Sheep The Farmers' Country Showdown

Across the country, thousands of farming families work

tirelessly around the clock. SHE GROANS

Stop arguing, girls!

Give over!

HE BLOWS WHISTLE

But there's one day each year...

-Ay!

-..where they get to leave the daily routine behind.

Right, here we come, Dorset!

These are show days.

A very, very warm welcome to Melplash Show.

..where they come together as a community.

APPLAUSE

..to showcase the fruits of their labour...

I just love showing my girls off.

..and try to win prizes for their breed champions...

Smashed it!

..and award-winning produce.

That's a really nice cheese, that.

It was very good, darling.

There will be highs...

That's what we want to see, red.

Red is the best.

-..and lows...

-She's not happy enough to go.

..for the dedicated farmers who give everything to walk away a champion.

Fingers crossed!

There are over 15 million sheep in the UK.

And farmers work hard to preserve the heritage of the more than 90

different breeds found in this country.

Dorset-based couple Jo and Dan Stover,

and Jon and Justine Barnard

are all busy preparing for one of the largest agricultural shows in

the south-west of England.

A very, very warm welcome to you all here at the Melplash Show.

If any of their sheep can win prizes,

it will be a huge boost to their businesses.

Here in picturesque Dorset,

husband and wife Jon and Justine raise their flock

of 120 Hampshire Down sheep.

But sheep farming is a relentless job...

SHEEP BLEATS

..with an endless list of things to do that keeps them busy

around the clock.

There are days when you don't feel great,

it's absolutely hideous weather,

lambing in the middle of winter, and you think...

Why do you do it? But you do it because you love it.

And you do it because you see the end product,

which hopefully is a lovely bunch of lambs, like these.

The couple are devoted to looking after their sheep.

And they do it alone.

Except for the support of the family dog.

We don't have any sheepdogs.

We've got Lola.

She's very much a pet and a companion,

but she's also quite handy with the sheep sometimes.

But Lola the Spinone does not always get it right

and can sometimes be more of a hindrance than a help.

Lola!

She's just chased the sheep in the wrong direction.

-Jon!

-Once Jon brings them back, work can begin.

Let's have the ram, then.

Come on, big chap.

-SHE GROANS

-Says he doesn't want to go.

Push him on, push him on.

-Come on, big fella.

-SHE GROANS

SHE LAUGHS

It was a shared passion for animals that first brought Jon and

-Justine together.

-Come on, chaps.

-In you get.

-While some fall in love across a crowded room,

they fell for each other across an agricultural college classroom.

I always used to notice that he tended to sit next to me.

Took me a while to realise, actually.

You helped me move house, didn't you?

Yes, that's how it started.

Spiralled out of control from there!

When they married in 2008,

they decided to put their farming qualifications into practice.

They had an unconventional gift list.

Friends and family contributed towards their

very first flock of sheep.

We picked the Hampshires because at the time when we had the money to

spend from our wedding money,

it was a breed which was in the local paper

and we went and had...

or I went and had a look at them and fell in love with them.

-Love at first sight, really!

-Yeah.

Come on then, girls.

Eight years on, their flock grazes on 100 acres of rented farmland,

which is scattered around the local area, miles from where they live.

Justine and Jon are desperate to have a farm of their own,

to rid them of the daily commute to their flock.

Our dream is ultimately to have a farm with a house on site,

where we can do what most people do

and just set foot out of the farmhouse door

and there's your sheep, there's your lambing buildings.

But of course, their dream comes at a price.

And to try to help raise the much-needed cash

the hard-working couple have taken jobs on local dairy farms.

Jon helps out with milking and taking care of the cattle...

Definitely hard work, it's more a way of life than anything else,

I would say. We don't have a weekend, it just runs through.

The morning milkings start around four o'clock in the morning

and also, along with the relief milking, I trim cows' feet for vets.

-Lola.

-SHE WHISTLES

Come here, darling.

