EASTERN REGION

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Regional Contact member – Tom Green

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The Eastern Region AGM was again held at the Bell Inn Hotel at Stilton with 16 people in attendance. We enjoyed a lovely pre-Christmas lunch and The Bell will host the AGM again this November/December.

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There will be a new show with breed classes in the region at Aylsham and I would encourage anyone in that area who hasn’t shown before and would like to try to come along. We will all support you.

 

The other regional shows with breed classes are as follows:

 

Suffolk County Show – Wednesday 27^th and Thursday 28^th May – Judge: John Dixon

Rutland County Show – Sunday 31^st May – Judge John Newborough

Royal Norfolk Show – Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th June – Judge: Chris Slee

Blaston Show – Sunday 28^th June – Judge: TBC

Heckington Show – Sunday 26^th July – Judge: Gareth Jones

Leicestershire County Show – Bank Holiday Monday 31st August – Judge: James Leonard

Aylsham Show – Bank Holiday Monday 31st August – Judge: Tom Green

 

The society will be having a breed promotion stand at the Royal Norfolk Show this year so I will be asking for volunteers to help me man it this nearer the time. Members at the AGM were also keen to try and support Any Other Breed classes at Newark with the aim to get Jacob classes reinstated there.

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  The Coates family have kindly agreed to host a show preparation day on Sunday 17^th May at the Ashmere Flock near Market Haborough, we are hoping to combine this with some sessions on wool. All members welcome.

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Lambing in my own flock happened in the last week of January, sponging worked well with 44 ewes lambing within 6 days, the only ewe to return was one which had lost her sponge. The ewes are penned individually with their lambs for a minimum of 48 hours, the lambs navels are dressed with iodine in a dip cup regularly until they’ve dried and once dried and I’m happy they’re sucking they are all tailed and most ram lambs are castrated with only a handful left to run on.

Please note that DEFRA are currently consulting on altering the legislation surrounding castration and tail docking to require the use of local anaesthesia and pain relief. By the time you all receive this the consultation will have closed but I will keep you all updated. Ewes deemed to be in poorer body condition score (less than 2.5) or with triplets (or twins if a shearling) were wormed but most did not need doing. Ewes had energy buckets from 8 weeks before lambing and feeding starting 5 weeks before the lambs were due. They are currently enjoying life in the mothering up pens with hay until the weather improves and they be given a Magnesium bolus that prevents staggers and head outside (note Magnesium boluses only last 3 weeks so there is no point in giving them while they are in). Once out lambs will be introduced to creep feed coarse mix. There are one or two smart lambs beginning to show themselves so hopefully there will be something to show later this year.

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  The Eastern Region Show and Sale will be held at Melton Mowbray on September 11^th and 12^th and the judge will be our Field Officer, Scott Dalrymple, who will also hold a judges’ seminar open to all on the Friday. More details later.

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I would like to welcome new members who have joined since the last Journal, Thomas and Sophie Mountain, Rose and Roy Barrow, and Peta Claridge and Colin Dean and wish you all well on your journey into the world of Jacobs.

The region now has an active Whatsapp group with 25 members to discuss various sheep related topics to be added or if I can be any assistance to anyone please do not hesitate to contact to me on 07800 817850 or

EASTERN REGION – Regional Contact Member – Tom Green

Summer continued to be dry in the east with many members having to feed sheep over summer, hopefully now in September the weather has broken, and the grass has freshened up a bit for everyone.

First, I would like to offer the regions huge congratulations to Joe Trofer-Cook who reached the final three in the British Farming Awards for the Kaleb Cooper New Entrant Award. This followed on from Joe taking the reserve championship in the Young Handlers at the Great Yorkshire Show following a win in the oldest section, and his brother Ernie also won the youngest section meaning two of the three brothers were in the championship.

