SHOWING great handling skills at the age of just 13, Rebecca Mackay continued the winning theme for the family at last weekend’s Bellingham Show.

Finishing ahead of second-place Layla Murray and third place Kaden Murray, the teenager was crowned champion young handler at the show.

It capped a great day for the family as her uncle Steven left with the trophy for overall champion sheep, and her father Robert entered the reserve champion Scotch Blackface sheep.

Away from the sheep pens, Rebecca’s younger sister Rachael (11) enjoyed success in the Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling ring.

Rebecca and Rachael help their parents Robert and Tanya around the family farm at Westhills, in Rothbury, and Rebecca was delighted to be named best young handler.

Tanya said: “She’s really keen on sheep and we show throughout the season, and Rebecca wanted to enter one or two classes herself and entered the young handlers’ competition.

“They went around and asked questions about the sheep, about themselves and asked them to handle the sheep, and she got the top prize.

“She was over the moon to win. She finished third in the wrestling classes, but the fact she won the young handlers’ competition was the main thing for her.

“She and her sister are great helps on the farm and, if they didn’t help out, we couldn’t show.

“If it wasn’t for them, we would have nobody to handle the sheep but they are strong and sensible enough to handle them.

“They’re great on the farm and they always help with lambing and clipping for example, and they are just really good.”

The success was the perfect end to Rebecca’s summer holidays as she prepared to start at King Edward VI School, in Morpeth, this week.