Winningstart forpartners'winterseason

IT proved to be a lucky first outing of the winter season for Joanne Hall and her business partners as they took the Supreme Champion Pair of Butchers Lambs trophy.

Ms Hall, who farms from Penrith in Cumbria, won the prize with her home-bred beltexes. Regulars on the winter showing circuit, the Halls have been showing since they began farming in the UK in the mid 1980s.

“We are very pleased obviously,” Ms Hall said after the presentation. “We do not know where we will show next but it was good to come first here.”

The Halls run a flock of around 100 pure ewes from their base in the Lake District.

Also in the ring for the sheep presentations were the two rising stars of the future in the shape of the young handler class winners.

The overall winner was eight-year-old Max Clough, from Pickering, who also came out on top in his individual age category.

Young Max impressed the judges with his expert handling of a sheep not much smaller than himself, displaying skills beyond his years.

Another Pickering youngster took the reserve prize, with Sam Jacking-Leng, 11, also impressing the judges.

In the cattle the long journey for Richard Fountaine, from Buckinghamshire, proved to be worth it as his 15-month old limousin steer took the breed champion for his class.

The animal, Cothi Eyecatcher, caught the eyes of the judge while local success story the Stoney family, of Pateley Bridge, took the reserve championship.

In total 183 cattle entries were received – equalling last year’s record as Countryside Live continues to run to capacity.

This year represented a record- breaking year for interest in the competitive classes with a total of 2,837 entries having been received by organisers.

Poultry and horses were the particularly strong areas for entries.

Bill Cowling, show director, said: “This is a fantastic endorsement of Countryside Live as a traditional country show which has something for everyone.

“Entries, particularly for the cattle section, were coming in from very early on and we had a waiting list in place for some time.