A FIRST showing of the season brought success for Otterburn farmer Steven Mackay.

Unable to show this season, Steven, who farms at Dudlees, was over the moon when his Scotch Blackface shearling tup was crowned overall champion at Bellingham Show.

It was the first time he had won the main prize in close to 10 years, and he was pleased to enjoy success at his main local show with the tup off a home-bred ewe which sold for £3,800 at Lanark.

Steven said: “It’s fairly busy at this time of the year so it’s the first chance to get sorted and what not.

“Bellingham is often dominated by Leicesters and Mules, so it’s nice for a Blackface to win. He is just a good, correct sheep and he’s hard to pull to bits because he doesn’t have a lot of faults.

“I don’t often miss Bellingham as it’s one of the main ones for me, and I’m very pleased to have won.”

Steven came away with the Geoff Robson Memorial Perpetual Challenge Cup for showing the overall champion, and the Hexham Courant Salver for champion Scotch Blackface.

Otterburn farmer Selby Robson, who showed the champion Hexham Blackface and Texel, received the Tom Mackay Memorial Trophy for overall reserve.

R.D. Archer and Sons, of Wark, came away with the Mule section breed winners’ trophy, and J.Hunter and Sons, of Bellingham, triumphed in the Bluefaced Leicesters breed.

Ailsa Forsyth, of Kirkwhelpington, received the Stephen Kirkup Trophy for champion Continental sheep.