Judges new and not-so-new gathered at the farm of Patrick Goldsworthy, Grafham, Cambridgeshire, in early November for a hands-on session and an opportunity for discussion and sharing opinions and good practice.

All agreed that it is important that judges have a clear process which they follow when they inspect each and every sheep in the line-up in front of them. While all judges, naturally, have their personal likes and dislikes, everyone agreed that first and foremost, the priority was to look for a correct sheep, before the finer points are considered, with the breed description taken into account when making a final selection. All present agreed too that a competent and experienced steward makes a great deal of difference to the smooth running of the classes and judges should work hand-in-hand with their steward when judging. The Society extends its thanks to Patrick Goldsworthy for hosting the event, to Gail Sprake and Jonathan Long for running the day, and to the judges who gave up their Saturday to attend.