..while Justine's second job is at a nearby cattle farm

helping with their breeding programme.

All right, chaps.

It's an aspect of farming that she has a keen interest in

and applies it to her own livestock.

I like to know the history of them, I'm very much into the parentage.

And this drives Jon mad but I'll find a sheep and I'll be able

to tell you its mother, its granny, its grandfather, whoever.

But there are aspects of being a farmer that Justine is still coming

to terms with.

I didn't ever eat our own lamb when we first started.

I didn't like the idea.

To me, they were almost like pets.

I don't like drafting out lambs for slaughter, but I appreciate that

that's part and parcel of the job

and ultimately that is where most of your income comes from.

It took me four years before I'd actually eat any of the

lamb that we had produced.

-It does eat very well.

-It is really, really good

but I still don't like to know who that individual lamb is.

-I'll eat anyone!

-He's already picked his lamb out there.

Come on, darling.

OK, come on.

30 miles away, also in Dorset, in Beaminster,

Jo is rounding up the family's flock of rare-breed Portland sheep.

Come on, sweeties.

Jo and Dan have lived on this 60-acre farm for six years.

Here we go.

Here we go.

Hey, hey, hey, girls!

Come on! Oh, you're being naughties.

Go on!

Get in there, Princess.

Jo is British-born but grew up in America...

OK. Ah! Good.

..returning to UK pastures in the late 1980s.

I know. Well, let's do Princess first,

make sure that she's looking absolutely smart.

It was their love of the British countryside

and the Dorset landscape

that brought them here to tend sheep.

I think Bonnie has a dirty bottom, too.

When we moved to West Dorset,

I could see right away that this ground really needed sheep -

and I'd always wanted sheep, anyhow.

I took a course at an agricultural college and I said,

"There's no way we're having sheep."

And then we went to a show and we met Portland people,

we love the sheep,

so I let Dan buy his sheep -

and now they're my sheep!

No, they're not my sheep any more!

Managing the flock is a full-on job, which Jo attacks with gusto...

This is my favourite thing on the farm. It's this....

SHE IMITATES ENGINE

I check all the livestock and, depending on the time of the year,

usually in the morning, just to make sure they're all fine.

I'll check and see if anybody's looking lame, is walking funny

or if a sheep is on its own

cos that's an indication maybe something's wrong.

Hello, sweetie pies!

The bulk of the heavy-duty chores fall to Dan.

We have to be back against the wall, old boy.

Those two look very good now.

For Jo and Dan, there's an added sense of purpose to their calling.

Portland sheep are one of Britain's rarest breeds

and they're intent on preserving their future.

There we go, OK.

Just 40 years ago, the breed was in danger of extinction.

They were brought back from the brink of extinction.

There were very few flocks left,

they were saved by a few very wonderful people.

Maintaining the rare breeds, protecting the rare breeds,

it's great fun and it's very spiritually rewarding.

While the best of their pedigree flock are kept for careful breeding,

the rest are sent to market.

The lamb, you wouldn't get enough out of them to bother taking them

off to the butcher, so you grow them on till they're at least a year old

and then that's hogget. It's more flavourful.

George III, it was his absolute favourite meat.

Although everybody can eat Portland now, you don't have to be a king!

Sheep and meat sales are at the heart of Jo and Dan's business

but, like many farmers,

they can't rely on that core income to keep the farm going.

So, to make ends meet, Dan also works as an engineer.

Dan has to work a few days a week away in order for us to stay here.

The entrepreneurial couple have also diversified

and sell firewood from their woodland,

produce honey from their hives

and are even converting old cattle sheds into holiday cottages

to generate the income they need.

We strongly believe in diversity.

It's the only way we can hope to be sustainable.

We're just breaking even now and we're hoping, eventually,

we can make a living from our farm. That's our situation.

Come on, silly. Come on!

'Farming is a business, so you've got to work hard to make ends meet.'

