at this year's South of
England Show
Is it open to anyone? Can I enter? Is my flock eligible? Do I have sufficient sheep?
YES.. .YES…YES…YES…Is the simple answer!
Basically, this is a competition open to each and every member of the Southdown Sheep Society - and you don't even have to take your sheep anywhere to be able to take part - the judge comes to you!!!
You may only enter one category:
Class C is the novice section for any flock not having already won 1st prize in
a previous Flock Competition. Classes A and B are for the flocks who have
already won the Novice Competition. Class B is for flocks of 10-39 ewes, Class
C for flocks of 40+ ewes.
The judging takes place in the Autumn, and the judge notifies participants well in advance as to when he/she plans to visit your flock. It can take many hundreds of miles, and several days, for all participating flocks to be judged, since members are spread over the length and breadth of GB!!
Judging the Flock Competition is no easy task - it requires an experienced judge to be able to cast a critical and learned eye over each competing flock and make objective observations and comparisons.
On the day the judge will be inspecting the flock under a number of "headings":- size and quality; uniformity; health management; shearling ewes; wool; colour; rams, and ewe lambs. Competitors receive the full results with a breakdown of everyone's scores once the judge has completed his tour of all flocks taking part. This breakdown of scores offers some positive feedback; it is helpful to be able to compare one's own flock with others.
At the AGM the following year the Flock Competition trophies are awarded. In addition to trophies for the winners of each of the three classes, there are also individual prizes. For example, for the best wool overall, the best intake of shearling ewes, the best three lambs of each sex sired by a named ram who has to be present and shown.
So, when the details of the Flock Competition land on your mat later in the year, why not consider taking part? It really is open to all! And maybe 2004 will be the year when we have a record number of entries!!!
Gail Sprake
It was not a spur of the moment decision!
For the past few years as it gets to that time of year when show schedules
start arriving, we have wondered whether we should take the plunge and take the
sheep to the Royal Show. For many years we have planned the Spring and Summer
family activities around those shows which we have come to look forward to and
enjoy around East Anglia. We always know, for example, that part of the May
half term holiday will be spent in the caravan on the Suffolk Showground, our
favourite show of the year; and that August Bank holiday Monday will find us at
Aylsham in Norfolk, the last show of the season for us.
Having sent for the Royal Show schedule, and after having picked the brains of well-seasoned Royal Show exhibitors, we finally decided we would have a go and so we completed and sent off our entry form…..then we filed the schedule away for a while…like you do!!
As the weeks passed, the logistics of the entire outing started to demand our attention. It was during school time, so permission needed to be sought for our younger daughter to be able to accompany us. Elder daughter, who planned to stay in the caravan on site for the duration of the show, checked her timetable and realised that, whilst the written exams might be over, she nevertheless had to be back at university in London for a viva. We then realised that we were unable to get the help we needed to look after the stock at home, and see to the ponies night and morning. Then there was the dog, who would have to stay at home….not to mention four over-indulged cats and the chickens……..Then there was the little question of our little caravan: purchased several years ago to give the children a roof over their heads during pony club camps, it copes with the Suffolk Show well, since we tow it carefully and slowly down to Ipswich and back. We had serious doubts as to whether it would actually make the journey successfully all the way to Stoneleigh - visions of vehicles abandoned by the roadside with "police aware" stickers on them sprang to mind!! So, we tracked down a firm that actually hired out caravans and for what felt like a small fortune we booked a large roadworthy caravan to take to The Show. By this stage we had already calculated that the whole Royal Show Experience could be regarded in terms likened to the disposal of a small fortune!
We devised a "battle plan", blu-tacked to the kitchen wall, to be filled in clearly showing who would be where, doing what, on which day…and so The Show date duly arrived and we set forth…
Together with daughters I spent the weekend on The Showground. The Show opened to the public on the Sunday (June 29th), and since the Southdown classes were not scheduled until the following day, it meant we were able to have at least a brief look around and watch other livestock classes. The Showground is vast - even larger than we had expected! A quick phone call home to Dad meant that he arrived with bicycles later in the day. The cycles proved to be really useful since the caravan park was a considerable distance from the sheep, and we didn't get quite so wet if we pedalled fast!
