AFTER 38 years of showing animals Gidleigh farmer John Jordan is having his best season yet.

His wins at the Royal Cornwall Show have just taken his championship total so far this year to seven.

At the event last week he won the Scotch Black-Faced sheep championship but just missed the top Dartmoor Pony prize and was awarded reserve champion.

Mr Jordan, who won the Dartmoor Pony section at the Devon County and Royal Bath and West shows, said he would have liked to have taken the championships at all three shows with his ponies but 'that's showing for you'.

'It's a very good year for us,' he said. 'At the Devon County Show we also won the overall sheep champion and there were 23 breeds being exhibited there.

'It takes a bit of doing to achieve this and we have never done better.'

Showing is a family affair for the Jordans with wife Di and sons Robert and David taking a keen interest.

Mr Jordan said they all enjoyed travelling around exhibiting the animals — it was a great way of meeting people and letting potential buyers see your stock.

'It certainly helps us to sell our ponies and sheep — I sold about 20 rams at the end of last season,' he said.

The Jordans keep around 15 pedigree ponies and have three breeds of sheep.

They will be making their next challenge at the Royal Show at Stoneleigh next month and are entering their local shows at Okehampton and Chagford.

Another sheep breeder having success at the Royal Cornwall Show was Courtney Mortimore from Chagford who won numerous prizes with the Greyface Dartmoors, including the championship.