Dan's pride and joy is his conservation work.

In just five years, he's planted over 2,000 metres of hedgerow

on the farm.

They play an important part of the countryside,

providing a habitat for a wide variety of animals and plants.

Conservation is one of my great passions.

We have wonderful hedgerows around here

and we've planted a number of wild flower meadows.

Even our grassland, it's made up of multiple species of grass.

It's all pretty natural.

Oh, there's not very much left, you've had some snacks already...

But, while Dan's passionate about conservation,

Jo's heart will always lie with her beloved sheep.

Hello, my babies. Oh, there she goes, right in.

You are a greedy one, aren't you?

'Once I got them, I just fell in love with them.'

And especially at lambing time, that's the most wonderful time.

You're exhausted, but it's the whole life cycle that you're involved in.

I never dreamed I would do anything like this but this is...

I have the best life.

Back at Jon and Justine's in Moorside in Dorset,

the preshow pampering is in full swing.

Cor, he stinks!

For tomorrow at least, appearances are everything.

He's actually got a lovely fleece.

So he's one of the short wool types.

He's got a good Hampshire head, not too much wool but the right amount,

really. Masculine across the nose as well.

They also check the teeth.

Teeth and testicles.

-Yeah, most important bits!

-HE CHUCKLES

The washing, brushing and buffing for show day gets underway.

Right, let's give you a bath, mate.

Yeah, I know you're a bit angry, I know.

Sorry.

What you want is to get a nice, even finish on the wool.

But the attention isn't always welcome.

Go on.

No, you're not going out there.

I'll do your chest while you're up there...

SHEEP BLEATS

We tend to leave the yellow on his chest, that's what you call raddle.

It's a sign that he has actually been out with some ewes,

which is always good in a ram, a judge will like to see that.

So he's not basically just been prepped for show after show

after show, he has actually done a job.

Aw!

-We want Princess first, don't we?

-Well, I'll get her right here.

-Here she is. OK, darling.

-In another corner of Dorset,

Jo and Dan are also grappling with

giving their sheep some preshow gloss.

OK, Princess, we're going to roll you over on your back

just very nicely.

Princess was my supreme champion at Sherborne,

so I do have some high hopes for her.

I think she's beautiful.

Prep begins by giving Princess the royal treatment,

with their special sheep pedicure.

She needs just a little bit of trimming there.

And she's not sheepish about enjoying the fussing.

The judges said to me that she was full of herself, she loved -

she loved herself.

That's what won it over for her, actually.

Because all the other sheep were lined up there and she was just

haughty-looking and proud and thought, "Yeah, I am the prettiest!"

Hey, hey, hey, hey!

SHE GROANS

Time now for some last-minute halter practice,

all-important if the sheep are to remain calm

when they have to parade for the judge.

Come on, walk on, come on.

Walk on. Come on, come on.

Here we go, here we go.

Pretend you're looking at the judge with your sheep, Dan.

Look at how well, they're walking! Oh, they're brilliant.

You do have the superior one.

But that's all right, I like you too, sir.

Across at Jon and Justine's farm

they're preparing their Hampshire Downs

and there is one big worry.

Maybe a bit feisty.

Get it a little bit up more round her nose there, look.

Their five-year-old ewe, due to make her show debut,

is new to halters.

Hopefully, things go well and she behaves herself.

But it's not looking good.

Oi. Oi, oi!

SHE LAUGHS

-All right?

-Yeah.

Yeah, so she's a leaper.

-Very powerful.

-Yeah, going to be fun...

Yeah, she's going to jump about a bit, I think.

Those doe eyes are deceptive.

Male Hampshire Downs weigh around 120kg,

making them potentially dangerous to handle,

as Justine knows only too well...

I had a ram lamb run towards me

and, instead of running towards one side or the other,

he jumped straight up at me and hit me in the face and knocked me out

and has given me long-term whiplash.

Don't particularly want it to happen again.

