Brothers battle it out for sheep glory at show

Stuart Cornelius with King Charles at the Royal Cornwall Show in 2022

Two brothers from Cornwall are gearing up to compete against each other at the Royal Cornwall Show.

Farmers from across Britain have started making their way to the South West for the show which begins on Thursday.

The show is regarded by many as a traditional agricultural event that has stayed true to its roots.

Winning a rosette or even a trophy is the name of the game, particularly for brothers Stuart and Stephen Cornelius, who are competing against each other in the sheep showing.

Stephen Cornelius and his daughter Abigail at the show in 2023

The Cornelius family, from Davidstow, has been rearing Scottish Blackface sheep for 100 years.

Stuart said he had kept his brother in the dark about which one he will be showing.

Stephen and Stuart said their grandfather bought the breed in the 1920s before their father, Philip, started showing the sheep in the 1960s.

When their father retired, they split the stock into two with each brother getting 35 sheep.

The Cornelius family at the Camelford Show in 2019

Their father's passion became their passion.

"You're out to win that blue rosette - that's the be-all and end-all," said Stuart.

"When you've got a nice white sheep and you've got those ribbons lying down over the back, it just makes you a proud person, but this is what it's all about."

Stephen said he puts his winning rosettes in the sheep shed.

"When you're down there working you're thinking, well, that's what we are aiming for," he said.

'Sunken heart feeling'

Last year Stuart told Stephen he was going to beat him.

"And I did," he said.

"Luckily I had the overall supreme champion of the Blackface breed with a ram lamb."

Stephen said he was overall champion the year before with his breed champion.

Stuart said the event proved there could be great expectations placed on one animal.

He said: "You think we've got the job sorted and then you go [to the show] and your rivals turn up and you get this sunken heart feeling and then it's down to the showman side of it."