Blacknose sheep sale first in North; IN BRIEF.

THE UK's first ever show and sale dedicated to the Swiss Valais Blacknose Sheep will take place on August 20 at Borderway Mart in Carlisle.

The Blacknose Beauties National Show and Sale will showcase the breed - deemed the 'cutest' in the world by the Daily Mail - while educating farmers on the qualities and standards against which the animals are judged.

The Valais Blacknose remains incredibly rare, with only 12,000 sheep registered in the breed's native country.

Hence the show and sale aims to provide UK breeders with the opportunity to have their stock officially graded and judged by Swiss Valais experts.

With 150 sheep set to be shown, the event, which includes the UK's first official auction, will also provide a platform on which to highlight the breed's merits to a wider audience.

Stocky and dependable, the Valais Blacknose owes its essential character to the need to survive in wild mountainous terrain.

A sturdy breed that was only registered in 1962, the sheep graze easily on the steepest, stoniest slopes, their large size meaning they can provide their owners with meat as well as wool.

The show will feature 13 classes in total, with winners being presented with a traditional Swiss bell, and the overall supreme champion receiving the Tomintoul Single Malt Scotch Whisky Trophy donated by Tomintoul Distillery.

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Valais Blacknose Sheep are rare