SCOTTISH REGION

Regional Contact member – Melanie Harper

As I write this it’s still early February and we’ve had a bit of sleet and snow this morning. Most of my Jacobs have lambed, only waiting on shearling ewes who went to a ram lamb and two old ladies who had a bit of fun with a ram lamb who came through my electric fence and left his mark. It was the last time he did it as he ended up a freezer pack. Ewes have had fantastic colostrum along with vast amounts of milk thanks to the usual mineral buckets, high protein nuts, hay and lots of fresh water. Yes, they are eating me out of house and home but they are rearing their lambs well and I can’t ask for any more. The ewes and lambs run in and out of the shed, and they love to get out in the morning. They are still shut in at night and will do so until the weather eases a bit. As for any show champions let’s wait and see where horns go and whether they break them off. I’ve probably had about a 50/50 split with regards to ewe and ram lambs. My daughter Stephanie’s Ruberslaw flock has given her a good supply of ewe lambs… She only had two last year.

Young Gordon Connor helping with lambing at the Dun-Mor flock in West Lothian

The sad decision to cancel the National AGM Weekend was not one that was taken lightly, numbers were down and it wasn’t viable to run this. Maybe we need to rethink these weekends and look at a way that maybe we can encourage more people to attend and keep costs down. I’m always at the end of a phone or email if people have suggestions or thoughts. Can I take this opportunity to say thank you to Barbara along with the northern team who had put together a fun weekend. If you ever get the chance jump on a train and head north it is beautiful countryside in a very unspoilt part of Scotland.

The Royal Highland Show, June 19^th – 22^nd, will be with us before we know it, and it would be great to see a good turnout of Jacobs for our Welsh judge, Siwan Harris. I’m hopeful we will have a similar set up as in previous years with regards to pens and judging ring. We will have our usual after judging get together. The main judging day is on the Thursday, come along and say hello.

I can confirm our National Show will be held at Dalkeith Show on Saturday 12^th July. Ady Hamilton from Ireland has kindly accepted the invite to judge, and we are very grateful to him for making the journey over to Scotland. I must thank Scott Brown, chief sheep steward, for his help as he is always at the end of a message and phone call. Many will know Scott as the voice of the RHS sheep rings. We are hoping for some good classes of Jacobs. A little change to the normal structure for the judging wil be that the Jacob championship will be judged in the main area, and Scott Brown will then give a brief explanation about the breed and why everyone should have them their fields. It’s a chance to showcase the breed and that can only be a good thing for us. If anyone needs a schedule or more information regarding the National, please drop me a message or a call and I will try to help.

A ewe and lamb at Melanie Harper’s Deanburn flock in the Scottish Borders

The Scottish Show and Sale will take place on Friday 1^st August at H&H Carlisle and our 2025 judge is Scott Dalrymple, part of the successful Dunmor Team. We have spoken with H&H and given feedback about the 2024 sale, hopefully this will be looked at and actioned. We are still fairly new to selling at Carlisle and teething issues will hopefully get ironed out. The team at H&H are very good and always keen to help which is what we need on sale day. We will continue to work hard to hopefully get venders and buyer the best for them on sale day.

Due to the cancellation of the National AGM, we are all a bit “up in the air” but Scotland are already looking at events to compensate for the loss of the weekend. We are in the early stages of planning but we will get details out as soon as we can, and we hope to incorporate a judges’ seminar/flock visits along with a social night, Watch this space. A flock competition will hopefully go ahead in the autumn, more details to follow.

A feeling that has come from members is one that we need to be encouraging younger people into the Society, they are our future, none of us are getting any younger and we need young people to come along and bring fresh ideas. Please drop me a message if you have any ideas. Many thanks to the Scottish Committee for their continued support.

SCOTTISH REGION

Regional Contact member – Melanie Harper

I started the last report by saying rams will be out and working, by the time you read this the rams will be finished for the year and hopefully all your ewes will be in lamb. My rams went out a week later this time and again most of the ewes will lamb within a week of each other; Big L will lead the way again, but my shearling ewes have been slower to mark and will lamb after the main ewes. Mineral drench and mineral buckets again the only thing I give my females before they meet the ram. Shall see what my scanner man sees, always a nervous time.

Jack Elliott’s champion shearling ewe at Grantown Show with the judge, Scott Dalrymple

The Scottish sale was very successful. Many thanks to Kay Carpenter from the Central Region for accepting our invitation to judge, some huge classes for Kay to judge but on the day her champion came from the Trumper family, a very smart shearling ram which took her eye with another Welsh breeder taking the reserve place, a well grown ram lamb from the Hope Flock. The prices were up and down but that is the trend this year. It’s fantastic to see our sale growing and getting better and better each year. Our inspection team I am sure see a difference in the quality of sheep and there are so few now fail inspections, credit to our breeders and knowledge of the breed coming through. There will be a full report of the show and sale in this Journal. Thanks to our Scottish members who kindly sponsored the classes, and thanks to Crystalyx and Life-Guard for their generous gifts. We have secured another sponsor for our sale as Aytin Shears are keen to come on board so we look forward to seeing them in 2025. Thanks must also go to Robert Locker and Scott Dalrymple who are always at the end of a message if I need any assistance or information. We can confirm the 2025 judge will be Scott Dalrymple, I am waiting to hear a confirmed date for our sale but certain it will be start of August. I will keep everyone posted.

Our National Show 2025 should have been at The Border Union, Kelso, but this would clash with the Central Region sale at Worcester, so after a discussion with the Scottish committee we decided to approach Dalkeith Show, and as I write this I’m still waiting on confirmation that they are happy to accommodate our National Show. The general feeling is yes but we just need it confirmed. Once we have confirmation I will approach our chosen judge, the vote for the judge was also another committee choice.

