Amazing April

April saw lambing carrying on, although the busiest was behind us. It gave me more time to take pet lambs for walks, a noble pastime. This is Valerie.

 

This is a door. (I just thought the light on it was pretty.)

 

Astrid.

 

Frida.

 

Feebee.

Spot on the lane.

Some lambs out in the field with their mums.

Laurel's twins, a boy and a girl.

Minnie, lambless through no fault of her own. Better luck next year.

 

This lamb has a cute patch.

Laurel and her children.

Not that I should be picking favourites, but Audrey's ewe lamb this year... that's a favourite.

Clover's twins are hiding behind her.

Another sweet set of twins.

 

Blue Belle enjoying the spring grass.

 

 

 

Ethel.

 

 

Olive.

 

 

Valerie's twin sister Patricia.

 

 

 

Poppy was having fun with her ball, but accidentally passed it to Blue Belle. Both she and Valerie didn't really know how to play ball.

 

 

 

Patricia was no help either.

 

 

The twins with their babysitter.

 

 

Patricia.

 

 

The youngest of the pet lambs, Petal.

 

 

 

Susan looking into the Potato Field.

 

 

And she's in!

 

The Castlewellan Show 2024

My dad and I returned to the Castlewellan Show last Saturday, after a five-year absence. We parted ways once through the gate. I visited the cattle first. Dairy judging was well underway.

 

In another ring, the young handlers were under scrutiny.

 

I had a wander through the cattle rows.

 

Onto the horses and donkeys next. There was a lot of waiting around between classes.

 

There was always a showjumping class on.

 

A I paid a brief visit to the poultry tent.

 

The threshing machine.

 

Is this pygmy goat enjoying the show? It's hard to tell...

 

Of course, I had to pay a visit to the sheep.

Some dynamic judging in progress.

The wall of photo competition entries was nice to see. Sorry I wasn't up there, though - I forgot to enter! Perhaps next year.

Back outside and I saw this lovely donkey.

And at the top of the hill, the driving horses and ponies were out for judging.

I stood just outside the ring with a busy thoroughfare at my back. Whichever way I looked there was something to see.

The rain that had been threatening all day started to fall in earnest, but the show must go on...

Making their way to the class.

 

An old-fashioned traffic jam.

 

A lovely looking horse.

 

The rain adds something to this shot.

 

It was lovely to see the horses and ponies turned out so well. Upstaged the tractors in my opinion.