Long Lee Hall Farm, near Keighley: Young show judge at UK’s oldest agricultural show- Otley

“When most of the handlers are older than you and possibly have far more experience it is nerve wracking. It makes you think what people might be saying about you, but I can only make a decision on what is in front of me and at the end of the day it’s the judge’s opinion that counts.

Henry knows what he likes and what he’s looking for.

“I like a big sheep with some length, good shape, a tight skin, an animal that looks good and sharp with something that makes it stand out from the rest. I’m looking for how alert the sheep looks. One that’s really showing itself off while also being correct in everything.

‘My judging came about through word of mouth, people talking about me and asking me. I watched other judges before I started, how they handled the sheep and what they were looking for. They told me that the first thing any judge goes for is a good mouth to start with, because your stock is nothing if it can’t eat. The next thing is overall correctness, they’re no good for anything breeding-wise if they don’t stand correctly.

“The first show I judged at was three years ago when I was 19 and since then I’ve judged all over. This year I’m judging at Otley, Royal Lancashire and others. It would be a dream come true to get to judge at the Great Yorkshire Show.

“The best Beltex I’ve judged so far was at Driffield and it went on to take the show’s Interbreed Championship. The same thing happened at Arthington last year when the one I’d judged as breed champion also got Interbreed Champion. You pick one that you’d like in your own flock.

Henry has pedigree Beltex and Blue Texels back home and a commercial flock of 80 breeding ewes and his father has around 50 cattle for finishing on 50 acres at Long Lee Hall Farm plus additional grazing land rented.

“I have a dozen pedigree Beltex ewes and half a dozen pedigree Blue Texel ewes with a couple of tups of each. I want to grow the Beltex flock to about 25 breeding ewes,” says Henry.

“We lamb at the end of February as I aim for our pedigree rams to be as big as they need to be, specifically for the tup lamb sales in September.

“I like the Beltex because they’re not as big, they’ve more shape and the meat animal kills out better.

Henry’s reputation in the sheep rings in livestock markets and shows is on the up. He’s already making his mark with the breed and fellow breeders.

‘I had pedigree Texels when I was 12 years old and changed to Beltex 6 years ago and Blue Texel in 2021. I started showing my Beltex flock at livestock mart shows and sales in Skipton, Carlisle and Gisburn. Every time I’ve sold prime lambs since swapping to Beltex I’ve topped the markets at Skipton, Gisburn and Bentham, bred by my home-produced tups. That gives you confidence you’re doing your job right.

“My inspiration has been being around other breeders who are now good friends, like Matthew Burley from Northern Ireland and James Wannop from Morecambe. Matt comes over a few times a year and does really well. I buy tups from him because I really rate his stock. James has really good sheep too.

“The best price I’ve had from a Beltex sale so far was £1300 at Skipton last year for a home reared shearling ram.

Henry started his livestock purchasing journey when just 9 years old, but not with sheep, with cattle, and then had a showed and judged career poultry.

‘I bought a Limousin-crossed steer from Wharfedale Farmers Auction for £750. Dad must have helped me out, but I had an egg round after that. I sold the steer as finished three months later at 16 months old which made around £1200. Then I got into poultry because I had decided to get some hatching eggs for a hen that went broody.

“I had champion at Skipton with my Rhode Island Red and began judging poultry, but it was when I went to a flock dispersal at Hainworth near Keighley buying 8 pedigree Texels, four ewe and lamb outfits for £400 an outfit, that I geared up with them.

Henry says it’s sheep that are his thing now.

“I want to breed the best I can and there is a saying, ‘If you look after your ewe, your ewe will look after you’. That’s where I’m heading, producing quality tups and ewes and all naturally bred. No embryo transfers.

David, Henry’s dad, grew up on a farm in Steeton, but Henry has lived at Long Lee Hall Farm all his life and left school at 16, becoming a bricklayer.

“I wanted to go straight into a trade and took up an apprenticeship, but now I’m in an apprenticeship with Ellison’s butchers in Cullingworth. I’ve been with them about a year. I’m happy with butchering as well as farming. It fits well. Ellison’s buy a lot of our cattle. It’s good to see our stock going through.

“I enjoy working with dad on the cattle. He buys Limousin-crossed stock from Skipton, Otley and Gisburn at 12-18 months and they go when they are fat. He’s bringing me on. I’d like to take over from him and grow the farm, adding more sheep and cattle, sticking with my pedigree sheep too.

Henry’s mum is Rachel and he has a brother Gary and sister Georgia who are not involved in the farm.

Henry has recently run the Keighley 10K in 42 minutes and says that show goers may also see a rare sight if he’s judging at shows where there is also a Fell race.

“Some sheep exhibitors might do a double-take if they see me judging in a morning and then running a fell in the afternoon. I used to play football and used to be a boxer, I’m only 55 kilos and can’t put weight on. There’s fell running in the family with my cousins Oliver and Simon Daley who ran Kilnsey Crag Race last year.

In the meantime, Henry will be concentrating on Otley next Saturday.

“Otley Show is a local show, I’ve been lots of times. It’s a great atmosphere and a good get together for everyone.