Monday dawned, damp and dull. However, the weather did not dampen spirits and the judging got underway. The line up of sheep in each of the classes was impressive - top quality animals impeccably turned out, of which the breeders could be justifiably proud. And proud we were too with the third place rosettes we gained with a ewe lamb, a ram lamb and with the group of sheep! With the showing over, younger daughter and I headed off home for school the following day. Elder daughter caught a bus from The Showground, then a train from Coventry to be back to London in time for her exam. Dad stayed, then he too commuted back home for a day, before returning to Stoneleigh to collect the sheep. I cheated - I lent the Volvo to a friend who collected the caravan, which upon arrival home needed what Defra could accurately label as "disinfecting and cleansing" before we felt able to return it!
Well, it was an interesting week! We learnt from experience that north east Suffolk really is too far away from Stoneleigh to be eligible for commuter status; we can now accurately state the miles per gallon ratio of both the farm truck and the Volvo; the train service to London is efficient and punctual; even large rented caravans spring mysterious leaks when challenged by heavy downpours.
And we confirmed what we already knew from many years on the East Anglian sheep show circuit: gather together any number of sheep-minded people and one is amongst friends. There is always something new to learn, and someone new to teach it to you!
Gail Sprake, November 2003
2003 has been a successful year for East Anglian breeders on the East Anglian show circuit. This year saw several breeders appear in the show ring for the very first time - it's been great to see them encouraged by their successes and return to enter further shows.
The Hutley family made their first appearance in the show ring at the Tendring Hundred show in July, where their shearling ewe went on to win the Championship. Mr. and Mrs. Holland-Howes' Bruisyard flock had a strong presence at the Tendring Hundred with several 1st prizewinners in the championship line-up. Spurred on by their success, Mr. and Mrs. Hutley showed at the Aylsham Show in Norfolk on August Bank Holiday Monday, where they took 2nd prize overall in the rare breeds and gained a 2nd prize overall in the wool classes. A great start, and we look forward to seeing a lot more of them in the future.
The Suffolk Show as usual attracted a promising number of entries in each class. Mr. Jonathan Long's shearlings featured amongst the first prizewinners, while Mrs Gail Sprake's ram lamb won the championship within the breed classes before going on to gain the reserve supreme interbreed title the following day. The supreme interbreed title went to Mr Jim Cresswell's Hampshire Down ewe. All in all it was an exciting choice at a show where the Suffolk sheep as the county breed always has a strong presence!
The Royal Norfolk Show saw an equally strong field of Southdowns forward in the British Downs Breeds classes. Mr. Bunting saw his shearlings in the prize winners' line up amongst a strong field of assorted Downland breeds. His shearling ram went forward to win the champion Downland sash. Mrs Margaret Hollis had a very successful show, with her ram lamb being awarded the reserve champion card overall in all the wool classes. Southdowns continue to make their presence felt in those shows where there are no dedicated classes for Southdown sheep. At the East of England Show the Newman family flew the flag for the breed and were rewarded with a number of rosettes, in big classes comprising a large number of Kerry Hills, Border Leicester, Hebrideans and poll Dorsets, with both rams and ewe gaining 2nd places.
The Hadleigh show offers classes under the heading "Rare/Minority Breeds of British Sheep". In a large line up of sheep of every shape and size, Mrs Sprake's ewe lamb won a reserve champion rosette.
The Aylsham Show organisers kindly allowed breeders to continue to have a dedicated Southdown-only class, on the condition that there were sufficient numbers entered in each class. Southdown breeders did not let the side down - the judge, Mr Jim Cresswell, commented that it had been a long time since he had seen such a good turn out of Southdowns. Six breeders brought forward an impressive line up, with an All Saints shearling ewe eventually taking the championship title.
