Bucks County Show 31-8-2006

Here's to another show success with our sheep....!

It all started the weekend before with a wash in the nice blue sheep bath just to get the field muck off.  Then the 2 ram lambs and 2 shearling ewes were put inside to dry off ready for trimming.

This was done the day before.  Knowing that it was going to be a 3am start on the day of the show it always seemed a bit, 'close' to the actual day.  But as alwaya the race against time was on with trimming....





....carding.  It took approximately 2 hours per sheep to prepare each one.  Soon though they had their lovely looking sack coats on together with a good dowsing of special, 'Sid Cook' sheep potion.

Then all the sheep show materials were put into the car and it was off to an early bed ready for our early start.

The next day we were up at 2.45 am loading the sheep into the trailer and then it was off an hour later blindly following the sat nav down to Buckinghamshire.  Even after a stop at Watford Gap services the trip took just 3 hrs and we were soon on the showground at 7.45am.


We were greeted by endless smiling faces as we loaded our sheep into, what can only be described as, their 'rustic pens'...

  

The judge, Irvine Pallister, arrived at the show ring just after 9am and we were soon taking the sheeps coats off and leading them into the ring.  First up were the girls with the sheep that had done so well at Heckington finishing 3rd and her cousin finishing fourth.

Straight after the ram lambs were in.  This was a strong class with 9 ram lambs in it.  Unfortunately my ram lamb did nothing but the one Carolyn had was soon moved up the line by the judge into 2nd and then after the judge had another quick feel of him he was moved up into 1st place where he stayed.  It all seemed to happen so quickly and yet there we were with a first place and a nice shiny red rosette!

After a couple of other classes came the championship classes, which of course our little ram lamb was now destined to enter.  Into the ring he went...


Unfortunately, and as is quite normally the case with youngsters, our ram lamb didn't finish in either championship placings.  The array of rosettes though was still pleasing and a fine show on front of the sheep pens....


We can now reflect on a very successful first year showing with our sheep.  They have done far better than we had ever imagined.  We have earned praise from all quarters and that in itself puts some meaning to all the hard work and time that we have put into them.

It has been a lot of hard work but our show season is now finally over. We are now left to look forward to lambing next February and hopefully some future champions...!

A big thank you again to all those that have helped us achieve so much in so little time - we'll see you on the show circuit next year, hopefully adding to our collection of rosettes and silverware...!