Welsh showmen land leading honours at Skipton Jacob highlight
Welsh breeders landed the principal honours at the Northern Area Jacob Sheep Breeders’ 40th annual show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. (Sat, Sept 5)
The supreme championship fell to the first prize ewe lamb and female champion from first-time exhibitor, 19-year-old Rhys Francis, who runs the Pistyll flock at Pistyll Uchaf, Abergorlech in Carmarthenshire.
His February-born four-horn daughter of Bentley Florin, acquired as a ram lamb and runner-up as a yearling at this year’s Royal Welsh Show, out of a home-bred ewe by Carochy Findhorn, then went on to make top price in show when selling for 720gns to Jacob Society member Linda McKendrick, of Cupar, Fife.
Robert Price, who runs the Pentre flock at Pentrenant Farm in Churchstoke, Powys, repeated his 2014 reserve championship success with his first prize shearling ram and male champion, Pentre Bailey Edward.
The four-horn is by Pentrenant Bailey Ben, bred by his wife Jean, who runs her own pedigree flock and had been supreme champion for the previous three years at the Skipton breed highlight. Out of a home-bred ewe sired by Lynton Clive, the runner-up sold for 120gns to LG Machin, of Leek in Staffordshire.
Mr Price was also responsible for the first prize shearling ewe, a four-horn home-bred daughter of Dunmor Van Der Sa, by a Pentrenant Bailey-sired ewe, which sold for top price in class of 400gns to another Scottish breeder, G Christie, of Huntly, Aberdeen.
Mrs Price achieved top price in the aged ewes class when selling one of her two entries for 200gns to M Kinver, of Hexham. She was also responsible by the second prize shearling ewe, a four-horn home-bred by her own Pentrenant Bailey Ben, out of a prize-winning ewe, which made 280gns on joining SD&C Cornelius in Launceston, Cornwall.
Cumbria’s Geoff Wood and Sheila Dickinson, who run the Moorhouse Jacob flock at Scales, near Ulverston, were responsible for the top price in show 500gns shearling ram, the two-horn Goosnargh Mac, bred in Lancashire by Andrew Dickinson and by his own Goosnargh Grappler, out of a Theoks Magnus-sired ewe. It fell to a local buyer, Graham Hall, of Conistone-with-Kilnsey.
The same vendors also stepped up with the first prize ram lamb, the two-horn home-bred Moorhouse Wonder, by Whowells Angus. This, too, made top price in class of 350gns when joining Claire Thwaite in Long Preston.
The first prize aged ewe, a 2012-born four-horn by Hedgnook Vince, out of a Meadowland ewe, came from the North Yorkshire Warren Wood flock of Ruth Guy, from Marrick, near Richmond.
Principal selling averages were: Ewe lambs £114, shearling ewes £136, ram lambs £172 and shearling rams £201.
Show judge was Stephen Harrison, of Grange-over-Sands and sponsor JACS Trade and DIY Warehouse, Skipton. The fixture again formed part of the mart’s annual Rare & Native Stock Breeders Auctions.