Carnforth’s Jam Robinson clinched what he deemed one of his most prestigious successes to date in the show area when standing breed champion in the North of England Mule classes, then overall commercial inter-breed champion for the first time at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show.
He achieved the illustrious double with his first prize clipped Mule geld hogg, a shearling bred in Cumbria by Neil and Mary Marston’s Highberries flock near Cockermouth, which also stood best of breed for Jam at the previous month’s Royal Highland Show.
The Robinson gimmer shearling pairs class victors. Jam is pictured left, assisted by Neil Marston.
The runner-up in the same Scottish show class, again a Highberries shearling, went on to repeat the process when standing second prize clipped geld hogg at the Great Yorkshire, the duo grabbing further glory when shown together to win the gimmer shearling pairs class.
For good measure, the Red Rose showman also finished first in the sucked pairs show class for hoggs that had already reared lambs this year – one another Highberries, the other from the Asby Hall Browns.
Jam also claimed his first-ever commercial inter-breed title. He enthused: “It is without doubt one of my best-ever show results. To stand breed champion again is in itself a fantastic achievement, but to move up to the next level and claim inter-breed honours really is the icing on the cake - a dream come true.”
Jam Robinson with his 2024 Great Yorkshire North of England Mule breed champion, later overall commercial inter-breed champion, joined by judge Joe Throup, left, and Martin and Val Brown presenting The Hannah Brown Memorial Trophy for the first time.
Jam also said he was tremendously honoured to become the first-ever recipient of The Hannah Brown Memorial Trophy, presented both for competition and on show day by Hannah’s parents, Martin and Val Brown, of Leyburn. Sepsis tragically claimed the life of their young daughter in 2021 when aged just 26 and the couple have since done everything possible to raise awareness of the potential seriousness of the condition, particularly among farming communities.
Great Yorks show judge was long-standing NEMSA member Joe Throup, from Draughton, Skipton, who has been breeding North of England Mules for four decades, establishing the Chelker Bluefaced Leicester flock in 1992, now running some 370 Swaledale ewes and producing around 340 Mule gimmer lambs annually, splitting them between auction marts in Skipton, Bentham, Hawes and Pateley Bridge.
He commented: “It was another excellent show of good quality sheep. The breed champion really stood out for me. She had everything a Mule should have – head big and bold, good length and width, chest and legs excellent. Plus all the best breed points – great even skin, superb head and leg colour. She stood and walked like a true champion and it was an honour to see and judge her.”
Chris Hewitt, with sons Stan, left, and Tommy, and their Great Yorkshire reserve champion outfit.
The reserve championship fell to North Craven’s Chris Hewitt, who farms in Tatham, near Bentham, with a 2-shear Mule ewe with two Texel lambs at foot, which first won their show class. He also stood reserve champion in 2022 with a Mule gimmer shearling.
Remarkably, the ewe had itself stood breed champion and overall commercial champion at last year’s Great Yorkshire when paraded as a shearling by fellow North Craven showman Graeme Jackson, of Mount Pleasant, High Bentham. It was among a ten-strong gimmer lamb pen he purchased at Bentham Auction Mart the previous year from John Hutchinson, of Hebblethwaite Hall, Cautley. Chris purchased the ewe privately.
The Marstons 1st prize single gimmer lamb show class winner held by Mary Marston.
The Millstone Moor Marstons, the 2023 Great Yorkshire reserve champions with a single gimmer lamb, themselves picked up a brace of first prize rosettes, again winning the singles class, then supplementing it with the gimmer lamb pairs victors.
Mike and Betty Allen, who have been showing Mules at the Great Yorkshire for no less that 30 years, added to multiple past successes when again winning the pair of ewes class, while great friends the Leyburn Browns also made a welcome return to the show arena for the first time in two decades, finishing among the prizes when presenting the third prize gimmer shearling pair.
Kevin Wilson, right, and son, James, with their Open Inter-breed reserve champion North of England Mule gimmer lambs (photograph courtesy of M/s Wilson)
There was also a high profile Great Yorks success on the final day of the four-day county highlight for former NEMSA national chairman Kevin Wilson, of Blubberhouses, who first won the Open all-breeds non-MV ewe lambs pairs show class, progressing to stand over Inter-breed reserve champion with a brace of gimmer lambs by two home-bred tups, both sons of the legendary F1 Bighead. He also picked up three tickets in the main Mule show classes.
Full Great Yorkshire Show results and live video action from can be accessed via NEMSA’s Facebook page.
Article by Moule Media and Photographs by Wayne Hutchinson www.farm-images.co.uk
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