A Swaledale sheep producer who has a family tree of every sheep born on his farm, is being considered for the title of wool producer of the decade.

Mr Brian Thornborrow farms with his wife, Dot, at West Stonesdale at the head of Swaledale just below Tan Hill.

A member of the Swaledale sheep breeders' association, he won the UK wool producer of the year award in 1993.

An enthusiastic breeder he sells shearling rams, ewe lambs and breeding ewes at Kirkby Stephen and Hawes markets and runs 600 Swaledale ewes and 220 hoggs along with 20 suckler cows.

He and his wife have 220 acres of in-bye and shared grazing rights with three other farms on the open moor which rises from 1,200ft to 2,000ft.

The flock is split into four hefts which each keep to a particular area of the moor. All the stock bred in each heft is meticulously tagged and logged by Mr Thornborrow who, in 1974, took over the system set up by his father, Mr Bob Thornborrow, more than 60 years ago.

Mr and Mrs Thornborrow are now transferring the immense amount of detailed recording from paper on to a computer.

Every breeding ewes is named and numbered, with details of the tups used recorded and all lambs born to her. At birth every lamb is identified by tagging and, as a result, the complete genealogy of every sheep on the farm is known.

Ewes are fed sugar beet and home-produced hay, with lambing taking place in April on the in-bye or in sheds.

Altogether 230 replacements are bred each year and wintered off the farm from November to March. After three lamb crops, most ewes are drafted.

Working with each heft separately, Mr and Mrs Thornborrow do all the shearing between them.

One of the sheds is adapted and the shearing is performed on old carpets to keep the wool clean.

Mr Thornborrow usually wraps the fleeces and the wool sheet is suspended on rope to ease packing. Dark neck wool is trimmed off the fleece and from his total wool clip of more than 1600kgs, at least 90pc is top grade.

Mr Alun Evans, a Welsh sheep farmer and recently retired chairman of the British Wool Marketing Board, was one of three judges who recently visited the farm.

He was joined by Mr Robin Morrow, former chairman of United Dairy Farmers, Northern Ireland, and Mr Malcolm Brook, who was the board's chief wool appraiser for 20 years.

They all praised the degree of detailed recording, the management and hard work the Thornborrows put in to make the very most of their stock.

Eight previous wool producers of the year are being considered for the wool producer of the decade award, which will be presented at the end of this month