The group then moved to the Kings Arms in Kirby Stephen where the serious business of the weekend took place and members were able to voice their thoughts and ideas for promotion of the breed in 2010.

Mr John Smithson has taken on a second term of office as Chairman and Mr John Watkins is to continue as Vice Chairman.

Council representatives:

• Region 3 Simon Wright had been voted on by his region earlier in the year with Mrs Debbie Siggs as deputy.
• Region 1 as a result of the voting of the members of the region Mr John Gate was elected as representative for Region 1 with Mrs Pat Imlah as deputy.
• Region 4 as a result of the voting of the members of the region Mr Moore Hamilton was elected as representative for Region 4 with Mr Michael Graham as deputy.
• Miss Elizabeth Lee will continue her term as representative for Region 2 with Mr John Watkins as deputy.

Mr John Smithson thanked Mr Michael Graham and Mrs Pat Imlah for their hard work whilst on council and hoped they would still be willing to volunteer help when needed.

Mr John Smithson reported that the show flock for 2008 was Mr David Jane of the Broadwood Flock with Mr Percy Tait of the Knighton flock in reserve place.

Photo of David Jane receiving the Rouge Sheep Society Show Flock Award from Chairman John Smithson

A crystal goblet was awarded Graham and Knox for the most points at the Royal Ulster show. A crystal goblet was awarded to Mr David Jane for the most points at the Royal Highland show. A crystal goblet was awarded to Mr Percy Tait for the most points at the Royal Show and the Royal Welsh Show.

Photos of David Jane and George Knox receiving their awards from Chairman John Smithson

Hororary Life President

Mr John Smithson announced that the Society had never had occasion to present this award and felt privileged to be able to do so. John Watkins put forward the nomination and Mr Simon Wright gave a brief resume of the life and times with rouge sheep for the nominee Mr David Jane of the Broadwood flock.

Mr David Jane stated he was delighted and honoured to receive such an award.

Photo of David Jane receiving his award from Chairman John Smithson.

Sunday morning 4th October saw a trail of cars leading across the hills out of Cumbria to visit Jeff and Sue Wilkinson, at Barningham, Richmond, Yorkshire.

This started with a tour of the flock at home in lush pastures and then a sheep dressing demonstration with a ewe kindly loaned by John Smithson and dressed by Stephen Doddsworth and Ian Teasdale. A paper is to be put together for those members that were unable to attend this very interesting demonstration it showed just how much time needs to be spent to present the sheep at shows and sales.

The dressed ewe – ready to show

Jeff and Sue had kindly arranged a sheep judging competition as well, the judge being Mr Michael Graham. Everyone was urged to have a go and the lambs looked really well. The winner on the day was Mr John Smithson.

John Smithson receiving the sheep judging prize from Sue Wilkinson

Thanks were extended Jeff and Sue Wilkinson for the fantastic day in Yorkshire and for their kind hospitality. John Smithson thanked everyone that had attended the AGM weekend and it is hoped to make a social weekend of the AGM in 2010.

A J Graham also took the prize for the Best opposite sex to Champion with a shearling ewe which made £260 on the day.

Topping the sale at 880gns was shearling ram from David Jane, Broadwood Hunter, a substitute entry to the original catalogue. Sired by the noted Garlic Footprint ram and bred from a Broadwood Rocksolid sired mother, Hunter was sold to J Charlton & Sons of Cleator Moor, Cumbria. At 800gns was another shearling ram, this time coming from the Knighton flock of Percy Tait based in Worcester. This home bred ram, a son of Knighton E1 and out of a Happy Home bred mother, he was knocked down to SA & VL Morris of Craven Arms. Topping the Romer pen of shearlings from John Lloyd and Elizabeth Lee was a February born ram at 710gns. Romer Harchibald, a son of Elagh Action Man and out of Wrights Bountiful, has had a successful show season earlier in the year winning 4th prize at the Royal Show and is full brother to the reserve male champion at the Royal Highland Show 2008. Harchibald was successfully bought by local enthusiasts Messrs Dodd of Temple Sowerby.

The highest female price of the sale came from the Broadwood flock dispersal of ewes and gimmers for David Jane. At 500gns, David’s champion show ewe Broadwood Evita, a daughter of Carscreugh Kingpin, caught the eye of many breeders with her shear size of strength of bone. She was sold to fellow breeder James Redfern to join his Redfern flock based at Leek, Staffordshire. James continued his purchases with selecting another two sheep from the Broadwood flock, the first at 480gns and the second at 420gns. The first was a three shear ewe, Broadwood Forgetmenot, a daughter of Broadwood Dynamo and going back to the noted imported sire Bruiser on her mothers pedigree. The third purchase for Mr Redfern at 420gns was a shearling gimmer, Broadwood Hilda, sired by Red Alert and bred off a Broadwood Dynamo sired mother.

Averages – 5 aged rams £243.60, 8 shearling rams £576.19, 10 lamb rams £290.85, 16 shearling gimmers £187.69, 8 ewe lambs £190.31, Broadwood Flock: 20 ewes £224.70, 8 shearling gimmers £279.56

John looks forward to welcoming you to Skelcies Hall, Appleby Road, Kirkby Stephen CA17 4PG
Please confirm attendance with John  (tel:01768 371287) or the Society office (tel:02476 541766)

The AGM will then be followed by a dinner and trophy presentation at 8.00pm There is a booking form at the bottom of this page. Please get this back to me by Saturday 26th September 2009. The formal AGM notice and 2008 AGM minutes are also below, with the accounts being available on the night.

