Thrilled sheep farmer Stephen Cobbald is hoping his Texel shearling ewe can hit the heights at the Suffolk Show after scooping the supreme interbreed title at the Hadleigh Show.
The 15-month-old home-bred animal wowed the judge at Hadleigh on Saturday, May 18, with her outstanding breed traits. He was "elated", he said.
"The judge said in his opinion the sheep was an exceptional Texel and he was very, very pleased to put her up. He said he thought she was an outstanding sheep. The comments I heard around the ring were that that was only one sheep in it," said Stephen, who has been involved in sheep farming for about 60 years.
"I thought she had a fair chance because she's an exceptionally good sheep."
He now has high hopes for more success with her at the Suffolk Show. "The one that beats her must be a hell of a good sheep," he said.
Stephen, of Acton Hall, Sudbury, praised his self-employed sheep manager, Amy Byford, for the role she has played in developing his flock after joining him as a student apprentice.
"Amy Byford is the best person I have ever had help me with my sheep and I'm very relaxed about standing back and letting her take it over - slowly but surely."
Amy said the Texel stands out in show rings. "I was really chuffed," she said. "She's got a nice flashy head."
They will be heading off with her to compete in other shows including the Three Counties at Malvern and the Great Yorkshire.
In the cattle rings at the Hadleigh Show, Clare Germany of Coltishall, near Norwich, was delighted after scooping the supreme interbreed title with her home-bred Charolais heifer.
Clare - who also works as a practice nurse and who is involved in running a pig fattening unit on the farm - said she had been keeping cattle for 10 years.
"It's a family thing - me and my husband Paul spend most of our time looking after them," she said.
Having come second in the breed competition at the South Suffolk Show she was "pleasantly surprised" at her success at Hadleigh, she said.
She won interbreed at her local show with another heifer at the end of the showing season but she didn't think she would manage to pull it off again, she admitted.
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