At Nairn Show Jennifer Milton’s ewe was champion and Ian Forsyth’s ewe lamb reserve. The judge was Ewen MacMillan

We held our AGM at Huntly Auction Mart, Sunday 8^th September. We had a lengthy discussion about the long-awaited Scottish AGM Weekend where a fantastic Scottish welcome awaits you all. Whether you fly, drive, or go by train your journey north will be a stunning one. When I was there, I travelled further up the road to see the hotel, it looks beautiful and the staff very confident they can accommodate our needs. The northern Scottish members have organised an entertaining weekend full of sheep, trains, crafts, games, and whiskey along with a lot of laughter. Thanks to Barbara Webster who is always on hand to help me. You will find the booking forms in this Journal.

Looking ahead to the end of 2024/2025 the committee will head over the Border to visit a few northern flocks of Jacobs and we plan to visit some Dutch Spotted too (ex-Jacob breeder who has opted for black and white just minus the horns now), hopefully photos in the next journal.

We would like to have a flock competition autumn 2025 – we have yet to confirm that date, but judges have been approached and we will get details out to Scottish members as soon as I can confirm dates. We would like to have an open day/judge’s seminar too – watch out for more details.

Robert Locker’s champion and reserve sheep at the Border Union Show

We have not forgotten about our new breed promotion stand but we are just trying to get the best pictures for this as the picture used will be blown up on the stand we need good quality photos that will withstand that editing. Watch this space.

At Keith Show Ian Forsyth’s shearling ewe was champion and Allan Scott’s tup lamb reserve. The judge was Mike Munro.

On that note Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all, good luck in your lambing sheds and I cannot wait to see the first lamb pictures.

Many thanks to the Scottish Committee for their support over the last year without you we would not be surging ahead and pushing the breed on.

Melanie Harper’s first prize Jacob pair at the Border Union Show

At the Black Isle Show Linda McKendrick’s shearling ewe was champion and Barbara Webster’s tup lamb reserve. The judge was Jennifer Milton.

SCOTTISH REGION

Regional Contact member – Melanie Harper

Can you believe by the time you read this we will probably have our rams out, seems like only two minutes since the lambs were running round the lambing shed and we were picking out our show teams and sale lambs. The summer seems to of passed us by with only a small splash of sunshine.

The Jacob Sheep Society stand at Scotsheep

Many thanks to Barbara and her team who set up the stand for NSA Scotsheep, after a small admin error the Jacob Society managed to get a good spot for the stand next to some higher profile breeds which attracted a steady flow of visitors. We are still putting our new breed promotion stand together as the photos for the double sided stand need to be of exceptional quality as the photos will be blown up on the canvas. Barbara has a great deal of knowledge in this field, so we are guided by her.

The show season kicked off with the National Show at Fife, thanks to Linda McKendrick who kindly sponsored the prize money for the National. Barbara kindly donated the glass trophy too. Siwan Harries and husband, Wyn, pushed up their airmiles as Wyn had been judging in Ireland then both travelled to Scotland for Fife show. A great display of Jacobs was presented for Siwan to judge. On the day her champion choice went to Dunmor’s aged ewe and reserve spot went to Ewen MacMillan’s ram lamb. Next year our National Show will be held at – watch this space.

The next big one was the Royal Highland Show, and this year’s judge was Nicola Fletcher. Although numbers were down from the previous year the quality of Jacobs on show were there to be seen. Nicola’s champion came from the Dunmor team, their now aged ram put on the blue sash once again. The reserve championship went to Barbara Webster’s ram lamb. Female champion was awarded to Robert Locker’s shearling ewe. A full report will be included in this Journal. The entry and exit of stock seemed to feel easier as we are now diverted through the trade stands, and we miss the busy area down by the shearing tent. Thanks to all the exhibitors who gave up four long days to have their Jacobs on show. We had a lovely get together after the judging sponsored by Connor & Dalrymple and organised by Mary Connor and Angela Christie. Thanks also for everyone’s kind donations especially some very tasty shortbread from a certain member.

Connor & Dalrymple’s champion aged ewe and Ewen MacMillan’s reserve champion ram lamb at the Scottish National Show with the judge, Siwan Harries

Our Scottish sale has attracted a good number of sheep. We must thank some of our Scottish members who have kindly agreed to sponsor the prize money which has allowed us to increase the prize money on offer. Thanks to Crystalyx and Life-Guard who have once again supplied vouchers and gifts to give out to some of our prize winners. I say again that the move to Carlisle has been a very positive one. A report of the sale will be in the next Journal. Thanks to everyone who supports our sale, we appreciate you all.

The Scottish AGM 2025 is very much under control and I plan to travel with Barbara after the show and sale season is finished to visit the hotel and get the finer details in place Booking forms will be circulated with the winter Journal with all details needed to get members up to the beautiful scenery and hospitality that awaits you from our north of Scotland members.

Judging of the shearling ewe class at the Scottish National Show

I will get details out of our AGM meeting and maybe an open day too. I will keep everyone updated. Many thanks to Scottish committee members who give up their time to work so very hard for the Society.

Can I add many thanks to Siwan and her team for the super weekend we had at the Welsh AGM, my Welsh 4 horn ewe made it home to Scotland and has pride of place in my kitchen.

Connor & Dalrymple’s champion and reserve at Dalkeith Show with the judge, Adam Christie

Barbara Webster’s champion ram lamb at Fettercairn Show

Connor & Dalrymple’s champion and reserve champion sheep at Haddington Show with the judge, Mike Munro