EASTERN REGION
Regional Contact Member – Tom Green
The show season kicked off in the Eastern region with Jane Woodbridge and Martin Wallis representing the breed in the Any Other Native Section at Nottinghamshire County Show, picking up the reserve male championship with their shearling ram. At the South Suffolk Show Gilly Winchester again represented the breed in the Any Other Breed section with her ram lamb taking 2nd place ahead of a Charollais, and her ewe lamb and shearling ewe both taking home third place rosettes. Hadleigh Show with Gilly Winchester representing the breed alongside Charlie and David Coe. Gilly was 2nd in the ewe lamb class while the Coes shearling ewe also took 2nd place, however it was the Wneham ram lamb that stole the show winning his class and becoming champion Native and then interbreed champion.
David and Charlie Coe’s champion ewe at the Royal Norfolk Show with the judge, John Dixon
The first breed classes were held at the Suffolk where Nicola Fletcher ably judged. David and Charlie Coe’s aged ram was male champion while Gillian Christian’s ram lamb was reserve. Overall. The female champion was David and Charlie Coe’s shearling ewe while the reserve female and reserve overall was the aged ewe from the same home. Congratulations also go to the other exhibitors who helped get these classes reinstated; Becky Fisher and Neil Baskett, Ben Coe and Gilly Winchester.
Rutland Show was judged by Kay Carpenter who found her champion in Richard Chapman’s aged ewe and reserve in Joe Trofer-Cook’s ram lamb, Fenland Dennis the Menace. Congratulations to Tracey and Martin Coates who won the shearling ram and shearling ewe classes and Jane Woodbridge and Martin Wallis who won the ewe lamb class.
The biggest show in the region was the Royal Norfolk Show with eight exhibitors putting sheep forward for the judge, John Dixon, who certainly had his work cut out with the biggest classes being the lamb classes with 11 ram lambs and 12 ewe lambs forward. The female and overall champion was the shearling ewe from David and Charlie Coe’s Wneham flock, while Gillian Christian’s ewe lamb was reserve female champion. The male champion and reserve overall was Kingarrow Easton showed by the Gorringe family’s Shutecombe flock. Reserve male champion was Gillian Christian’s ram lamb, Briden Eddie. Congratulations to Becky Fisher and Neil Baskett, Church Flock, who took 2nd in the ewe lamb class and 3rd in the ram lamb class in only their second year showing, as well as the other exhibitors, Wendy Sharp, Sharphouse flock who missed the judging for the birth of her granddaughter, Ben Coe, Typhoon flock, and Gilly Winchester, Bracewell flock, and Debbie Gilks, Bridgham Flock.
The Society also held a successful breed stand at the show, we received numerous positive comments and several enquiries. My thanks to Becky Fisher, John Dixon, Lisa Adams and Debbie Gilks for helping me to man it.
Blaston Show was ably judged by John Emberton with Martin and Tracey Coates taking the championship with their shearling ram and Richard Chapman taking the reserve.
I’d like to welcome two new members, Sandra James, Ivycot Flock and Regenerative Farms Ltd, Beeleigh Abbey Flock to the Society and wish you all well on your journey into the world of Jacobs.
As I sit here writing this on the second weekend of July, hiding from the heat, Lincolnshire can only be described as a desert. We’ve had very little rain and with the grass burnt off ewes are being supplemented with barley straw and I am going to have to start thinking about how to flush them before we start sponging in August to lamb at the end of January. Lambs have been weaned a couple of weeks and those to retain have been selected as well as those which will be sold privately and at Melton MowbraySale. Shearling ewes have also been sorted through. The majority of wethers and tup lambs that did not make the grade have been sold at an average £7.50 a kg (£1 higher than the same stage last year), all grading at R and O 3L/3H which is the right specification for deadweight company.
I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the remaining shows and Melton Mowbray Show and Sale If I can be any assistance to anyone please do not hesitate to contact to me on 07800 817850 or