This will then be followed by a flock visit, sheep dressing demonstration and socialising on the Sunday morning by kind permission of Jeff and Sue Wilkinson, Langlands Farm, Barningham, Richmond, Yorkshire DL11 7ED

UPDATE: John Smithson has kindly organised an extra flock visit to take place at his farm at 1pm before the AGM commences. Follow the link for further details.

The auction takes place at Borderway Mart, Carlisle and is comprised of:

• 6 Aged Rams
• 12 Shearling Rams
• 15 Lamb Rams
• 19 Shearling Gimmers
• 10 Ewe Lambs

Followed by the dispersal of the adult portion from The Broadwood Flock for Mr D R Jane and is comprised of:

• 22 Ewes
• 8 Shearling Gimmers

Judging will commence at 9.00am

Sale will commence at 10.15am

‘Rouge sheep in their natural surroundings’.

A. Best Lamb

B. Best Ram

C. Best Ewe and Lambs

D. Funny things – sheep

The competition is only open to members of the Society and photos should be sent into the Rouge Society office by 1st October 2009 with your contact details on the reverse.

The winners will be announced at the Rouge Society AGM to be held on 3rd October 2009

Likewise a big thank you to all the members who have turned out at the shows (and those who are still going to show) while it is good to win, it is the rest of the exhibitors that really make the shows worth while for the spectators – and this year has seen some excellent sheep and keen competition proved by the way the prizes have been spread around.
However, it is equally important for the judge to select for breed character, confirmation, skins and style and not purely size again to entertain the spectators (I believe another breed is laying ground rules for this reason). I must mention Stephen Dodsworth (Jacob and cheviot breeder) who’s keen eye at the Carlisle rouge sale two years ago picked out and bought a ewe lamb as a wedding present for his cousin “nuffie’s” marriage to Ailsa – so must have been pleased to see it take breed champion and follow by winning the reserve lowland interbreed at the great Yorkshire.

Sadly we lost a loyal and dedicated breeder Roger Imlah who will be missed by all who knew him. My lasting memory of him was at the Highland after winning the female champion with a ewe lamb and was having her titivated up on the dressing stand ready for the interbreed when Pat insisted Roger went back to her show box for the “broon” soap to wash its face and legs. He duly returned and was to set about the task when Lewis brandished his shears at him and swore – it was a pure delight to see Roger’s cheeky grin as he looked at Pat as if to say “I told you it would be a waste of time”. I think it was his favourite show.
All the breeders present at the show this year gathered at “Pats pen” and drank a toast to Roger’s memory; it was a pleasure to have known him.  Roger was a quiet calm character with a great sense of humour and enjoyed a good joke he will be very much missed by all those fortunate enough to have known him

We now hope for good sales this year I see there is a big entry at Carlisle boosted by the dispersal of David Jane’s flock which will mean the end of an era. Surely no other breeder has achieved what David has, not only within the breed but in the interbreed competitions at all the major shows around the country. Thank you David.

I hope to see many of you at Carlisle – it will soon be here!

John Smithson

Ram shearling or over

First: P Tait

Second: D R Jane

Third: P Tait

Fourth: D R Jane

Fifth: J Powell

Sixth: J Lloyd and Miss E M Lee

Ram Lamb

First: D R Jane

Second: J Lloyd and Miss E M Lee

Third: P Tait

Ewe Shearling or over

First: P Tait

Second: D R Jane

Third: P Tait

Fourth: J Lloyd and Miss E M Lee

Fifth: D M Evans

Sixth: D R Jane

Ewe Lamb

First: D R Jane

Second: P Tait

Third:  J Lloyd and Miss E M Lee

Group of Three

First: P Tait

Second: D R Jane

Best Male

First: P Tait

Reserve: D R Jane

Best Female

First: P Tait

Reserve: D R Jane

Champion

P Tait

Reserve

P Tait

Reserve Champion Continental Interbreed

P Tait

Champion Interbreed Pairs

P Tait

RAM shearing and upwards.

First: Mr J F Redfern, Leek, Staffordshire

Second: Mr J F Redfern, Leek, Staffordshire

Third: Mr J E Teasdale & Son, York, North Yorkshire

RAM LAMB.

First: Mr J E Teasdale & Son, York, North Yorkshire

Second: Mr J R Wilkinson, Richmond, North Yorkshire

Third: Mr J F Redfern, Leek, Staffordshire

EWE two shear or over.

First: Mr J E Teasdale & Son, York, North Yorkshire

Second: Mr J R Wilkinson, Richmond, North Yorkshire

EWE OR GIMMER shearling.

First: Mr J F Redfern, Leek, Staffordshire

Second: Mr J R Wilkinson, Richmond, North Yorkshire

Third: Mr J F Redfern, Leek, Staffordshire

For the Champion Male

First: Mr J F Redfern, Leek, Staffordshire

Second: Watson Mr G C & Grain Mrs C J, Kettering, Northamptonshire

For the Champion Female

First: Mr J E Teasdale & Son, York, North Yorkshire

Second: Mr J F Redfern, Leek, Staffordshire

For the British Rouge Breed Champion

First: Mr J E Teasdale & Son, York, North Yorkshire

Second: Mr J F Redfern, Leek, Staffordshire

Reserve Champion Lowland Sheep Interbreed

Mr J E Teasdale & Son, York, North Yorkshire

Reserve Interbreed Male

Mr J F Redfern, Leek, Staffordshire