The Eastern show season continued at Heckington where John Dixon presided over the judging. Richard Chapman’s Churchland aged ewe was John’s champion on the day. This first crop ewe is a Churchland Samuel daughter and was champion as a shearling at Hope Show in 2024. She had to fight off stiff competition from David and Charlie Coe’s Wenham shearling ewe who took reserve. This one sired by Celtic Picasso was champion at Suffolk and the Royal Norfolk and had been destined for the sale at Melton Mowbray the previous year until BTV restrictions prevented it from coming. I was rather pleased to take the red rosette in the ewe lamb class with my pretty Border Bugler daughter out of a homebred dam by my own Chestnut Yellerbelly, this ewe lamb comes from my Fineshade line. In the male classes Joe Trofer-Cook won the ram class with Fenland Oh -Eck, a 4-horn shearling by Hope Diamond. Tracey and Martin Coates won the ram lamb class with Ahmere Brandon, a Beiliau Lancaster son. Jacob classes again featured at Leicestershire County Show on August Bank Holiday weekend; we were very grateful to Jean Simmons for stepping in to judge at the last minute. The classes were well supported by both Central and Eastern Region members alike. Congratulations to Jane and Alan Nightingale who took championship with their Firtree shearling ewe and Kay and Sean Carpenter who took reserve with their Lickhill ewe lamb. The Carpenters also won the ram lamb class with Lickhill Perdix. Thank you to Tracey and Martin Coates, Fenella Bellinger, Helen Wright and Charlotte Lamb for supporting the classes and it would be great to get more exhibitors here next year. Special mention to young shepherd, Sam Wright, who took 1st prize in the Young Handlers with his Mum’s Valeland Ram lamb.

I would like to wish members who have purchased from the shows and sales huge amounts of luck with their purchases. I’d like to congratulate Tracey and Martin who bought the reserve male champion, Beiliau Captain, and 2nd placed Beiliau shearling ewe at Worcester.

Onto our own sale at Melton Mowbray, I will refer you all the full sale report written elsewhere but I would like to thank all exhibitors and purchasers. Congratulations go to Charlie and David Coe on winning champion and reserve with their ram and ewe lambs respectively. Jane and Alan Nightingale who had the reserve male champion and Lisa

Adams who had the reserve female. I would like to thank Wyn Harries and Clive Richardson for inspecting and Jean Simmons for her stewarding and adjudicating and giving up their long weekend, without their support the Show and Sale wouldn’t be possible. Thanks as well go John Fozzard for judging. Twenty-two members and families enjoyed a great presale meal at an Italian Restaurant in Melton Mowbray and a great time was had by all.

I would like to welcome our new members Nick and Rebecca Kiddy and wish them well with their Jacobs.

The Eastern Region AGM and Christmas meal will again be held at The Bell Inn, Stilton on the 23rd of November.

In my own flock all ewes have now been tupped with only a handful of returns from the sponges and I look forward to the progeny from the seven tups (yes seven, my father despairs) I used this autumn at the end of January. It’s a quiet time for the flock with retained lambs being given a clear out drench for worms and just a couple of ram lambs of both breeds we keep pedigree to halter train. Ewes are away at grass now the rams are out and will be given energy and protein buckets for the last eight weeks of pregnancy with concentrate feed introduced around Christmas time.

I wish everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year and good luck at lambing time. I can be contacted in the meantime on or on 07800 817850

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

EASTERN REGION

Regional Contact Member – Tom Green

I hope everyone has had a successful lambing and your lambs are all growing well. As I write this lambing in my own flock happened in the last week of January, sponging worked well with them due on the 28th and the majority lambing from the 24th with the last two lambing on the morning of the 29th. Only half a dozen or so were remarked so they should be due Valentine’s day with a couple more due with the commercials in March.

Ewes deemed to be in poorer body condition score (less than 2.5) were wormed but most did not need doing. There was more colostrum and milk this year with the ewes having had access to Lifeline buckets from eight weeks before lambing and feeding starting five weeks before the lambs were due.

They are currently enjoying life in the mothering up pens with fodder beet and hay until the weather improves and the ewes will be given a Magnesium bolus that prevents staggers and head outside (note Magnesium boluses only last three weeks so there is no point in giving them while they are in). Once out lambs will be introduced to creep feed coarse mix.

A few lambs in sets of triplets and sets of twins on shearlings developed watery mouth but the majority were saved with a soapy enema and regular oral rehydration through a stomach tube as well as antibiotics.

Although there are a few lambs with closed blazes that stick out like sore thumbs there are also one or two smart lambs beginning to show themselves so hopefully there will be something to show later this year.

The regional shows with breed classes are as follows:

Suffolk County Show – Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th May – Judge Nicola Fletcher

Rutland County Show – Sunday 1st June – Judge Kay Carpenter

Royal Norfolk Show – Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th June – Judge John Dixon

Blaston Show – Sunday 29th June – Judge TBC

Heckington Show – Sunday 27th July – Judge TBC

Leicestershire County Show – Bank Holiday Monday 25th August – Judge James Leonard

The society will be having a breed promotion stand at the Royal Norfolk Show this year so I will be asking for volunteers to help me man this nearer the time.

