WHILE many of Teignbridge’s farmers were awarded for their high-quality livestock at the Devon County Show, few were more decorated with awards than Rosemary and Arthur Wrayford’s flock of Dartmoor Whiteface sheep. 

Hailing from Higher Wotten Farm, near Denbury, Newton Abbot, the Wrayfords have been working the same farm for three generations. 

The multitude of strong results vindicated the many years of hard work the Wrayfords have put into breeding sheep that are so perfectly suited to this part of the world. 

The Wrayford’s ewe won both Breed Champion and First Place for the Yearling Ewe category, both with the same ewe. Only rarely does the female become the Champion over the male, making the Wrayford’s success even more striking.

They also won Devon County Show Special Rosettes for the Best White Faced Dartmoor Exhibit, as well as Reserve Champion Longwool and Reserve Champion for Rare, Primitive or Minority Sheep. Alongside this, a string of smaller awards and distinctions were also awarded to the Dartmoor Whitefaces. 

Showing since she was 12, Rosemary is no stranger to what it takes to breed and show prize-winning sheep. 

‘We’ve been breeding Whitefaces for 26 years now,’ said Rosemary. 

‘It’s a real labour of love, but we wouldn’t change it for anything. You got to do your homework and take a lot of care, but we love doing it.’ 

As the President of the Dartmoor Whiteface Breeds Society, the opportunity for Arthur to show his Whitefaces in Friday’s Grand Parade was a worthy reward for all the hard work that was put in throughout the Show. 

Rosemary added: ‘We were delighted with the results, whitefaces always are a strong class and there’s always good competition. 

‘We’ve won at other shows but not at Devon County Show, so we’re absolutely delighted.

‘It was a great couple of days, we Whiteface farmers love a bit of banter but we’re a tight-knit community and we always look out for each other and are pleased for each other, I couldn’t stick it any other way.

‘We’ve been doing this for many years, we may not act our age, but we have been doing this for many years!’