Date: 5th – 7th June 2026
Judge: Matthew Osmond, Hampshire
Judge Matthew Osmond of Hampshire certainly had his work cut out at The South of England Show 2026, with a highly competitive and well-attended entry of Suffolks on display across the three days. With the weather thankfully holding off, the ringside was treated to some excellent stock and the judge was kept busy from first class to last, with entries across the board and a peak of 14 in the largest class making for some genuinely tough decisions.
The shearling ram class drew a strong line up with Diana Lindon of the Wymbleton flock impressing the judge sufficiently to be awarded both the first and third place rosettes, with James Hamilton’s Houdshall flock slotting neatly in between to claim second. The ram lamb class proved equally competitive, with Oliver Fry of the Hansford flock taking a well-deserved first place rosette ahead of a quality line up. Debbie Cullum’s Thamesvalley flock followed in second with Diana Lindon’s Wymbleton flock completing the card in third. In the ram lamb untrimmed section, the Wymbleton flock again showed their versatility at the top of the card, taking first and third, with the Thamesvalley flock of Debbie Cullum claiming second.
The ewe classes were equally hotly contested. In the shearling ewes it was Kevin & Sallyann Hasemore of the Chidham flock who caught the judge’s eye, securing first and third place, with Huw Griffiths of the Valence flock putting in a strong performance to take second. The aged ewe class also went the way of the Chidham flock, with Kevin & Sallyann Hasemore taking first and second, and Debbie Cullum’s Thamesvalley flock completing the line up in third. The ewe lamb class saw Simon Cobden of the Meonwara flock take the winning rosette ahead of a packed line up, with the Thamesvalley flock of Debbie Cullum in second and Matt Legge’s Duxmore flock in third. The ewe lamb untrimmed mirrored this quality, with the Meonwara flock again taking first, the Duxmore flock moving up to second and the Thamesvalley flock completing the line up in third.
In the final deliberations, it was the Chidham flock ewe who stole the show. The entry having been tapped out from the Chidham flock went on to dizzying heights and was awarded the coveted Interbreed Champion title. Oliver Fry’s Hansford flock provided a fitting Reserve with their impressive ram lamb, rounding off what was a thoroughly exciting day for the Suffolk breed at one of the South’s premier agricultural shows.
RESULTS
Shearling Ram
1st – Diana Lindon – Wymbleton
2nd – James Hamilton – Houdshall
3rd – Diana Lindon – Wymbleton
Ram Lamb
1st – Oliver Fry – Hansford
2nd – Debbie Cullum – Thamesvalley
3rd – Diana Lindon – Wymbleton
Ram Lamb Untrimmed
1st – Diana Lindon – Wymbleton
2nd – Debbie Cullum – Thamesvalley
3rd – Diana Lindon – Wymbleton
Aged Ewe
1st – Kevin & Sallyann Hasemore – Chidham
2nd – Kevin & Sallyann Hasemore – Chidham
3rd – Debbie Cullum – Thamesvalley
Shearling Ewe
1st – Kevin & Sallyann Hasemore – Chidham
2nd – Huw Griffiths – Valence
3rd – Kevin & Sallyann Hasemore – Chidham
Ewe Lamb
1st – Simon Cobden – Meonwara
2nd – Debbie Cullum – Thamesvalley
3rd – Matt Legge – Duxmore
Ewe Lamb Untrimmed
1st – Simon Cobden – Meonwara
2nd – Matt Legge – Duxmore
3rd – Debbie Cullum – Thamesvalley
Interbreed Champion – Kevin & Sallyann Hasemore, Chidham
Reserve Champion – Oliver Fry, Hansford
