Teenage sheep handler targets Bath and West glory

After a decade in the show ring, teenage sheep handler Sophie Long is aiming for her biggest success yet at this year’s Royal Bath and West Show.

The 15-year-old, who runs the Littlebrook pedigree Southdown and Blue Texel flocks, is preparing a team of 10 sheep for the summer show circuit as young handlers across the country gear up for another busy season of competition.

For Miss Long, the Royal Bath and West Show has been at the centre of her journey from the very beginning.

She first stepped into the ring there aged five after borrowing a “quiet Blue Texel ram lamb” from family friends Vicky Smith and Jess Maynard.

“My only ambition was winning a pink rosette; luckily I got one!” she recalls.

That early taste of success quickly grew into something much bigger.

Over the years, Miss Long has secured young handlers’ championship wins at several major agricultural shows, including the Royal Three Counties, Royal Norfolk, Ashby Show and the Welsh Winter Fair. She has also taken reserve champion titles at both Tenbury and the Bath and West.

The teenager believes young handlers’ competitions play a vital role in encouraging the next generation into livestock showing and farming.

“The Blue Texel Society is great at encouraging the younger generation into showing,” she says. “I’ve been fortunate to be champion twice.”

She credits the competitions with helping build her confidence before stepping into pedigree sheep classes in her own right.

“The camaraderie at these shows is great and I’ve made fantastic friends,” she adds.

Growing up with sheep has given Miss Long experience across every aspect of the flock, from lambing and breeding management to preparing animals for the show ring and sale day.

But she is keen to point out that agricultural showing is not limited to those from farming backgrounds.

“You don’t have to be a farmer to compete at shows,” she explains. “If you’re keen, simply contact someone you know who shows, ask if you can borrow a lamb and have a go.”

Her success in the show world has also extended beyond sheep.

Alongside livestock classes, Miss Long has collected rosettes in the egg pavilion with her Pekin Bantams, particularly during periods when avian influenza restrictions halted live poultry competitions.

“To date, the Bath and West has been my most successful,” she says, after winning champion contents and reserve overall champion in the egg section.

Despite competing at events across the country, the Somerset show remains her favourite fixture in the calendar.

“It’s a great environment for families as it falls in half term, and the team that run the sheep section are the best,” she says. “It’s always the one I get most excited about exhibiting at.”

Preparations for the show season begin weeks in advance, with long days spent selecting, clipping, washing and trimming sheep ready for competition.

After washing 22 sheep, Miss Long has narrowed her final team down to 10 animals across her Southdown and Blue Texel flocks.

Among them is Gavin, a Southdown ram lamb she believes could have a bright future both in the ring and as a stock ram.

“It will be nice to get him out for other breeders to see,” she says. “I’ve had reserve breed champion at the Bath and West, so who knows, I’d love to go one further!”

Looking ahead, Miss Long hopes to combine her passion for sheep farming with another long-standing interest — livestock photography.

She plans to study at Hartpury College before spending time working elsewhere in the industry to gain further experience and bring fresh ideas back to the family farm and marketing business.

While she continues to enjoy showing Blue Texels, it is clear the Southdown breed remains closest to her heart.

“The Blues have been a fantastic breed to gain confidence and knowledge,” she says, “but I’m keen to cement the family’s heritage in the breed.”