I would like to welcome our new members who have joined since the last Journal, Sophie

Sotheby, Linsey Knocker, Helen Murphy and Isaac Curtis, Rose Hart and Rebecca Morcombe and wish you all well on your journey into the world of Jacobs.

Good luck to anyone still lambing and if I can be any assistance to anyone please do not hesitate to contact to me on 07800 817850 or

EASTERN REGION

Regional Contact Member – Tom Green

First of all, an apology to Sally Bothwell, Buchanan flock, who took reserve champion at Ashby with her ewe lamb, which I got wrong in my previous report.

The Eastern show season continued at Heckington and we were hugely thankful to Matt Kehoe for travelling from Ireland to judge. It was a great day for David and Charlie Coe’s Wneham flock who took the red rosette in every class, taking the champion and reserve interbreed with a Celtic Picasso sired shearling ewe, Matt found his reserve in their ewe lamb. Thank you to Tracey and Martin Coates and Joe Trofer for supporting the classes.

David and Charlie Coe’s champion shearling ewe and reserve champion ewe lamb at Heckington Show with the judge, Matthew Kehoe.

Jacob classes returned to Leicestershire County Show on August Bank Holiday weekend, judged by local vet Chris Watton. Congratulations to the Cartwright family, Goldstone flock, who travelled from Shropshire to take champion and reserve with their shearling ewe and ewe lamb respectively. Thank you again to Tracey and Martin Coates and Joe Trofer for supporting the classes and it would be great to get more exhibitors here next year.

I would like to wish members who have purchased from the shows and sales good luck with their purchases. In particular I’d like to congratulate Martin Woodbridge and Jane Wallis who bought the top priced ram lamb, Salopearl Charlie, at Worcester for their Wadenhoe flock, Lisa Adams and Ben Coe who purchased the reserve champion Wharf Goldeneye to share between their Oakfields and Typhoon flocks, and Gilly Winchester who purchased the champion ewe from the Welsh Sale.

On to our own sale at Melton Mowbray, I will refer you all the full sale report written elsewhere but I would like to congratulate all exhibitors and purchasers. In particular Wyn, Siwan, Sara and Lois Harries on gaining champion and two of the top prices, Jane and Alan Nightingale who had the reserve champion. and finally Tracey and Martin Coates who had the reserve male champion and top priced male, and congratulations to them on purchasing the champion, and to Katherine Morley who purchased their ram lamb.

I would like to thank Wyn Harries and Clive Richardson for inspecting and Jean Simmons for her stewarding, writing for the inspectors and adjudicating and for them all giving up their long weekend as without their support the show and sale wouldn’t be possible. Thanks as well go John Dixon for judging.

James Cartwright with his champion shearling ewe and reserve champion ewe lamb at Leicestershire County Show

I would like to welcome our new member Gemma Knott on behalf of the Salvation Army’s Hadleigh Farm Estate in Essex. Their Rare Breeds Centre is open to the public if anyone is in the area.

By the time this is published I hope that a flock competition will have been arranged and held in the late autumn and either way we will be holding a winter get together soon.

In my own flock all ewes have now been tupped with only a handful of returns from the sponges and I look forward to the progeny from the seven tups (yes seven, my father despairs) I used this autumn at the end of January. It’s a quiet time for the flock with retained lambs being given a clear out drench for worms and just a couple of ram lambs of both breeds we keep pedigree to halter train. Ewes are away at grass now the rams are out and will be given energy and protein buckets for the last eight weeks of pregnancy with concentrate feed introduced around Christmas time.

I wish everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year and good luck at lambing time. I can be contacted in the meantime on or on 07800 817850.

 

EASTERN REGION

Regional Contact Member – Tom Green

With Summer here and the shows in full swing the Eastern region’s calendar of events kicked off with a well-attended Show Preparation Day at the Sandal family’s Glenbank flock, kindly sponsored by Showtime Supplies. George Sandall has kindly provided a few words on the day below so all I would like to add is a huge vote of thanks to George and Harry and of course Mum and Dad (Vicky and Richard) for having us and providing us with a superb barbecue lunch and to everyone who took the time to attend.

