Southdown breeders witnessed history being made at the Platinum Celebration Sale from Jonathan Long and family’s Chaileybrook flock of Southdowns at Worcester on Saturday 7th December.

The text books advise that sheep gestation is 147 days, sadly sheep don’t read text books. With my flocks, and my system the mean gestation every year is 145 days. Very few reach the 147 day mark, and the latest I have recorded was 153 days, tho’ I cannot totally warranty her tupping date.

Thanks to the generosity of members and the efforts of Council to secure breed history, three new trophies have been awarded for the first time this year.

The 2023-2024 season has been an outstanding year for Southdown Young Breeders, with their dedication to the breed reflected in numerous successes across prominent shows and sales.

It may be that some of the Society’s members ask why we are not just a simple private club, but a Company, a Charity and a Defra Recognised Breed Society?

Southdown member George Anstie has had considerable success not just in the show ring, but also on the sheep lines where he goes to great lengths to educate the public, often winning the ‘Best Pen’ competitions.

Judges new and not-so-new gathered at the farm of Patrick Goldsworthy, Grafham, Cambridgeshire, in early November for a hands-on session and an opportunity for discussion and sharing opinions and good practice.

Shearling ram Fulfen Fabio from Emily Yates took the day’s top price at the Southdown Sheep Society’s second sale of the season at Melton Mowbray.

It was a record-breaking day at the Southdown Sheep Society’s Premier Sale, Worcester, on Saturday (3rd August) when Chaileybrook His Nibs 24/02116 topped the sale and set a new breed ram lamb record at 2000gns.

The fledgling Southdown Young Breeders Group staged its first event at the end of October, with young people from across the midlands and southern England gathering in Lincolnshire to learn the art of preparing Southdowns for show and sale and also the fundamentals of judging sheep.