HORSE, cattle and sheep bred in Teesdale have featured highly in this year’s Great Yorkshire Show, the first in two years.
Top honours in the Dales Pony category was clinched by Middleton-in-Teesdale teenager Emma Eccles with her father David’s Westwick Polly, winning the overall champion.
Westwick Polly picked up first place in the best mare or gelding category and the Lartington-based breeders picked up a second placing with Westwick Lily II in the yearling section. Miss Eccles, 14, said: “I’ve been looking forward to this show as I’ve missed showing the ponies and to me it was such an achievement to win the class, but when I won overall champion I was delighted. I’m so pleased with Polly. It feels a great success to win at such a big show.”
Proud dad David said: “We’re really pleased. The show was not as busy as it has been in the past, but there were about nine classes. People seem to be hanging back from going. But Emma was keen to show – someone will have to take over from us when we retire.”
Simon and Emma Haley, of Seamfold Highlands, in Eggleston, earned the junior champion with Milis 3rd of Seam, known as Meg, in the Highland cattle category. They also picked up reserve breed and reserve female champion with Sineag Dubh of Seam (Sophie).
Margaret 4th of Seam (Magic) picked up a second placing and Sineag Dubh 3rd of Brunnila got a third.
Mrs Healey, said: “It was slightly quieter than it has been in the past and I was a bit dubious about being back out among people but it was good to see friends.”
For the first time since the 1970s Clun Forest Sheep were able to have their own breed classes thanks to the work of exhibitors in previous years turning out regularly in any other sections.
The hard work paid off for Teesdale breeder Anna Pennell, who picked up the overall breed champion with her homebred shearling ewe Nipna Delight. She also clinched reserve breed champion in the male champion with Charben Ben, the Nipna Flock’s three shear stock ram bred by R Vernon.
Nipna Delight was also pulled into the final five of the interbreeds class.
Peter and Susan Addison’s Zwartible sheep did them proud picking up the champion male trophy with their ram shearling, which had been placed first in the ram shearling section.
The Mickleton couple, from Hayberries Farm, also earned a second place with their group of three animals, as well as a second place for a ewe lamb and a third and fifth placing in the ewe shearling class.