It hurt. Yeah, very much so.

Time to cross fingers that their charges will be on best behaviour

-come show day.

-Oi, oi, oi.

Don't be silly, come on.

Justine and Jon have been showing sheep for six years...

..and have amassed an impressive collection of prizes.

Taking the sheep to the show really puts you in the limelight.

You can sell sheep at shows,

people can ask to come and have a look at your flock.

It's your business card, in my opinion.

For us, it's really put us on the map within the Hampshires.

People get to know who you are, what you've got,

what your sheep are like.

Showing's addictive.

Winning trophies...

Well, I do quite like to take a bit of silverware home

at the end of the day.

We're competitive with each other as well, though.

Jon likes to pick which sheep he's going to show, and that's it!

To keep the sheep in pristine condition,

they will be spending the night indoors.

And anticipation is building for the big day.

Right then, go on.

One down, three to go.

They all have to be up at 4am in the morning for the show.

Melplash is a tough show.

It's a very good sheep show.

I think the classes will be strong

but they're still good quality sheep that we're taking.

It's our ambition to get Supreme Champion sheep.

which is the best sheep in the whole show. We haven't got it yet.

Maybe we will get it.

Straight back, straight back, Dan, straight back. You're good,

you're good, you're good, you're good. Stop, stop, stop, stop!

There'll be no prizes for Dan and Jo over at Lower Brimley Coombe Farm

if they can't get their cargo on board.

Oi, oi. Come on up, come on up. Come on up, come on up.

That's it, that's it, girls.

That's it, girls.

But with so many sheep to get on the trailer, it's a stressful business.

OK, very good. That's done.

They've enlisted their young next-door neighbour, Minty, to help.

Now, do the rams.

-Yeah, load up the rams.

-Right.

I love to show off my sheep

and I like to see how I do against other Portlands,

but it's also really important because it's a shop window for us.

I'm glad he drives cos I couldn't do this.

And when you win prizes with your sheep, the sheep are more desirable.

You know, the ewes always go in well, but now comes the trouble.

OK, boys!

They'd so rather stay in this nice big pen.

-OK, boys.

-Come on, boys, the girls are in there.

I'm going to try to get them. Come on! Come on.

Oh. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, come on!

Come on, hey, hey, hey.

Go on, go on!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Woo-woo-woo! OK.

Not bad at all!

I'll get out of the way.

-Lock it! Good, that was good!

-All set.

-Yep.

-All righty.

-All right?

Yep.

OK, ready, off to the show!

The prestigious Melplash show in Bridport in Dorset

is starting to come to life.

It is a highlight of the farming calendar

and home to one of the largest agricultural shows

in the south-west.

I believe the weather forecast to be set fair so let's hope we have a

fabulous day.

18,000 visitors are expected through the gates to experience the best of

what rural Dorset has to offer.

Farmers and their teams of sheep are starting to arrive.

One of the first are Jon and Justine,

who already have preshow butterflies.

It's always a bit nerve-racking when you rock up to a show, though,

you know, it's just a big day and you've put a lot of effort into it

and, yeah, you've got to try and do your best.

But it's not all about showing the animals.

-Can I have your licences, please?

-I haven't filled them out yet.

-Well, you'd better chop chop, I've got an inspection.

-Oh.

There's an early hitch as Jon hasn't filled in his vital

preshow paperwork.

You've got to get through all the bureaucracy first, really,

before you can actually get the sheep off-loaded and penned up.

He's probably getting a bit frustrated with having

to do the paperwork.

Over on the other side of the field, Jo and Dan have also just arrived.

Having struggled to get the sheep into the trailer,

they now have to get them out.

There's one, two, three, four pens.

OK, so the rams...

I'm always nervous before a show until we get everything organised,

I'm nervous. But Dan is calm, which makes it work for us.

-Go, go, go...

-There we go, girls.

OK, right now we'll get the sheep in their pens by category, by class.

