A SIX-strong consortium of Yorkshire farmers set up to promote the Beltex sheep breed has gone from strength to strength.

The Northern Beltex Partnership holds its third annual show and sale of pedigree British-bred Beltex at Skipton mart on Saturday, September 6.

It will feature a record total of 170 sheep, including top quality females, compared to 75 last year.

The consortium has made remarkable progress over the last 12 months and has now grown to ten.

David Findlay, of Birdridding, Coverham, was one of the founder members and is currently looking after all of this year's sale entries. They can be viewed on-farm prior to the sale by telephoning 01969 640236.

He believes the British-bred Beltex - the sheep equivalent of Belgian Blue cattle - are ideally suited to UK farmers and farming conditions.

"The extended Northern Beltex Partnership has been working tirelessly over the past year to further improve the breed, which is being bought to put on commercial ewes to improve both the quality and conformation of butchers' lambs," he said.

The other founder members of the marketing and promotional partnership were Mr Findlay's brother, Richard, who farms on the North York Moors; Martin Brown of Bedale; Martin Grayshon of Brimham Rocks; Thomas Hunter of Filey; Geoff Roby of Bridlington and Linda Caine of Barrow-in-Furness.

The new members are Brian Breaks of Clitheroe; Stephen Potter of Thirsk and Colin Barnes of Burnley.

The pre-sales show on September 6 begins at 11am, followed by the sale at 1pm. All sheep are MV accredited and scrapie genotyped.