Mention must also be made of the next generation of sheep handlers and showmen. Whilst the parents are busy showing within the breed classes, there are a number of young, and very young, shepherds assisting behind the scenes, and having success in their own right in the Young Handlers' classes. Miss Lori Newman beat off much competition to win the Young Handlers' competition at the Royal Norfolk Show. Well done, too, to Zara Day, who won 3rd place in the Norfolk Show Young handlers.
At the Suffolk Show Ellie Sprake won 2nd place in her first year in the senior young handlers' class, in a well attended class of older children. Andrew and Sophie Hutley were amongst the prize- winning young handlers at the Tendring Hundred Show, where Sophie gained 5th place and Andrew a 2nd place rosette. Sophie repeated her success at the Aylsham Show and gained 3rd place, whilst younger brother Andrew found that the excitement of the day and the early morning start finally caught up with him and he fell asleep on the straw before the showing was over!!
At four years of age Imogen Holland-Howes has had a successful year in the show ring, gaining a 5th place in the Tendring Hundred Young Handlers Competition and a Highly Commended rosette at the Suffolk Show. Undoubtedly her finest achievement to date must be gaining 1st place in the under 11's competition at the Aylsham Show - this was a well supported class and no small achievement when most of the competitors were much older than Imogen! Well done!
Imogen's little brother Murray (2 years old) also took part in some of the competitions, gaining 7th place at the Tendring Hundred show and 5th place at Aylsham.
Well done to all the youngsters who join in during the show season; these are the showmen of the future!
Now that the 2003 showing season is over, I hope you were blessed with glory and satisfaction with your day at the shows. I had a very good year since my last turnout in 2000. It took some persuasion from others to find my motivation, but once at out first show the excitement soon returned, the buzz was still there. To receive Champion of the Show was pure elation.
One of the great things about the shows is the atmosphere and being able to talk to complete strangers but all of us having one thing in common: Southdowns. It still surprises me to discover how long we can talk about Southdowns. I had a very successful season winning with different sheep and judges. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so it is said, and judges see different attributes in the sheep than you may be aware of yourself and it is not always the one that you like than wins!
One thing I would like to say to our members as a judge myself, is that a judge has been chosen to specifically assess Southdowns and therefore the best Southdown should win, not the best sheep ! New people entering the show scene can find things a bit daunting, especially the preparation of the sheep - Such as the trimming. It is a skill well worth learning and can offer the greatest satisfaction of a job well done. To turn out a well trimmed Southdown must be the prettiest thing you can set your eyes on.
It has been suggested at a recent Field Day about showing shorn sheep ( showing naked as they do in the USA ) but the feeling was not to accept this. I would say to the newcomer not to be put off by this, as any judge should go by quality before anything else. I have personally shown sheep with a gap of only six weeks between shearing and showing, with great success. What I would say to a novice in the show lines who would just like to see if showing their sheep is what they want, is to shear around six to eight weeks prior to showing and to clean shear the sheep to make sure all shearing marks are kept to a minimum and especially clean up around the head, ears and legs. Then all it takes is to wash the sheep a few days before the show, not forgetting the halter training at least a month before hand, then of course it's the easy bit ……….. all you have to do is turn up and win the Show. Good luck for 2004.
Bob Backshall, Tel: 01635 253338
By permission South East Farmer, Jan. 2004
A sheep farmer from a tiny Kent farm has had a remarkable prize winning
year.
By any standards, Sharon Pond's performance during 2003 was extraordinary:
she won top prizes for her sheep across the country from the Royal Show at
Stoneleigh in Warwickshire to the South of England Show at Ardingly in West
Sussex.
What makes this success even more surprising is that Sharon Pond only has five
acres of grazing land on heavy clay near Cranbrook in the Weald of Kent. The
Colwood Southdowns Flock only has 40 pedigree ewes and four home bred rams have
been used this year. All the animals are sold from the farm: this year, Mrs.
Pond has retained ten ram lambs and 20 ewe lambs.