-You pick them up...

-Pick them up and pop them over.

Bingo. So when the stewards come

around and say it's time to show the ram lamb, we know where he is,

we can get him sorted.

The clock is ticking, with just an hour to go to competition time.

Yeah, just got the paperwork sorted,

get those pens strawed up and start unloading, shall we?

Yeah.

Jon and Justine will need to step up the pace if they're to get

everything ready in time.

Like Jo and Dan, they have to keep their sheep apart,

especially their testosterone-fuelled rams...

..who don't always see eye to eye.

If we put him in that pen,

they would all start grumbling at each other and probably start rowing

and head-butting. Don't ask for trouble, just keep them separate.

The big chap over there, we want him to be manageable,

but we want him to have a bit of showiness about him.

Yeah, he is a bit like, "Hey, look at me, I'm the man."

With the competition looming, the pressure is now on...

-Stop it.

-..to make sure that all of the sheep are ready for show time.

Just having a bit of a tidy up here on the heads of these rams.

Some are keener than others.

It's always a little bit dangerous going right round the eyes with

these sharp shears.

Last minute prep, fine-tuning now just before we go in the ring.

-This is Jon.

-SHE LAUGHS

And nothing gets done unless it's last-minute.

Let's do this shoulder.

Oh, thank you, Dorset, are you joining in?

SHE LAUGHS

We're on at half nine so not long, 15 minutes.

And nearby, Jo is also giving her precious Portlands

those last-minute touches before judging.

Portland sheep aren't overly groomed or clipped for showing,

they're supposed to be shown in their working clothes.

And actually if you clip them or wash their fleece,

the judge would not like that.

There you go, hey, hey, hey. Hey.

But we still like a tidy them up and we're allowed to polish their horns.

It smells nice with the baby oil.

Oi.

Jon and Justine's Hampshire Downs and Jo and Dan's Portland sheep

will be competing in separate rings against their own breeds.

With this year's sheep competition about to begin,

the thousands of spectators are filling the showground,

all hoping for a fun-filled day out.

The Melplash Show really is a showcase of everything we do in

West Dorset and Bridport.

It's an opportunity for farmers to show off their livestock.

And it's also a chance to show people in the region what

agriculture and farming is all about and where our food comes from.

Just about six or seven minutes to go.

So if our exhibitors could get themselves ready...

Not only do the sheep have to look the part but the exhibitors do, too.

I'm better at this than Jo is.

I'd say!

-JON:

-The white coat on and then we're ready to rock and roll.

You have to wear a white coat when you're showing any livestock.

You are not allowed in the ring without it.

OK.

Northern end of the main ring.

Our judges are just about ready to start.

When I'm judging, you're going to be looking...

Well, hopefully, a supermodel's just going to walk in the ring and it's

going to make your job easy and just catch your eye, really.

We're looking for a pretty face, the classic black mark teardrop.

With the rams,

you want their testicles to be of correct size

and both of them to be there.

Don't like that, do you? We've got to see you've got your credentials.

Start today in all our breeds with the ram of any age.

First up are Jon and Justine,

who will be competing against each other.

This is it, now. We're getting into the judging.

Start hotting up now.

Competition between other breeders is quite fierce at these shows.

But also, Justine and I, we're fairly competitive as well.

But a win for either Jon or Justine

could get them a step closer to owning their own farm.

And with three rosettes up for grabs,

they're feeling hopeful.

He's had a first place this year but we'll see how it goes.

Some stiff competition out there.

Morning, Lucy.

Morning, Lucy.

Justine's up first with her ram.

OK, Jon.

How are you doing?

Looking good here at the minute.

But with strong competition, Jon can't be sure.

Lucy's made her decision.

Yeah, thank you very much, Jon.

-Thank you, Lucy.

-Yeah, OK.

-Thank you.

Yeah, pleased with that one.

It's one I didn't really expect.

