| 2013-07-03 |    |
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, members of the charity's York and Dales Support Groups have encouraged sheep breeders from all over the UK to bring their rare breeds to take part in a Grand Sheep Parade at the Great Yorkshire Show, on the 10th and 11th of July.
RBST was founded in 1973 after 26 breeds of farmed livestock became
extinct between 1900 and 1973, and since its formation forty years
ago, no further breeds have been lost. Some of the breeds that
will take part in the parade are familiar to viewers of BBC's
Countryfile as RBST supporter Adam
Henson frequently champions
rare breeds on the programme. RBST President, Peter Titley, himself
a regular exhibitor in the sheep lines at the show, has kindly
agreed to commentate for the parade, giving a real insight into
the different breeds and what makes them so special.
Lyn Arrowsmith with Boreray ram
From the diminuitive Boreray, the rarest breed of them all, which hails from
a tiny island in the Outer Hebrides, to the largest native breed, the Oxford
Down, the parade has been a labour of love for co-organiser, Lyn Arrowsmith,
from Raskelf near York.
"This has taken months of planning" said Lyn.
"Getting all the breeds to the show has not been an easy task but I can't
wait to see them all together in the ring.
Many of the sheep on display will also be taking part in the Native Breed Sheep Classes and the RBST has sponsored two special rosettes for Best Primitive and Best Non-primitive Rare Breed at the Show.
Northern Field Officer Ruth Dalton has been amazed at the
response to the 40th
Anniversary Parade
"We have swamped the Native
Breed classes with Rare Breeds, it's just fantastic she said
"The
Show have been really helpful and once again we will have our big marquee
with lots of animals and information, but to have so many rare breeds
represented in the showing classes is a real triumph."
The parade will take place on Wednesday the 10th July at 4pm and Thursday the 11th July at 1pm in the Sheep rings. Native Sheep classes commence at 11am on Tuesday the 9th July.
