IRTHING VALLEY IGGY DOES THE BUSINESS AT THE YORKSHIRE

1st Shearling Ewe, Female & Supreme Champion from N Brown, Irthing Valley Flock 1st Aged Ram, Male & Reserve Overall Champion from L Reid, Elite Flock Judge, Chris Johnston, Johnstown Flock

Great Yorkshire Show Report

14 – 17 July

Judge:  Chris Johnston, Johnstown Flock

Cumbrian breeder, Nick Brown of the Irthing Valley flock based near Carlisle took top honours at the Great Yorkshire Show last week, with his homebred gimmer, Irthing Valley Iggy.  This was her second time out this season, having stood 3^rd in a very strong class at the Highland Show a few weeks earlier; as the saying goes, ‘practice makes perfect’ certainly did, when she walked into the ring oozing class, style and confidence.  Judge Chris Johnston tapped her out as 1^st prize gimmer, followed by Female Champion, then onto Supreme Champion.

Sired by the Challoch Bearskin son, Longfield Hum Dinger, and out of Tiptop Easy Girl, who’s a Mount Pleasant Ducati daughter, Iggy’s handling, presence, and overall clean colours were just what the judge was after.

This was the judge’s first visit to the Great Yorkshire Show, and he praised all competitors for putting on a tremendous show of sheep; the show was very well organised and he was made most welcome.

Reserve Champion honours went to the Male Champion from Lara Reid’s Elite Flock.  This was the 1^st prize Aged Ram, Derg Hard as Nails, bred by S Allen and A Short.  The ram was sired by Ballintur Geronimo, a Tiptop Fancy Pants son, and out of Diamond Gloria. Second in the Aged Ram class went to the Cannon Hall Flock, with Artnagullion Half Pint, bred by S McAllister, and to top this, sired by the same Ballintur ram as the 1^st prize aged ram.

Lara Reid also scooped 1^st prize ram lamb with Elite James Bond, sired by the Derg aged ram, he had previously been shown at the Scottish National Show a couple of weeks earlier at Doune & Dunblane, where he was placed first. James Bond will be heading to the Society sale at Carlisle on 31^st July.

Jack Whiteford had a great show, being placed in most of the classes; his best was taking the red rosette in the shearling ram class with Milltown Ivor Williams, no stranger to the show ring, this ram was also placed 1^st at the Highland Show.  On top of winning his class, Ivor Williams was placed Reserve Male Champion.

Aswell as winning the Shearling Ram class, a Blackjack bred shearling ram from fellow Cumbrian breeder, Owen Marrs, was placed 2^nd, and then Jack was placed 2^nd with his homebred Ram Lamb, Aged Ewe and Gimmer, and went on to win the Pairs and Group of Three – some achievement for the Blackjack Flock.

To add to his Supreme Champion honours, Nick Brown also won 1^st prize Ewe Lamb, which stood Reserve Female Champion to his gimmer.  This end of January-born lamb, was sired by the Imported ram ‘Tank’ and her dam was Mount Pleasant Goldie. Hot on the heels of Nick in the ewe lamb class, was Lara Reid with Elite Jackpot; this Diamond Freaky Freddie sired lamb completed a more than satisfactory show for the Dumfriesshire based Elite Flock

After their third time showing at the Yorkshire Show, Derbyshire breeders, Jack & Steph Simpson were victorious in the aged ewe class, with the flock favourite, Back Tor Hollywood; this 2024 born ewe won their first red ticket at this event.  The ewe was sired by the Drumhirk Decider son, Cannon Hall Finn, and out of Tiptop Diamond.

Following the breed classes, more success came for the Blackjack and Irthing Valley flocks in the Interbreed Championships.  It’s always a difficult one to stand in the mixed breed classes, but Jack Whiteford’s sheep certainly caught the eye of the judges, when he was tapped up as Reserve Champion Interbreed Pairs…..and Reserve Champion Interbreed Group of Three.  Meanwhile in the individual Interbreed class, Nick Brown’s gimmer was placed first Reserve Overall, an amazing achievement when the best of the rest are lined up alongside you.

Class Results:

Aged Ram

1^st          L Reid                 ELITE                  910/H01713

2^nd         Cannon Hall Farm      CANNON HALL            255/H06642

3^rd          Cannon Hall Farm      CANNON HALL            102/H00740

4^th          E Spencer                       GABLES FARM              057/F01089

5^th          C Harding                        DUSTLAND                    172/H00628

6^th          G Stanford                      SPRUIT                             017/G09718

Shearling Ram

1^st          J Whiteford                     BLACKJACK                    537/I02396

2^nd         O Marrs                            EDEN VIEW                    619/I27730

3^rd          J Pattinson                      KINKRY HILL                  936/I00577

4^th          S Hill                                  HAZELDENE                  531/I00123

5^th          J & S Simpson               BACK TOR                       745/I07004

6^th          Cannon Hall Farm      CANNON HALL            790/I00085

Ram Lamb

1^st          L Reid                                ELITE                                 204/J02007

2^nd         J Whiteford                     BLACKJACK                    619/J28044

3^rd          C Harding                        DUSTLAND                    172/J00963

4^th          J Whiteford                     BLACKJACK                    619/J28056

5^th          N Brown                           IRTHING VALLEY         056/J00815

6^th          J & S Simpson               BACK TOR                       102/J00997

Aged Ewe

1^st          J & S Simpson               BACK TOR                       102/H00687

2^nd         J Whiteford                     BLACKJACK                    619/H25633

3^rd          Cannon Hall Farm      CANNON HALL            519/H08852

4^th          G Stanford                      SPRUIT                             221/H02630

5^th          A Jackson                        TIPTOP                              008/E01110

6^th          Cannon Hall Farm      CANNON HALL            519/H08853

Shearling Ewe

1^st          N Brown                           IRTHING VALLEY         056/I00674

2^nd         J Whiteford                     BLACKJACK                    619/I27733

3^rd          J Whiteford                     BLACKJACK                    619/I27722

4^th          L Reid                                ELITE                                 163/I01596

5^th          A Jackson                        TIPTOP                              619/I27727

6^th                                                                                                    060/I02780

Ewe Lamb

1^st          N Brown                           IRTHING VALLEY         056/J00768

2^nd         L Reid                                ELITE                                 204/J02026

3^rd          N Brown                           IRTHING VALLEY         056/I00772

4^th          J Whiteford                     BLACKJACK                    619/J28059

5^th          J Whiteford                     BLACKJACK                    619/J28057

6^th          J & S Simpson               BACK TOR                       102/J00980

Best Pair (Male & Female)

J Whiteford      BLACKJACK

Best Group of Three

J Whiteford      BLACKJACK