A great day yesterday at Worcester ZSA Sale, where Greenhill Ellie was placed as Reserve Female Champion and went on to make 800gns, travelling just about as far home as she had to get there, but in totally the opposite direction with Jason Kestell to Cornwall. Greenhill Evelyn, the only daughter we have ever sold sired by Kilimanjaro was placed 4th in the same class as Ellie, she went on to make 750gns selling to the Booth family at Lothersdale near Keighley, only about 10 miles from here, so she found her way to her new home easier! Greenhill Enid also travelled to Cornwall where she joins the Renfree family's Dannett flock all the way down in Liskeard, Cornwall. we wish you all well with ours sheep and hope they do well for you.

They say that all good things come to and end, and unfortunately we have to report that the sad decision was made on Friday that Woodston Pedrog be put down. He was 10 years old, and had had a good innings, and been looked after by Raymond Heigh with care until the end. Pedrog was bred by Phillipa Ball, and spotted by Rob and Vicky Grinall at a young age. They used him for a couple of years until they sold him to us and Brookdene Zwartbles at the Carlisle sale in 2010. Our first lambs were born off him in 2012, and were without doubt the best bunch we have had for being 'peas in a pod', indeed they won the ewe lamb class in the Northern Area Flock Competition that year. He was prolific, and has 160 progeny registered by the ZSA in 56 different flocks. His list of winning stock is long and varied, these are just a few; Champion Stock Ram ZSA North of England Branch 2012  ZSA North of England Branch Supreme Champion Animal 2010  Breed Champion & Male Champion - Burwarton 2010 1st Senior Ram - Three Counties 2010 Male Champion & Res. Supreme Champion - Newport 2010 Breed Champion & Male Champion - Minsterly 2010 1st Senior Ram & Res. Male Champion - Carlisle 2010 Breed Champion & Reserve Interbreed - Kilnsey 2010 1st Prize Ram - Westmorland 2010 Any Other Breed Champion Nidderdale 2010 Sire of prize winners:- Zwartbles Sheep Association National Show 2012 1st Prize Ewe Lamb "Greenhill Walnut" 1st Prize Untrimmed Ewe Lamb "Greenhill Wilma" 2nd Prize Untrimmed Ram Lamb "Greenhill Wakita" 1st and 2nd Prize Ewe Lambs Large Flock Competition ZSA North of England Branch 2012 - 1st Greenhill, 2nd Brookdene So, the end of an era, and a great influence on the breed, but through the technology of AI - he aint finished yet!! A sheep that I know Greenhill, Brookdene and Beech Hay were proud to be associated with.

We now have lambs ready for moving on, MV accredited, correct markings or mis-marked females, as well as shearling ewes, heptavacP, wormed and set to go. Unrelated males and females also available as starter flocks, with males and females sired by both Greenhill Blakeney and Holmlea Border Talent. Give us a ring, and feel free to visit for a look.

It's certainly not like this today, and this lot are all tucked up dry today!!!!

Carlisle in Lamb Sale Friday 18th November Lots 114 -117 inc. are now not forward having been sold privately

Summer must be over as we have today attended Masham Sheep Fair, the final gathering of sheep in the North. 5 exhibitors, Well done to Nicola Hodgson with her Aged Ram, Christine Slee with her Ram Lamb, Shearling Ewe and Group and Odgers and Braithwaite with their Aged Ewe. We were very pleased to take our 6th Breed Championship of the summer with Greenhill DelMonte and end the summer on a very high note. Thank you to Alan Potter for coming up to see us at a truly traditional setting with sheep all around the Town Square. Sheep racing in the churchyard, (perhaps not so traditional) and the driving of geese into the TownSquare as it was done hundreds of years ago, and all run by volunteers for local charities and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. On now to the November sale at Carlisle where we hope to have a Gimmer Lamb (empty) and 4 nice Blakeney shearlings forward in lamb to The Fort Del Boy, Reserve Male and Reserve Overall Champion at the Premier Sale this year.

Lovely day today at the last of the Dales shows at Nidderdale which is held at Pateley Bridge. Not many exhibitors, it being on a Monday but never the less some nice sheep from those that were there. Great result with wins for Greenhill DelMonte and Greenhill Blakeney. Well done to our good friend Raymond Heigh - Brookdene Zwartbles winning with his Ewe, and Christine Slee - Coverham Zwartbles with her Ram Lamb. DelMonte was Champion and Raymond was Reserve with his Ewe. Thanks also to Lorna Murray for venturing 'Up North' to judge again.

