wins for the Scots too, as Kate Sharp and Alan Hill, Humbie, won the overall with a shearling ram bred by Andrew and Ellen Bain, Greenacre, that was bought privately from after being placed at the Highland last year. Greenacre Crawford, is by Greenacre Cracker and out of Greenacre Poppy.

Alex and Margaret Arbuckle, and niece, Suzanne Meikle, who run the Brae flock at Winchburgh, also came up with the goods, winning the reserve male honours with the tup lamb, Brae Xandy. He is by Howburns Jack, out of Brae Xia, and stood first at West Fife. The Brae flock also lifted the group of three trophy.

Brae bloodlines were behind reserve overall, a two-crop ewe by Brae Alexander from John Turner, Bangor.

Suffolk Supreme Suffolk was a tup lamb from father and son team, Geoff and Christopher Riby’s small Stonehills flock from Bridlington.

Securing a second Yorkshire championship for the flock was a son of an ET Kings-bred son of Cairness Great Expectations, out of a ewe by Safaran Royal Flush.

Dumfriesshire breeder, Gregor Hiddleston, took the blue and white sash with his lead female, a home-bred gimmer by the 20,000gns Muirton One Direction, out of a Strathisla-bred ewe. She was reserve at Dumfries last year and collected a red ticket at the Highland.

Texel FIFE breeders, David McKerrow and sons David and James, Nochnary, certainly came home in style from a busy Yorkshire, having won the biggest sheep section with a tup lamb.

Scottish judge, Gordon Gray, found his choice of supreme, from an entry just shy of 200 head, in a son of the 30,000gns Knock Yankee, out of a home-bred ewe by Ettrick You’re a Winner. Placed at the Highland, he is destined for next month’s breed sale at Lanark, and the following day made up part of the winning inter-breed pair along with the reserve.

A ewe lamb from Charlie Boden’s Sportsman’s flock was crowned female champion and reserve overall. She is by the 70,000gns Teiglum Young Gun and out of a daughter of Knap Vicious Sid.

The same two sires were behind the runner-up s in each section. Reserve female was the second prize ewe lamb from the Highland from the Procters flock and shown by Jeff and Jennifer Aiken. She is by Young Gun and bred from a ewe by the £35,000 Scrogtonhead U Stoater bought at Kelso.

The second prize tup lamb from Peter Woof’s Stainton flock was reserve male. He is by Yankee and bred from a Sportsmans Tremendous-sired ewe.

Zwartbles Veteran breeder and regular winner, Charles Scott, Hawick, bagged another Zwartbles tri-colour sash.

Supreme for Mr Scott’s 18-ewe East Middle flock was a home-bred one-crop ewe by a Holmlea ram bought at Stirling. Placed at the Highland, this massive ewe out of a home-bred female, was shown by John Park.

Runner up was the champion male, a ram lamb from Nicola Henderson’s Aquila flock from Stirling. He is by Aquila Duplicate, out of Aquila Canada, and stood second at Drymen.

A home-bred shearling ram from Gill Smith, Barmurrie, Castle Douglas, bagged the reserve male title. Barmurrie Dino, which was a regular winner last year, is by Barmurrie Apollo and bred from Blacklea Wilma.