NSA North Sheep 2027 Heads to Wensleydale

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is delighted to announce that NSA North Sheep 2027 will take place at Marriforth Farm, Thornton Steward, Wensleydale, on Wednesday 2nd June 2027, kindly hosted by the Fairburn family.

One of the UK sheep industry’s most anticipated events. NSA North Sheep combines commercial farming insight with livestock excellence, innovation and practical demonstrations. In 2027, the event heads to the spectacular Yorkshire Dales where visitors can expect a vibrant showcase of progressive sheep farming, leading rural businesses and the people shaping the future of the sector.

Marriforth Farm is a progressive multi-generational farming business run by three generations of the Fairburn family - Granville and wife Liz, son Paul and wife Marion, and the next generation, Pippa and Henry. The family’s connection with the farm stretches back more than 70 years, with Granville moving there as a child before the family purchased the holding in the early 1960s.

The business includes 460 acres (190ha) of owned land, 750 acres (300ha) of rented ground and almost 3,000 acres (1200ha) of rough grazing, running around 3,500 breeding ewes across Swaledale, mule and pedigree flocks. The family also grows 100 acres (40ha) of winter and spring barley alongside the sheep farming operation.

The Fairburn family is widely respected for pedigree breeding, stockmanship and showing success. Granville and his late father Ernest introduced Bluefaced Leicesters to Marriforth in 1973, selling their first tup lamb at the inaugural Bluefaced Leicester Society sale at Hawes Auction Mart two years later for £12. Today the family breeds pedigree Bluefaced Leicester and Beltex sheep, selling around 30 Bluefaced Leicester rams annually through sales at Hawes and Harrison & Hetherington at Kirkby Stephen.

The next generation is already making its mark, with Henry establishing the farm’s Beltex flock and Pippa recently launching her own pedigree Suffolk flock. The family also enjoys success in the show ring, from local agricultural shows through to the Great Yorkshire Show, where a homebred Bluefaced Leicester ewe secured Reserve Interbreed Champion in 2023.

Alongside the sheep enterprise, Paul Fairburn has built a strong reputation in the shearing world. A shearing contractor since the age of 16, Paul developed a run peaking at 25,000 sheep shorn in a season, travelled to New Zealand to shear and represented England twice in international relay shearing competitions.

Paul Fairburn says: “To be asked to host NSA North Sheep 2027 is a huge honour for our family and something we are incredibly proud of. North Sheep is one of the biggest and most respected sheep events in the country and it will be fantastic to welcome the industry to Wensleydale and showcase everything that makes sheep farming in this area so special. As a family, we’ve always been passionate about sheep breeding, showing and improving business and we’re excited to share that with visitors. The sheep industry feels positive at the moment and there is real confidence in the sector, so North Sheep 2027 feels like the perfect opportunity to celebrate that.”

The event’s Yorkshire setting places it firmly in the centre of a thriving livestock region, with strong agricultural infrastructure and support from local businesses, including major event sponsor I’Anson Bros Ltd.

Chris I’Anson says: "NSA North Sheep is a fantastic platform for bringing the sheep industry together and creating valuable conversations around the future of farming. We have supported the region's sheep and livestock farmers throughout our 126-year history and given the location so near to our Masham headquarters, sponsoring NSA North Sheep 2027 feels like a natural fit for I’Anson Bros. We are incredibly proud to continue our long-standing support for this event and are looking forward to working with the team in the build-up to 2027.”

The Fairburn family has a history of supporting the agricultural industry, previously hosting the North of England Mule Sheep Association open day and the English National Sheepdog Trials. Granville also serves as a Director at Leyburn Auction Mart.

From top-class livestock and live demonstrations to industry-leading businesses and the very best of northern sheep farming, NSA North Sheep 2027 is set to bring the sector together in spectacular style. Full event details, including trade stands and visitor attractions, will be unveiled over the coming months.