A LARGE crowd gathered at Tan Hill Inn for its 67th annual Swaledale sheep show after it was cancelled for two years on the trot bdue to Covid.
Geoff Marwood took the top prize of supreme champion while young Barney Richardson exhibited the reserve with a fine ewe.
Show organisers attribute a unique online sheep show during lockdown for the good turnout of exhibitors by maintaining their enthusiasm for showing sheep.
Show secretary Raymond Calvert said: “It went down really well. Sicne then it has become more popular to put tups and sheep online.”
He thanked the large crowd for attending as well as the show’s many supporters who provided prizes.
Show president Raymond Lund was equally pleased with the turnout.
He said: “It is marvellous to be back after missing two years. It was good to meet up again. We have a very good draw of sheep and the quality is of a very high standard.”
Also pleased with the show’s return was Tan Hill Inn’s general manager Nicola Townsend.
She said: “After two long years in which it was missed tremendously by us and many others, the Tan Hill Inn finally saw the welcome and the triumphant return of the Tan Hill Swaledale Sheep Show in its 67th incarnation.
“It was lovely to see the return of such a nostalgic tradition. The inn came to life with sheep talk once more.”
results
Tup classes
Shearling tup (large breeders): 1, Lightfoot, Allison & Marwood; 2, R&H Bird; 3, A Slack & R Raine
Tup hogg (large breeders): 1, M&L Rukin; 2, N Richardson; 3, P Hallam
Tip hogg (small breeders): 1, O Acton; 2 G&DA Allison; 3, T Bainbridge
Aged tup: R&H Hird
Tup bred from flock of no more than 100 ewes: 1, JM&ED Hutchinson & JR&J Gorst; 2, T Bainbridge; 3, L Metcalfe
Pair of tup hoggs: 1, O Acton; 2, R&H Hird; 3, Messrs Cockbain
Tup shearling: 1, B Thornbarrow, M&L Rukin, J Rukin; J Allison&sons; 2, R Harrison & MBainbridge
Tup hogg, shown in no other class: 1 R&H Hird; 2, M&L Rukin; 3, JA Alderson
Tup hogg, shown but not won a prize: 1, M Sedgewick; 2, T Bainbridge; 3, J Capstick
Best male of female not to have won a prize: 1, Messrs Cockbain; 2, AP Sowerby; 3, P Hallam
Best tupp hogg: 1, M&L Rukin, 2, O Acton; 3, R&H Hird
Best tup shearling already shown: 1, Lightfoot, Allison & Marwood; 2, B Thornbarrow, M&L Rukin, J Rukin; J Allison&sons; 3, R Harrison & M Bainbridge
Gimmer classes
Ewe (small breeders): 1, B Richardson; 2, M Sedgewick; 3, AP Sowerby
Gimmer shearling (small breeders): 1, RC Hallam; 2, B Thomas; 3, G&DA Allison
Ewe (large breeders): 1, N Richardsonb; 2, S&P Brogden; 3, P Ewbank
Gimmer shearling (large breeders): 1, S&P Brogden; 2, Bentley & Mallom; 3, B Thornbarrow
Gimmer hogg (large breeders): 1, SL Pratt; 2, P Ewbank; 3 JE&DJ Hutchinson
Two sheep showing milk: 1, N Richardson; 2, S&P Brogden
Pair of gimemr hoggs: 1, P Ewbank; 2, JE&DJ Hutchinson; 3, Mrssers Cockbain
Gimmer hogg not shown in other classes: 1, P Ewbank; 2, SL Pratt; 3, A Lancaster
Gimmer hogg and tup hogg: 1, G&DA Allison; 2, AP Sowerby; 3, R Sellars
Best tupp and gimmer hogg: 1, SL Pratt; 2, N Richardson; 3, Messrs Cockbain
Best gimmer hogg in show: 1, RC Hallam; 2, Messrs Cockbain; 3, JE & DJ Hutchinson
Best male or female: 1, N Richardson; 2, R&H Hird; 3, G&DA Allison
Best ewe or gimmer shearling (large breeder): 1, N Richardson; 2, S&P Brogden; 3, Bentley & Mallom
Best sheep bred by exhibitor: 1, N Richardson; 2, S&P Brogden; 3, SL Pratt
Champion small breeder: RC Hallam
Champion male: Lightfoot, Allison, Marwood
Champion Female: N Richardson
Reserve champion: N Richardson
Champion: Lightfoot, Allison, Marwood
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
