HAWKSHEAD Show at-tracted thousands of people, including couples from New Zealand and Australia.

On what proved to be a record-breaking day, one of the most prestigious awards was won by a primary school pupil.

Six-year-old Matthew Benson, of Horrace Farm, Ulverston, won the Cook-son Cup for Best Sheep on the Field – the youngest winner on record.

His mum Joanne said: “His dad calls him Dr Dolittle because he’s so good with the sheep. I’m very proud of him. He puts in a lot of work every day after school. It’s what he wants to do.”

And there was an unprecedented victory for Brian and Jayne Knowles, from Selside, who won awards for three different breeds of sheep: Mule, Swale-dale and Rough Fell.

“It’s tremendous,” said Jayne. “We’ve never won three before and we never expected to!”

Elsewhere, the winners of the cattle competitions kept it in the family.

Evonne Corr, of Town Head Farm, Appleby, and Jayne Rawlinson, of Quarry Bank Farm, Mar-ton, are sisters who won dairy and beef competitions respectively.

Jayne’s husband Ian said: “The show is a little holiday for us because you can’t just go abroad when you own a farm. We’ve encouraged our kids to do the showing for the past five or six years.

“It’s an old-fashioned Cumbrian day out. It helps to promote local food because people can actually see where it comes from.”

There were fewer entrants in the horse compe-titions but, according to judge Alison Bell the standard was high.

She said: “I think it’s really nice to see a local show that can compete against the big ones like the Westmorland County Show.”

Phillipa and Jim Winram, 60, from Sydney, who said: “We travelled 10,000 miles just for the show. We love all the animals and seeing the different sheep. Every-body is very friendly and it’s a beautiful place despite too many bends in the roads!”

Cups and trophies

Horses

Peggy Crossland Trophy, champion fell pony: D. Hoggarth; Mrs M Briggs-Bury Cup, best Shetland: J.D. Kay; Grey Ladies Ember Trophy, best ridden Shetland: Ellie Simmonds; Mrs A. McCutcheon, best junior Shetland: Mr. Blenkarn; Lynne Wolf Cup, best ridden mountain & moorland: Elaine Prickett; Golden Dollar Trophy, best coloured horse/pony, in hand: D. Park; S. Wood Cup, best exhibit: Mollie Mae Jeffrey; Boddington Trophy, best mare/gelding: Karen Higgs; C. Cooper Trophy, champion light: Mollie Mae Jeffrey; Isaac Watson Memorial Challenge Cup, highest placed working hunter: Mollie Mae Jeffrey; Postlethwaite Trophy, highest placed within parish: Emily White; Paul Adams Memorial Trophy, best working hunter: Anna Clowes; Mt Chadwick Cup, champion heavy: G. Dodd; Overall champion: Mollie Mae Jeffrey; Reserve Champion: G. Dodd.

Dogs
C. Bulman Perpetual Challenge Trophy, best hound: M. Nicholson; W.D. Heelis Perpetual Challenge Bowl, best sheepdog: Clare Briggs; Joe Wilkinson trophy, best terrier: D. Bainbridge; Perpetual Trophy, best 
group: North Lonsdale Foxhounds.

Private Driving
Gilbert Brown Cup, overall champion: E. Chapman; Society Cup, best stallion/mare/gelding: E. Chapman.

Sheep
Cookson Trophy, best in show: Matthew Benson; Brass Family Memorial Trophy, best reserve: Messrs Graham; Mrs D.E. Slowe Cup, champion Blueface Leicester: B&J Watson; Crossland Trophy, champion Rough Fell: TLB&K Knowles; National Trust Trophy, best coat, Herdwick: G. Harryman; Borwick Cup, best Herdwick: G. Harryman; Grizedale Cup, best opposite, Herdwick: J&P Braithwaite; Ciba-Gegy Animal Health Trophy, best exhibit, Swaledale: TLB&J Knowles; NFU Cup, best exhibit, Texel: Messrs Graham; Leslie Hewkin Trophy, best exhibit, open lamb/cattle: Robert Rawlinson; Native & Rare Breeds Cup, best exhibit: L. Hodgson; Champion, any other breed: Matthew Benson.

