Southdowns were well represented at the Winter Fairs around the country this season, and the breed dominated the native breed classes up and down the country.

At the Royal Welsh Winter Fair breeder Dylan Williams from Ciliau Aeron, Lampeter, swept the board in the carcass competitions, producing the first prize pair of native carcasses as well as exhibiting the highest placed single Southdown carcass. Breeders Stephen and Paul Humphrey from East Dean, West Sussex, took the prizes in the class for the pair of live Southdown lambs, taking home first and second prizes.

At the East of England Smithfield Festival it was the Goodwood Flock from Sussex who flew the flag for the Southdown breed, enjoying success in the live trimmed classes. This winning pair headed down to compete at the Hailsham Fatstock Show where they went on to win the Supreme Championship at that show, weighing in at 40kgs apiece and selling to a local Sussex butcher for £150 a head.

At the English Winter Fair at the Staffordshire County Showground breeder Robert Cox from Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, dominated the native breed classes, winning first and second rosettes in the carcass competition, and then followed this up with the reserve championship in the pair of pure native breeds class with a pair of Southdown ewe lambs.

At the Ashford Cattle Show it was Messrs Wakeham-Dawson & Harmer who won the overall championship in the live classes with a pair of Southdown crosses. Meanwhile, the the Long family collected both the native championship and reserve native championship in the show’s carcass classes, with lambs by the homebred sire Chaileybrook 13:0001.

The Ridings Flock repeated their success in the live lamb class at the South East Prime Stock Winter Fair, taking home the championship card for the native live lambs. The Goodwood Flock continued their successful run by sweeping up the native breeds championship in the carcass competition.