| 2018-12-05 |    |
Mule Ewe Lamb takes Champion at Winter Stock Festival
North Yorkshire farmer Graeme Jackson continued his run of success at the 2018 East of England Winter Stock Festival in Peterborough on December 1.
Mr Jackson from Bentham, north of Settle, was the inaugural 2016 Mule ewe lamb champion and last year’s overall reserve champion. This year he returned to win the open single Mule lamb class and the pair of Mule gimmer lambs class, and was crowned overall champion.
Libby Bell from sponsor Barnard Castle Auction, Sheila Eggleston, Ewe lamb class judge, Kevin Wilson NEMSA chairman and judge, and holding the sheep, overall champion Graeme Jackson.
Graeme swept the board in the single lamb class, picking up second, third and fourth place, along with third place in the pair of lambs section, with Chase Sansom, of Corby, finishing second and the Geary family, who farm near Milton Keynes, in fourth.
In the local Mule category, open to entrants farming within a 50-mile radius of Peterborough, GL Gent and Son, of Oundle took first place, with Cole Sansom, of Corby, second and the Geary family third and fourth.
This was the third year that NEMSA breeding ewe lamb competition show classes were staged at the annual event.
This year’s show was judged by the NEMSA chairman Kevin Wilson.
Mr Wilson said:
“Mule users and breeders from across the nation,
including a large contingent from the East of England, continue to
travel to our big autumn sales at the northern auction
marts to buy sheep. We remain extremely grateful for their ongoing
support.
“We were delighted to return to The East of England Winter Stock Festival, which creates keen interest among North of England Mule aficionados. This year attracted a solid NEMSA entry and a worthy champion.”
East
of England Winter Stock Festival senior sheep steward Duncan Burton
said:
“It's the highlight of the show to see such a good show
of quality animals, the quality improves yearly and with spectators from
the north looking on, next year promises to be even stronger.
Many thanks to the support of the sponsors, exhibitors and NEMSA.”
The NEMSA show classes were sponsored by North West Auctions and the Kendal branch of NEMSA, while the pairs and local singles and overall championship was sponsored by Barnard Castle Auction.
