Smiles were evident on the faces of even the most reserved farmers at a sun-blessed and lively Crosby Ravensworth Show on Thursday.
Many remarked that they had really missed country shows during the pandemic, with one sheep exhibitor summing up the mood as a he said: “It’s a nice day out and a chance to take things easy, without getting too serious.”
Show secretary India Tuer said it had been a wonderful day, with entries plentiful and a great turnout of spectators, with the gate up on the last show, in 2019, even at an early stage of the event.
India said: “We’re also lucky to have Appleby Town Band here, who’ve really cheered things up. I would also like to thank Ian Allonby, who’s organised a very good poultry section.
“The tent was kindly loaned by Bampton Sports and we could have taken more entries if it had been a bit bigger.”
Chairman Brian Bowness said: “It’s surprising how many people are here – there are quite a lot of visitors we’ve never seen before – and we’ve had fantastic support from exhibitors.
“There are 135 entries in the horse and pony classes, which is 50 up on most years, and the vintage section and sheep are also up.”
He added: “It took some nerve to go ahead with the show knowing we might have to cancel it, and a lot of people have thanked us for it.”
The sections for Dales and Fell ponies were both keenly contested and saw a rare family double for brothers James and John Cockbain, both of Rakefoot Farm, Keswick, with James winning the championship in the former and John the top award in the latter.
The champion Dales was Carrock Cherry Blossom, a home-bred four-year-old mare sired by the stallion Westwick Hector.
A delighted James said she had been reserve champion at the breed society’s show earlier this month.
John’s champion Fell was Carrock Daenerys – named after a character in Game of Thrones – a two-year-old filly sired by Carrock Stride the Night out of Townend Sugar. The filly was third in her class at her only previous competitive outing, the Great Yorkshire.
A combination of youth and experience triumphed in the show pony section, with the championship going to six-year-old Olivia Stockdale, from Clifton, riding Peggy, a 25-year-old Shetland cross Fell pony.
Peggy had won the championship before, when ridden by Olivia’s older sister Sophia.
The top Shetland pony was Addingham Heidi, a three-year-old filly bred and exhibited by Paul Atkinson, from Temple Sowerby, who said he was “chuffed to bits” she had won on her first competitive outing.
The pony was sired by Horninglow Ravenstone out of Kerloch Elouise.
Danielle and Dorothy Dixon, owners of the Jungle Stud, Appleby, had the champion miniature Shetland, and eight-year-old mare called Gilsland Wells Kayla.
The pony was in-foal for the third time. In the sheep pens, the champion Bluefaced Leicester was a ram lamb bred and exhibited by Paul and Adele Sowerby, Low Barn, Appleby.
Paul said the lamb was sired by a Carry House tup, took third in class at Cockermouth and is to be sold this autumn.
The champion tup overall was a three-year-old Beltex exhibited by Michael Elliott, Espland House, Newton Reigny.
He said he had been supporting the show for a number of years and was glad to see it return. His champion was bought at Lanark as a shearling.
Chris Alderson, Aisgill Farm, Mallerstang, had the top Swaledale, a three-shear ewe sired by a Jack Lawson tup out of a Marwood ewe.
“I bought a tup from Arthur Slack and got the ewe thrown in for good luck,” said Chris.
