Southdown sired lambs have once again been at the top of the tree at the recent round of winter primestock shows, with a number of top titles collected by exhibitors.
At the East of England Smithfield Festival, Peterborough, lambs from the Long family, Ashford, Kent, led the way for the breed, picking upthe reserve overall native lamb championship with a pair of Southdown x Beltex cross lambs as well as the purebred native championship with a pair of Southdown whether lambs.
The Long's reserve overall native lambs were sired by their French bred stock tup TC10187 'Sarkozy' and weighed in at 43.5kg apiece, while their purebred title winners were by the same sire and tipped the scales at 42kg each.
In a remarkable feat the same exhibitors won all three classes for Southdown sire lambs, picking up first in the untrimmed class with a pair of Southdown x Suffolk cross lambs, as well as first in the purebred trimmed and crossbred trimmed classes. Second spot in the crossbred trimmed class went to a pair of lambs from David and Linda Wadland, with second place in the trimmed purebred class going to Robert Cox.
Best of the Southdown sired carcasses at the show was a Southdown x Beltex carcass from Messrs Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer which graded E3L and weighed 22kg deadweight. This one stood second in the native carcass class.
At the Royal Welsh Winter Fair the Southdown sired class was won by Katherine Price and Lindsay Parry with a pair of lambs bred by Lesley Mead which weighed 96kg. Second here went to Stephen and Paul Humphrey.
Meanwhile, the Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer partnership again triumphed in the carcass classes, taking a first prize ticket with a Southdown sired carcass which graded E3L.
The Long family were on top form at Ashford Cattle Show too, taking the Native championship here with a pair of 36.5kg Southdown x Beltex cross lambs which were again by the French sire Sarkozy. And at the English Winter Fair the Longs also topped the honours in the purebred Southdown class, again with a pair of Southdown whethers by the same sire. Second here went to Robert Cox.
The South East Primestock Winter Fayre Messrs Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer took the reserve overall championship with a pair of Southdown-sired lambs.