“After another wet week, the sun shone for our Eastern region show prep day (it truly was the most perfect weather. How we could have done with some more days like that this summer). We initially looked through the flock and discussed the characteristics to look for in choosing a show sheep. Kay Carpenter, Jean Simmons, Paula Bramley and David Tuffney kindly shared their knowledge and expertise in what to look for, followed by a trimming demonstration. Tom Green then demonstrated washing and carding. A BBQ lunch was enjoyed and the advice and conversations continued to flow through lunch. The afternoon involved ring craft with some useful tips and practical demonstrations. The day was very well attended by both well-known faces and also many new faces introduced to JSS showing and encouraged to enter the ring. Many thanks to all involved in a wonderful day! (Hear, hear George)”

Society president, Pat Black, presenting Vicky Sandall with a thank you gift at the Easter Region show preparation workshop

May saw some members compete in Any Other Breed classes at local shows. Gillian Christian took the reserve championship at Hadleigh Show beating Border Leicesters, Blue Faced Leicesters, Kerry Hills., and Lleyns in the process.

Gillian Christian’s ewe lamb, reserve champion Any Other Short Wool Breed at Hadleigh Show

Gillian Christian with her ewe, reserve champion at the Royal Norfolk Show

David Tuffney’s champion aged ewe and Vicky Sandall’s reserve champion ewe lamb at Rutland show with the judge, Peter Gorringe

After losing our breed classes at the Suffolk Show I would like to thank the three exhibitors who turned out in the Other Native Breed classes to fly the Jacob flag, all of whom were rewarded with rosettes. Becky Fisher of the Church flock took 3rd place with her ram. Gillian Christian of the Briden flock took a 3rd place with her ram lamb and 4th with her ram and shearling ewe. Gilly Winchester of the Bacewell flock took a 4th with her ram lamb. Congratulations to the three of you and hopefully your support will lead to the reinstatement of breed classes next year.

It was ladies’ day at the first official show of the season at Rutland where Peter Gorringe of the Shutecombe flock found his champion in David and Jean Tuffney’s aged Kingsmore ewe with the Sandall family’s Glenbank ewe lamb in reserve. Congratulations to Sally Bothwell’s Buchanan ram lamb and Farmer Joe’s Fenland Shearling ewe who took first place in their respective classes. Farmer Joe was also well placed with his Fenland ram lamb in the Any Other Native breed class at the Lincolnshire Show.

Next up was The Royal Norfolk Show judged by Angela Gilbert. It was a fantastic show for the breed with Charlie and David Coe’s aged ram being tapped out in the breed classes before going on to stand reserve interbreed under the Society’s former official auctioneer Clive Roads of McCartneys, Worcester. This ram is Wneham Pict out of a homebred ewe and by Hyndshaw Borris and he was also breed champion at Heckington Show last year. In the breed classes Gillian Christian’s aged ewe was reserve overall while the Coe family took the reserve male and reserve female champions with a ram lambs and shearling ewe, while Becky Fisher took the red ribbon in the shearling ram class and Lisa Adams took the red rosette in the ewe lamb class. Many thanks also to the other exhibitors; Ben Coe, Debbie Gilks, Alan Smith and Gilly Winchester which culminated in an entry of over 30 Jacobs and a superb show of the breed.

Blaston Show held Jacob classes again this year and Jane Nightingale came over the Leicestershire border to win the championship with her shearling ewe, the Sandall family’s ewe lamb stood reserve. Finally Ashby Show was judged by John Dixon the weekend before the deadline for this article, and Jane Nightingale again took the championship with her shearling ram while Farmer Joe took reserve with his 4 horn ram lamb. Many Thanks to all the exhibitors from both the Eastern and Central Region for supporting the show.

Welcome to the new members in the region since the last Journal, Gilly Winchester – Bracewell Flock; Charlie and Emma Harrington – Buttercup Flock; Dawn and Norman Moore- Long Last flock; and Katherine Morley, I hope you all enjoy your time keeping Jacob sheep.

In my own flock the lambs have been gone through and the first fat lambs have been sold deadweight, weighing and grading well, however the £40 odd pound a lamb drop in price over the last month was less appreciated. Lambs for showing at Heckington have been selected and I will report on the regions final show of the season in the next issue.

Melton Mowbray Show and Sale is on the horizon over the 13th and 14th September. I have some lambs selected to go, I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. A social meal will be organised for the Friday evening with all welcome to attend. Before then my ewes will have been synchronised and tups will be in ready to start the cycle all over again for next year. Hopefully a flock assessment will take place within the region later in the autumn with a winter get together to announce the results.

In the meantime, if I can be of any assistance please do not hesitate to contact me – the regional email address is or my number is 07800 817850.