Because of the farm's size, the sheep have to come in during the winter, but
Mrs. Pond says she is fortunate in having good buildings to keep them in.
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| Sharon with Prince Charles at this year's South of England Show |
During the summer, she can rent and borrow extra grazing locally. Along with
the Southdown flock, Golford Gate Farm has a few hens, a cockerel and four
border collies called Rip, Shep, Lynne and Mr. Blobby.
Sharon Pond has lived in Kent for ten years and has been showing sheep for 12
years. "As you can see, I've had a very successful show season in 2003,
which has been one of my best years; my ewe lambs were unbeaten!"
Looking at the results in detail, the Colwood Southdown Flock won the following
trophies: the Hazelton Trophy (Best Opposite Sex) at the Royal Show; the Queens
Cup (Supreme Champion - Interbreed Group) at the South of England Show; the
Peter Clementson Memorial Trophy (Points) at the Heathfield Show; the Percy
Filkins Trophy (Champion) at the South of England Show; the Lady Loder Trophy
(Best Opposite Sex) at the Royal Welsh Show; the Noakes Trophy (Champion) at
the Kent Show; the Duke of Norfolk Cup (Champion Group) at the South of England
Show; the John Craig Challenge Cup (Best Opposite Sex) at the Kent Show; the
Youngs Perpetual Trophy (Champion Rare Breed) at Heathfield Show; the Frank
Grantham Memorial Trophy at Heathfield Show; the Miller Hallet Trophy (Champion
Group) at the Royal Show; the Willie Mckeever Perpetual Challenge Trophy (Best
Sheep Exhibit) at the Kent Show.
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| Sharon with her Supreme Champion Interbreed
Group of Four at the 2003 Kent Show |
The flock's show results for 2003 were: Heathfield Show, a second in the
Shearling Ram class and four firsts in the Shearling Ewe, Ram Lamb, Ewe Lamb,
and Group of Three classes, which went on to Champion Southdown (Ram Lamb);
Champion Rare Breed (Ram Lamb) and Reserve Supreme Interbreed Champion (Ram
Lamb).
At the South of England Show, there was a second in the Shearling Ewe class and
four firsts in the Shearling Ram, Ram Lamb, Pair of Ewe Lambs and Group of Four
classes which went on to Champion Southdown (Shearling Ram); Reserve Supreme
Interbreed Champion (Shearling Ram); and Supreme Champion Interbreed Group.
At the Royal Show, there was a third in the Ram Lamb class, a second in the
Shearling Ram class, three firsts for a Pair of Shearling Rams, a Shearling Ewe
and a Ewe Lamb which went on to Reserve Champion (Shearling Ewe) and Reserve
Interbreed Terminal Pair (Shearling Ram plus Shearling Ewe).
At the Kent Show, there were two seconds in the Shearling Ewe and Ram Lamb
classes and two firsts in the Shearling Ram and Ewe Lamb classes, which went on
to Reserve Champion (Shearling Ewe); Reserve Champion (Wool on the Hoof);
Supreme Champion (Interbreed Group of Four); and Best Sheep Exhibit.
At the Royal Welsh Show, there were five firsts in the Shearling Ram, Shearling
Ewe, Ram Lamb, Ewe Lamb, and Group classes, which went on to Female Champion
(Shearling Ewe) and Reserve Champion (Shearling Ram).
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| Sharon Pond with her Reserve Champion Pair
of Interbreed Terminal Sires at this year's Royal Show |
When she's not showing Southdowns, Mrs. Pond is a self employed musical
instrument repairer, concentrating on brass instruments and working from home.
"Quite a number of my musical instrument customers also buy lamb from
me."
Mrs. Pond is also involved with Border Collie Rescue, a charity based in
Richmond, Yorkshire. "My four dogs are all rescue dogs, and occasionally
there may be extra dogs being fostered at the farm.
"I have been privileged to help in the re-homing of a number of border
collies, many of which were sheep-dogs which had become redundant during the
foot and mouth crisis. It's hard not to become attached to them."