A bit late as we have been making the most of a dry and fine Bank Holiday weekend, yes that was FINE and DRY Bank Holiday weekend! Don't worry though the October weather wilkl return, just hopefully not actually until October! A lovely day at Wensleydale Show on Saturday, thanks to Lorna Murray for venturing up North to judge, and very well done to Hayberries Zwartbles for their Champion and Reserve. Pleased again with 2nd Blakeney in the Shearling and Over Ram, 3rd with Coco in the Shearling Ewe, 1st with DelMonte in a class of 13 nice Ewe Lambs and 2nd in the group, more importantly, tried orange and cream ice cream for the first time, - recommended!

Can anyone tell me if the AU in AUgust stands for AUtumn? It's nearly dark, windy, and raining more like October than August! Had a good day at Gargrave Show today between the windy heavy showers. 4 of us there and Neil Spedding judging. 1st with Greenhill Blakeney in the Senior Ram, 3rd in the Shearling Ewe class with Greenhill Coco and 1st in the Ewe Lamb class with Greenhill DelMonte who was also Breed Champion. Well done Selside Zwartbles - Flock 286 (MV Acc) with your reserve and thanks to Neil. Just a shame when the weather lets you down on your show day, it's the one thing we have no control over yet it makes the biggest difference, but well done to John Beckwith and his team for putting on a great day anyway.

What a busy weekend we have had! Down to Worcester Market yesterday where we took 5 sheep to sell. All 5 sold at what seemed to us to be a very busy sale with many new faces around the ring and buying sheep. We were pleased to have the top price for a Ram Lamb at 600gns, for Greenhill Del Boy, a lamb we have liked and shown all year. We wish all the people who purchased our sheep good luck with them, we hope they do you well. Lovely day today, in a beautiful setting at Ripley Show, held in the grounds on Ripley Castle between Harrogate and Ripon. Having been asked to go for many years we ventured to this lovely country show, and were very pleased to win Female and Breed Champion with our Ewe Lamb Greenhill Del Monte. Well done to the other exhibitors, Matthew Beckwith, Charlotte Thompson, Christine Slee and Nicola Hodgson. The sheep looked well in all the classes. Nicola won the Reserve Breed and Male Champion, and went on to win the Interbreed with her Ram (All the Female Champions compete for Female Show Champion and all the Male Champions compete for the Male Show Champion, those two then compete for the Interbreed Champion). Nicola and Stephen had the Male Champion with her Zwartbles, and Female Champion with his Charollais Ewe Lamb) Well done Hodgy and Nic!!

A GREAT week at the Yorkshire Show. Long lines of very high quality sheep in every class with many sheep of a high standard getting nothing. We were absolutely delighted to get 2nd with Blakeney in the Aged Ram class, 3rd with DelMonte in the older Gimmer Lamb class, 4th with Del Boy in the older Ram Lamb class, 4th with Dandy in the young Ram Lamb class and 6th in the group, with three that we would be the first to say were not the best match, be we can only show what we have! Well done to Peter and Susan with a worthy champion, Beech Hay Chancellor, pleased to say we still have a half share of his maternal grand-sire Woodston Pedrog along with our good mate Raymond at Brookdene Zwartbles, who was reserve with a Black Pepper daughter Brookdene Cover Girl. Thank you to Liam Campbell for crossing the water and judging. Harry also celebrated his 18th birthday a little early with his Zwartbles friends from North and South, and thanks to them for making it a great evening. I think some of you may have seen the video...........................

Photos from Greenhill Zwartbles Sheep's post

A bright and breezy day today at Arthington Show, where thanks go to Christine Slee for coming down and judging a smallish, but nice selection of our breed. Well done to Matthew Beckwith and Charlotte Thompson. We managed to win all the classes, but it was far from easy. DelMonte was made Breed Champion and then we are pleased to say went on to be Interbreed Champion to round of a great day. It was also nice to see my old friend, Catherine Hudson who I had as a work experience girl over 20 years ago, and whom I haven't seen for 6 years due to her travelling the world and living in Kentucky working in the racehorse breeding industry.- this girl just could clean tack!!!!