This was quite different from the first two shows I had been to - for a start we were to be away from home for four nights - no one-day outing, this one.
The manager packed up the trailer and car with all the necessary items and equipment needed for this trip - and that seemed to involve quite a lot of bottles! And that should have been a warning to me - but more of that later!
After the five sheep we had with us were all settled in their (highly decorated) pens, knee deep in straw and all fed and watered, we checked in with our neighbours Pam and Andy who were kindly sharing their lovely luxurious camper van with us.
A few drinks were drunk on that first night - but all very respectable!
Next day, the manager spent the morning preparing the sheep for showing with me supervising (as kindly captured here by our friend Dom)
Then I took up position above the pens so I could get a good view and listen to all the banter going on between all the exhibitors - honestly, sometime I don't think they take this showing very seriously at all!
I was then joined by a mysterious guest who just appeared beside me on my perch for quite a while.
I think he said he was from near Newton Stewart - we had a grand chat before he had to go home with his people later in the day.
The serious business of the day began around lunchtime when the judging started and went on for about three hours. I just stayed where I was and watched all the to-ing and fro-ing from the pens to the rings and back again - rosettes appeared over the pens and everyone seemed happy with their awards,
Star turn in our pens was the shearling gimmer (which I am told is a one-year old female sheep!). The oddly named Vee was best female and reserve champion with the top title going to Eddie and Janice Henderson from Kinross with a very handsome ram lamb (Vee especially thought he was very handsome - bit of a crush going on there, methinks!)
This is Vee:
After the judging, everyone joined together to enjoy a great spread of food and drink, which was this year organised by Pat Maddock. The lady who had judged, Mrs Smilie-Gray, and her husband Steve joined in the gathering which went on for quite a while -until the bottles were empty!
The following night was where it all started to go a bit downhill!
Apparently the Ryeland gang have started to have a gathering on the Friday night - somewhat grandly referred to as a cocktail party - and this year's theme was 60-70-80s disco!
Well, yes there were cocktails (and concotions, eh Mr Arthur?) and yes, there was appropriate music, kindly supplied by Disco Steve Arkley and it definitely was a party!
Here's Pat and the manager in some disco pants, eighties shell suit and perm!
The 80s perm turned out to be quite a hit:
As you can see by this time in the evening not only did the wig get passed round, but so was I - talk about being used and abused, I am only just getting over the trauma! The would-be Dolly Partons pictured here are Mr Aitken, Mr Scott and the cocktail king himself Mr Arthur. Bet you never realised what you were letting yourself in for getting Ryeland sheep, eh Mr Scott?
No wonder Mrs Mitchell is looking a bit worried in the background!
Everyone partied on until darkness fell and that's when the glow sticks came out, modelled here by Mr Top Gun himself.
Actually it was a real fun night and here a few more snaps from the evening including, I think you will agree, a very 'special' one of our host, Andy:
The next day, the manager was joined by daughter Lucy and partner Sandy and they spent the day going round the show, but I needed to rest after the night before! One of the highlight for the two ladies apparently was a visit to a new feature of the show this year - a gin bar!
Saturday night was a quieter affair after the previous evening.
Then on Sunday something very exciting happened.
Vee teamed up with the Ryeland champion, who she had found out was called Wild Thing, and the two headed into the interbreed pairs where they competed against the champion male and females from all the breeds in the show. And they were absolutely thrilled to win reserve champions, coming second to a very smart pair of Hampshire Downs.
All the Ryeland supporters around the ring were very happy as apparently Ryelands have never won an interbreed prize at this show before. It's a good job everyone was driving home later in the day or I think the bottles would have been out again!
Here are Vee and Wild Thing together - wouldn't they make a lovely couple!?
What an end to a great show.
Next up, we are heading across the Border to the Great Yorkshire Show - can't wait as I am really getting in to this show malarky.
See ya!
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