THE damp day did not deter Tynedale sheep farmers from turning out their flocks at this year’s Northumberland County Show.

Ingoe breeder Caroline Anderson of Wallridge Moor, swept to victory in the very competitive Zwartble class, where her aged ewe was crowned champion in its section, and reserve in the sheep show.

“I’ve been coming to the county show for ten years so I know how tough it can be,” said Caroline.

“I was delighted to win in my local show, and against such stiff competition.”

It was a two-man race in the Blackface class for the second year in a row between father and son teams Willie and Stewie Weatherson of Edges Green, Haltwhistle, and Angus and Jamie Murray of Sewingshields, Haydon Bridge.

It was the Weatherson’s home-bred tup lamb which stole the champion title in the end, making it the second win in a row for the family in two years against the Murrays.

“The first time I saw her when she was just a new born, I thought to myself now that’s a real lamb,” said Willie. “Today she proved me right.”

The Murray family also saw success, leaving with two first-place rosettes, and a reserve title for their ewe hogg.

The Johnson family, made up of Ken Johnson and his children Faye and Keith, of Wolfhills, Haltwhistle, also came up trumps in the Swaledale category, where they took home the champion title with their three-year-old tup hogg.

Overall champion sheep went out of the patch to a Texel gimmer owned by breeder Keith Jamieson, of Annan.