Cattle
Society Cup, best exhibit, dairy: Jack Sowerby; Society Tankard, best exhibit, beef: Robert Rawlinson

 

Results

Horses. Registered Fell Ponies - Open mare/gelding more than 4yrs: 1 Cath Wrigley; 2 E. Dempster. Yearling/colt/gelding/filling: D.Hoggarth; 2 Hannah Faulkner. Gelding/filly, 2-3yrs: Emma Garnett. Best fell pony, more than 3yrs, mounted: 1 F. Hoggarth; 2 Cath Wrigley; 3 E. Dempster. Registered Shetland Pony - Mare/gelding, more than 4yrs: 1 J.D. Kay; 2 Ellie Simmonds; 3 J.D. Kay. Foal: 1 Mr. Blenkarn; 2 Abbie Whitehead; 3 Holly Ransome. Ridden, on/off lead rein: 1 Ellie Simmonds; 2 Indianna Foxon. Mountain and Moorland - Registered, ridden: 1 Elaine Prickett; 2 Fiona Blenkarn; 3 Nicoll Floyd. Coloured, horse/pony, in hand: 1 D. Park; 2 Finlay Martin; 3 Hannah Mullan. Coloured, horse/pony, mounted: 1 Kelsy Hudson; 2 D. Park; 3 Hannah Mullan. Light Horses - Pony/mare/gelding, less than 12.2hh, on leading rein, u8yrs: 1 Zara Clough; 2 Olivia Doyle; 3 Emily Doyle. Pony/mare/gelding, less than 12.2hh, ridden, u12yrs: 1 Mollie Mae Jeffrey; 2 Michaela Evans; 3 Anya Clough. Pony/mare/gelding, 12.2-13.2hh, ridden u14yrs: 1 Haydn Evans; 2 Holly Ransome. Pony/mare/gelding, 13.2-14.2hh, ridden u16yrs: 1 Emily White; 2 Leah Clough; 3 Missy Ravenscroft. Mare/gelding, more than 14.2hh, hack/hunting, ridden: 1 Karen Higgs; 2 April Higgin. Working Hunter Pony - Working Hunter, less than 13hh, jumping small fences: 1 Mollie Mae Jeffrey; 2 Michaela Evans; 3 Robyn Allen. Working Hunter, 13-15hh, jumping small fences: 1 Emily White; 2 Tilly Hughes; 3 April Higgin. Working Hunter, more than 15hh, jumping small fences: 1 Anna Clowes; 3 Megan Gray. Heavy Horses - 1-2yrs: 1 Dawn Watson; 2 Melissa Watson; 3 D. Woodend. Brood mare with foal: 1 G. Dodd. Foal: 1 G. Dodd. More than 3yrs: 1 G. Dodd; 2 Hannah Ireland; 3 D. Woodend. Jumping Classes - Ponies, u12.2hh, 1st round jumps u1ft9in: 1 Robyn Allen; 2 Carrie Tyson; 3 Michaela Evans. Ponies, 12.2-13.2hh, 1st round jumps u2ft: 1 Amber Stock-Hutton; 2 Mayon Evans; 3 Christian Forlizzi. Ponies 13.2-14.2hh, 1st round jumps u2ft3ins: 1 Tilly Hughes; 2 Leah Clough; 3 Zoe Nugent. Ponies more than 14hh, 1st round jumps u2ft6”: 1 Kelsey Hudson; 2 Carol Winder; 3 Louise Nugent.
Dogs
Rough haired, sheepdog/bitch: 1 Jessica Arnold; 2 Elaine Prickett; 3 Andrea Meanwell. Smooth haired, sheepdog/bitch: 1 Clare Briggs; 2&3 David Mallet. Working Terrier, dog: 3 R. Lomas. Working Terrier, bitch: 1 Sarah Clayton; 2&3 David Pearson. Best entered Foxhound, dog: 1 M. Nicholson; 2&3 North Lonsdale Foxhounds. Best unentered Foxhound, dog: 1&3 M. Nicholson; 2 North Lonsdale Foxhounds. Best entered Foxhound, bitch: 1&2 M. Nicholson. Best group of four viz: 1 North Lonsdale Foxhounds; 2 Coniston Foxhounds.
Private Driving
Stallion/mare/gelding more than 4yrs, driven to exercise vehicle: 1 E. Chapman; 2 RE Dixon; 3 Roisin Swarbrick.