THE 51st annual Tan Hill Sheep Show was held in glorious weather last week when a clear blue sky and warm sunshine drew a large crowd of farmers and visitors.

Raymond Calvert, show secretary, was delighted with the event, held on Thursday of last week.

"We have had 40 exhibitors from as far afield as Derbyshire and Cumbria and an excellent show of sheep, as high a standard as ever," he said. "Numbers were slightly down on last year; the six-day rule does not help and there is the time factor as well at this time of year.

"Farms have got bigger and bigger and people have a bigger workload."

The supreme champion Swaledale was the male champion owned by J W Porter and Sons of Low Oxnop, Gunnerside.

The tup shearling was bred by Paul Hallon of Arnfield, Derbyshire, and the Porter brothers - Steven, Gregg and Brian - bought him for £6,000 at Hawes last year. The family runs about 1,200 Swaledales.

"He was just a good all round tup," said Mr Steven Porter. "He was here last year and did well. It is his first time out this year, so we might retire while we are at the top ... but you never know!"

The female champion was also overall runner-up. A gimmer shearling, owned by Ivor Allonby of Rockliffe, Kirkby Stephen, she was home-bred by a Thornborough tup.

She was also female champion at Tan Hill last year and also competed at Eastgate Sheep Show at the weekend.

Mr Allonby has a flock of 70 Swaledales.

Results and cups. -Tups. - Aged ram: 1 W Allinson & Sons, Telfit. Shearling (large breeders): 1 JW Porter & Sons, Low Oxnop; 2 J Bradley, Penyghent; 3 P Hallam, Arnfield. Hogg (large breeders): 1 G Harker & Son, Pounchard; 2 TA&JA Dixon, Yoad Pot; 3 R Marwood & Son, Long Green. Aged or shearling tup, fewer than 100 ewe stock: 1 JJ&D Huddleston & Sons, Overhouses. Hogg, fewer than 100 ewe stock: 1 D Sayer; 2&3 Dent Brothers, Naby. Aged or shearling tup and tup hogg: 1 J Bradley; 2 P Hallam. Tup, fewer than 100 ewe stock: 1 Dent Bros; 2 R Tennant; 3 P Ewebank, Intake Farm. Pair tup hoggs: 1 G Harker & Son; 2 R Marwood & Son; 3 P Hallam. Three tup hoggs: 1 G Harker & Son; 2 R Marwood & Son; 3 Dent Bros. Tup shearling: 1 T Metcalfe & Son, Usha Gap. Pair tup hoggs, special prize: 1 R Marwood & son; 2 R Metcalfe. Tup hogg: 1 R Marwood & Son; 2 P Hallam; 3 G Harker & Son.

Coach and Horses Cup, for male and female won three times in succession or five times in all: 1 J W Porter & Sons; 2 TA&JA Dixon; 3 J Bradley. Best male or female, not won on the day: 1 WM Hutchinson & Son, Uldale; 2 W Allinson & Sons; 3 J&S Tennant. Tup hogg, not won on the day: 1 J Bland; 2 T Metcalfe & Son. B White Cup for tup hogg: 1 G Harker & Son; 2 R Marwood & Son; 3 TA&JA Dixon. Trees Cup for tup shearling: 1 JW Porter & Sons; 2 J Bradley; 3 P Hallam.

Gimmers, fewer than 100 ewe stock. - Ewe: 1 Moorland View; 2 JJ&D Huddleston; 3 G Dargue, Appleby. Shearling: 1 N I Allonby, Kirkby Stephen. Hogg: 1 G Dargue; 2 Alderson & Parkinson, Station House; 3 Moorland View. Large breeders. - Ewe: 1 A Slack, Stoneriggs; 2 TA&JA Dixon; 3 S Ewebank. Shearling: 1 W Allinson & Sons; 2 JW Porter & Sons; 3 G Harker & Son. Hogg: 1 J Bradley; 2 R Marwood & Son; 3 N Harrison & Son.

Carrs Cup, two sheep showing milk: 1 G Harker & Son; 2 JJ&D Huddleston & Sons; 3 D W Hutchinson, Studfold. Fawcett Cup, pair gimmer hoggs: 1 G Dargue. Gimmer hogg: 1 Sheena Pratt; 2 J Bland. Gimmer hogg and tup hogg: 1 A&L Huddleston. Best coated sheep: 1 JJ&D Huddleston; 2 A&L Huddleston. Tunstall Cup for home-bred tup hogg and gimmer hogg: 1 R Marwood & Son; 2 J Bradley. Earl of Arundel Cup for best gimmer hogg in show: 1 J Bradley; 2 G Dargue; 3 R Marwood & Son. Rex Cup, best ewe or gimmer shearling by large breeder: 1 A Slack; 2 J W Porter & Sons. Clifford Cup, best home bred sheep: 1 N I Allonby; 2 G Harker & Son; 3 R Marwood & Son.