He was a longer sheep and he handled well,

which is the main thing you're looking for, really.

Thank you.

Smashed it.

It's a good result for the couple,

even if Justine's ram couldn't quite make the grade.

His back isn't quite straight and where he's lost a bit of condition

we haven't really got anything to hide it.

But the rest of the sheep were good sheep so it doesn't...

doesn't reflect too badly on him.

While Jon celebrates his victory,

Jo and Dan are about to take their two rams into the ring for their

first competition.

I think they sense sometimes if you're nervous.

Like, when you're with dogs and things.

And so I think that sometimes I'm nervous and I think they sense it.

Judging the Portland shape is David Brewer,

a veteran judge with 50 years of experience

who knows exactly what he's looking for today.

Forget what these see.

These are my most important aspect.

What my hands tell me when I handle the animal.

Exhibitors can't try to pull the wool over my eyes by trimming

so that they look different.

The sheep is a grazer,

I want a good mouth to eat and good limbs to go and get the food.

Showing off a little bit.

I don't want to see it just...

"Uh, don't want to be here."

I want to see them being active.

First judging for Jo and Dan gets underway.

They have only been doing this for three years,

making them relative newcomers to the show world.

Hey, hey, hey.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. OK, OK.

-Young man.

-Oh, young man.

Full of spirit.

Well, he's a boy.

-It's what we want.

-At first appearance,

the judge seems impressed with Jo's ram.

-There's a good boy.

-But then Caraway has other ideas.

Walk up, come on, come on.

Hey. Hey, hey, hey.

Come on, come on, come on.

Come on, come on.

That's it. Come on back.

OK.

Whoa, now. Whoa, now.

Whoa, now.

Whoa, chappy.

It's the moment of truth.

Thank you.

Sadly, Dan and Jo have been unsuccessful.

You get all the bits, I don't know what they are.

They're disappointed but the judge tries to explain why they

-didn't win.

-One thing, can I quickly say,

it's absolutely crucial when I see them walk.

Unfortunately, when I wanted to see them side on,

you turned inside the sheep.

It's something to think about.

Obviously I gave Dan the better behaved, the better trained animal,

because he didn't have the trouble I did.

But they were the youngest ones,

so next year I think they definitely have possibilities.

I mean, he told me he liked them very much, when we were chatting.

-So, we'll see.

-Yeah, they're young, they'll come on.

The Melplash Show is almost full to capacity.

Back in the ring, Jo is now pinning her hopes on her beloved Princess.

That's it.

Sadly, even this sheep can't bring home a rosette.

But Jo isn't letting anything dampen her enthusiasm.

We have been doing this for about three years now, showing

and we'll continue to show and discover exactly what makes

the prize-winning sheep,

but you still enjoy it and you carry on.

It's all part of the process and it's brilliant.

It is this determined spirit and passion that has brought farming

communities together here at the Melplash Show for over 150 years.

The show started in 1847 in a small village about five miles from here,

called Melplash.

It's grown and grown over the years, and we've moved to the present site

here in Bridport.

The show's origins were rooted in a ploughing match between two local

farmers, trying to settle a wager over whose ploughman was the best.

Local farmers and landowners attending the event then came

together to form the Melplash Agricultural Society -

and the show was born.

By the early 1900s,

the show had grown from plough horses to judging cattle,

pigs and other livestock.

Farming and agriculture have always been at the heart of the show and

almost 200 years on,

farmers are still as passionate as ever about winning here.

CHEERING

Back in the Hampshire Down ring,

it's all eyes on the jumpy five-year-old ewe

who's had no halter training and never competed before.

Bit spirited.

Going to play me up, so I won't be saying too much at the minute.

-Come with me out there.

-Yeah.

Despite being the only entrant,

there's no guarantee she will win a first place as she still has to make

the grade expected by the judges.

If the judge finds a fault, it's not an automatic winner.

Yeah, she's giving me the run-around at the minute.

