Outgoing NSA Northern Region Chairman oversees presentation of outstanding contribution award
27th February 2017
The final task for Greg Dalton, County Durham sheep farmer and outgoing NSA Northern Region Chairman, has been to announce the 2017 winners of the T.I. Allison Memorial Award for outstanding contribution to the sheep industry in Northern England.
As active NSA members and regular attendees of the annual regional members meeting, the award came as a complete surprise for Derick and Jean Wilson from Matterdale, Cumbria, stalwarts of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association for more than 50 years. The presentation was part of a busy evening of activity, with Eddie Eastham of Burgh-by-Sands, Cumbria, taking over as the region’s new chairman and Thomas Carrick of Alston, Cumbria, as vice chairman.
Will Rawling, NSA Northern Region committee member and Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association Chairman, presented the couple with their award and believes they are more than worthy winners. He says: “This couple have shown total dedication to their breed and evidence of their success is that their trophy cabinet which is already bursting at the seams. Both Jean and Derick have a long association with the showing of Herdwick Sheep, as competitors and judges, and remain very active in agricultural circles. It is a particular testament to see the great lengths they go to in supporting new starters to get a foot on the sheep farming ladder, often helping them understand the bigger picture, not just selling them sheep.”
Derick and Jean were selected for the annual award as they are as competitive as ever on the show circuit and have established themselves as ambassadors for the Herdwick breed at many of the smaller agricultural shows. Now in the twilight of their successful career in farming, both remain very active in many ways that showcase the positive elements of the sheep sector. Derick enjoys dry stone walling, while Jean continues to exercise her passion for breeding top quality Herdwick sheep. Breed quality is key for the couple, who ensure buyers looking to get on the ladder receive the type they are looking for.
Greg Dalton, outgoing NSA Northern Region Chairman, says: “There could not have been more justifiable winners of this award. Hard work from the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association has played an integral role in raising the profile of the breed in recent years, an effort the Wilson’s continue to be a fundamental part of. From designing to building displays, work like this has raised the profile of the Herdwicks in the sheep world and far beyond.”
As well as electing a new chairman and presenting the T.I Allison Memorial Award, the NSA Northern Region Annual Members Meeting also included a series of technical presentations to keep members and guests abreast of developments in the sheep sector. Jean Pierre Garnier of AHDB spoke about potential post-Brexit trade deals, with Joanne Briggs of NSA adding a wider Brexit context on the ideal outcomes for UK sheep farmers on trade, farm support and regulation. Hannah Jackson, an NSA Next Generation Ambassador, concluded with a summary of her career progression since taking part in the NSA professional development programme.
