THERE was a familiar look to the trophy winners at this year’s Bowes Show which was held last weekend.
But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty to pique the interest of visitors and competitors alike.
Robert Hutchinson’s gimmer shearling was the star of the sheep ring.
Mr Hutchinson received the Headlam Cup for the champion sheep on the field after earlier collecting the trophies for the overall Swaledale champion, female champion and local champion.
The male champion and reserve Swaledale champion was an aged ewe shown by David Allinson, of West Briscoe, Baldersdale.
Mr Hutchinson also received the Rochdale Trophy, presented by the Swaledale Sheep Breeders’ Association (SSBA) for the pair, male and female, on show.
The trophy is presented around the SSBA districts and it will be at least five years before it comes back to Bowes Show.
New to the sheep ring this year was a collection of Jacobs, brought along by the Moore family, of Bedale.
Told the night before that their likely opponents in the section were not coming, they decided to bring their sheep along and put them into the any other breed section.
An 18-month-old shearling which had picked up four championship title when competing against other Jacobs, came third in its section.
Sheila Moore said it was their first time at the Bowes Show, and she hoped their presence this year would spur other Jacob farmers to bring their sheep along.
Also on show in the sheep ring were some Dutch spotted sheep.
The prolific Eccles family, from Middleton-in-Teesdale carried off the Dales Pony championship, with nine-year-old Westwick Polly once again the star of the show.
The youngstock champion in the Dales Pony section went to two-year-old Carrock Beauty, shown by James Cockbain, from Keswick.
A small selection of cattle was on show, with judge Keith Dent choosing Jimmy Wilkinson’s British Blue heifer as the best in the commercial section.
New at this year’s show was a selection of Shorthorns brought along by the Souters, from Eggleston.
A heifer called Jodame Kiki Dee, was chosen as the best on show.
Joanne Souter said the cow had caught the eye at other shows, picking up the championship at Wolsingham, second place at the Royal Welsh Show and third at the Great Yorkshire Show.
In the industrial and horticultural section, secretary Margaret Cooper said this year had seen one of the biggest – if not the largest – number of entries.
She said it boded well for the show that a number of new faces had decided to have a go.
There was a good selection of tractors and vintage steam engines on show.
George Atkinson, from Appleby, brought his Massey Ferguson 165 across from Appleby and it won the post-1960 class award and overall tractor championship.
Mr Atkinson restored the tractor to its former glory after buying it five years ago.
Trevor Peart’s 1953 Fordson major won the pre-1960 section and carried off the reserve championship title.