She's not relaxing, you feel it.

It's a bit too much for her, really.

-SHEEP BLEATS

-Are you ready, Lucy? Cos I...

SHEEP BLEATS

The sheep aren't always well-behaved when you show them.

You never know what's going to quite happen and they don't always perform

on the day.

OK, Jon, will she walk?

Oh... She might do something.

OK. Yeah, that's fine.

But her high-spirited antics don't put judge Lucy off...

-APPLAUSE

-OK, Jon, well, she wouldn't have

-got far if there had been more, you know.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, yes.

..and she awards the lively ewe a first-place rosette.

She's a nice strong ewe, isn't she?

Very.

She gave a bit of a show anyway, didn't she?

Scrub-a-dub-dub! Scrub-a-dub-dub!

Take that, Mr Punch!

Judging is almost over and, despite months of hard work,

Jo and Dan are yet to win prizes.

Even better.

Whoa, little chappy.

That's it.

Bring that one there.

That's right.

Thank you.

And it's the best possible result...

Give you that.

-Thank you.

-..as the ram lamb takes first prize.

Back off!

What took my eye with him was his character.

Young rams should be acting like a young male,

showing off a little bit,

being themselves, that's what I want.

I always give Dan the winning lamb - but that's OK.

Yay!

Now we can go home and say we got a prize,

but I just want to enjoy the day and that's what I'm doing.

Making progress every year. It's good, it's good.

Yeah, I'm extremely happy.

Yeah, we needed a prize and we got it!

The prizes are rolling in now for our farming couples.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks, Lucy.

Thanks very much. That's OK.

Thanks.

We got a third for our group of three.

It's another first for Jon and his young ewe...

Thank you. Well done. Lovely ewe.

Another one in the bag. Another first.

..with Justine winning third place.

-Lovely ewe.

-Thank you.

My ewe's done better than Justine's all season,

so that one was expected.

Apart from once.

Apart from once.

And finally, to round the day off,

Jon and Justine now have three of their sheep up for the prestigious

title of Breed Champion.

Come on.

Great big monster.

And Jon has to control his lively ewe one more time.

-She's not going to relax, is she?

-Shall we let her run?

SHE LAUGHS

The champion title is one they have been working towards all year.

-Thank you, Lucy.

-Thank you very much, she's a lovely ewe lamb.

Although Jon's missed out on the title,

there is still some exceptionally good news.

-We've got a reserve.

-Oh!

-We've got a reserve.

-Thank you very much.

-Yeah.

-Their sheep being handled by friend Henry gets runner-up.

Over the moon with that.

She's a good ewe and she couldn't have a better

handler than Henry.

-Thank you, Henry.

-It's how you hold them.

That's what it is. Experience counts in this game.

Henry's got plenty of it.

Before the day finishes, there is just one more win.

It's the top conservation award...

..an incredible tribute to Dan and Jo's dedication to the land.

Hi. Hi.

-That's for you.

-Thank you, thank you.

'We're just so pleased and proud to have received this cup for best

'conservation practices, small farm.'

I bet you've been busy.

-This tops it all.

-Yeah.

-Wonderful day.

Tired but happy.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

Judging is over.

For our farmers, it has been a day of nerves...

-..tension...

-Oh!

-..and excitement.

-Yay!

But above all, it has been a day where all their hard work throughout

the year has paid off.

We've had a fantastic day today.

It's always, for me,

you're really relieved when you get the last sheep out of the ring.

We can relax a bit now.

We can settle the sheep down, make sure they've got water,

and we can go and find a cider ourselves.

It's so important when you spend all that time and effort and you get a

reward, it's lovely.

We're learning all the time,

from the judges and from the other breeders. It's brilliant.

When we win, it makes you feel good.

All your hard work pays off and we look forward to the next show

and see how they do then.

We had some success and the weather's gorgeous, it's Melplash,

it was brilliant. Brilliant day.