Tan Hill 'shop window' showcases Swaledales

BAKING sunshine and a high quality field capped off a successful afternoon at one of the country’s premier Swaledale sheep shows.
The 64th annual Tan Hill Sheep Show cast off the mizzle of last year to usher in Brian Thornborrow’s West Stonesdale gimmer as supreme champion.
Familiar faces kept proceedings moving with upper dale farmer Neville Bainbridge one of the judges on the day.
Mr Thornborrow, from near Keld, was delighted with his gimmer’s victory.
He said: “It’s been a good year and it’s been a good sheep. I showed it as a gimmer hogg and it got a first rosette.
“I’ve shown it for three years now.”
Last year’s show was dubbed one of the finest fields ever seen at Tan Hill and show secretary Raymond Calvert drew parallels with this year’s turnout.
He said: It’s been a very good show as usual.
“The show is renowned as one of the best shows of Swaledales – it attracts the best sheep from exhibitors and it attracts other breeders to see if there are sheep they can buy later – particularly the tup hoggs.
“It’s like our shop window today. It’s the end of lambing so it’s also a big social event to get away from it all for the day.”
It was a successful family affair for the Calverts with Raymond’s son, Andrew, picking up champion small breeder honours.
His uncle and show steward, Chris Calvert, said the family’s relationship with the show stretched back to the very start.
The 59-year-old added: “My dad showed at the very first one.
“I came here as a kid and he used to steward before I was pushed forward.
“It’s a bit of a privilege being a steward – you have got to get the right sheep in the right place, but the judges have the hardest job.”