Despite Penrith show being cancelled, due to the inclement weather of late, and a last minute venue being found, the numbers of sheep forward and crowd didn't disappoint at all. Many thanks must go to Penrith Farmers Mart for stepping in and providing a great venue for the day.

The day's judges, A Bisset and J Stott had to sort out some strong classes to judge, which seems to be the norm now at Penrith which has really established it's self as one of the Premier Blue shows in the country, with 24 entries in the ram lamb class. The champion of the show came as no real surprise, as Glen Shapiro's powerful ewe, Hazelwood Whytea. This Barlaes Elite + daughter was the champion from the Yorkshire show just a few weeks earlier, and though she looked good at the Yorkshire, she was really on top fettle at Penrith, taking her second title in as many outings this season. Credit must go to Glen for breeding such consistently impressive Blues.

Taking the reserve title was M/s Thomason from the Piel View flock with a gimmer by a Barlaes (T3) sire.

Over in the Mule section, presided over by Dick Lord and James Porter, there was a very keenly contested show, with all but 2 of the entered flocks forward, producing some very strong classes in the Swaledale type classes where Neil Marston, East Highberries had a good day out winning the single and the pairs and going on to take the champion mule with a gimmer lamb sired by a Snab Green ram, which he bought privately off William Huddleston at Snab. “I went to look at a dog at Snab, and came back with a dog and a tup!” says Neil. It seems to have paid off as the Snab tup ran the eventual progeny champions a very close second.

The champion progeny in the Mule section went to M/s James, Mid Todhills, with their Swale type mules sired by the ever prolific home bred four shear tup, Todhills V10, whose bloodlines go back to both icons of the crossing world, Lunesdale and Hewgill, and was the sire to the tup lambs sold at Carlisle last backend.

Finally again thanks must go to John Wharton and Jenny Sawyer for organising the day and to sponsor, Natural Stockcare Ltd, as well as all the exhibiters who turned up on a rare fine day and help make a great success of the day.