Farming Eye

Leading the way in the Balwen lambs here at Builth were a pair from J and M E Price at 62kg, with Matthew Bevan second with a 62kg pair and Messrs Price third with a pair weighing 63kg.

The Hill Speckled class was won by B L and J e Jones with a pair which tipped the scales at 86.5kg, with second spot going to T and B Evans with a 78kg pair and third taken by the Jones again with a pair at 86.5kg.

Lleyn class winners were a pair of 81kg lambs from S and R Downes, with John Davies second and Richard Downes third.

Welsh Mountain (pedigree) honours fell to T E and M I Price with a pair weighing 69.5kg, with Richard Lloyd second with a 76kg pair and D a Williams third with a pair at 71kg.

The AOB Welsh Mountain class was won by Adrian Watkinson, with D A Williams second. And then in the class for lambs by a Charollais sire and out of Welsh Mountain or Speckled ewes the winner was Neil Dillon with a 96kg pair and second was Messrs Jones and Hovers with a 101kg pair and third was a pair from D G Davies at 79.5kg.

Following that was the class for Welsh halfbred lambs, with this one won by R A George with a 94kg pair, second was L K Levenge with a pair at 97kg and third was a 90kg pair from E APrice.

Welsh Mule winners were from Neil Dillon at 103.5kg, with second here going to Robert Lewis with his 88.5kg pair and third to Adrian Watkins with a 98kg duo.

And, taking the AOB class was a pair from Messrs Price and Parry weighing in at 93kg, seond was a pair from Brian Davies at 79.5kg and third was Neil Dillon with an 82kg pair.

Kerry Hill winners were R A and a M Howell with their 84.5kg pair, then in second were Messrs Evans with a pair of 84kg lambs and in third was M L Holmes with a 73.5kg brace.

Hill Radnors followed them with this class won by Hugh Prothero and his 84.5kg pair, second was Gwilym Richards with a pair at 75kg and third was Messrs Jones and their 92kg pairing.

In the Lowland section the winner of the Llanwenog class was G and W I Evans with an 84.5kg pair. Second to them was a pair of 79kg lambs from J and M Green and third was A and R c Williams with their 82kg pair.

Taking the Poll Dorset class honours as Myrddin James with his pair at 90kg, he also stood second with his pair of 79kg lambs and third was Messrs Griffiths and Davies with their 73.5kg lambs.

Suffolk winners were Neil Dillon’s lambs at 106kg, second was Brian Davies with a pair at 105kg and third was Brian again with another 105kg combination.

Then in the ryeland class the winners were a pair from G O Jones at 88kg, second were R a and a M Howell with their 77.5kg lambs and third was the same exhibitor’s 86kg pair.

And the Southdown class was won by Messrs Wakeham Dawson and Harmer with their 81.5kg pair, second was Jon Aisbitt’s 88kg pair and third was the Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer team again with a 103.5kg pair.

by Jonathan Long

In the first of the butchers’ weight classes, for pairs up to 73.5kg the winners were a pair from Robin Slade at 67kg, second was a pair from Roger and Jill Williams at 72kg and third was W Gittoes with a pair weighing 71.5kg.

The next class for pairs from 74kg to 79.5kg was won by John Hall with a pair at 74.5kg, second were the Williams with a pair weighing 78kg and third were David and Linda Wadland with a 78.5kg pair.

And taking the red ticket in the class for pairs from 80kg to 85.5kg was Dafydd Lewis with an 83.5kg pair, next were Steve and Sara Gibbons with a pair at 85kg and third were Roger and Jill Williams with a pair weighing 80.5kg.

The next class was for pairs from 86kg to 90.5kg and was won by John Hall with his pair at 90kg, second to him was Huw Rees Jones with a pair at 88kg and third was a pair of 90.5kg lambs from Robin Slade.

Winning the final butchers section class was a air from Phil and Carol Houldey at 92kg, with Steve and Sara Gibbons second with a 91kg pair and Michael Owens third with a pair at 95kg.

Top spot in the untrimmed lamb class was won by Stuart and Jen Clatworthy with a pair of 83.5kg lambs, second to these were David and Linda Wadland’s 85.5kg pair and third was Huw Rees Jones with a pair of 92.5kg lambs.

by Jonathan Long

Judging in the sheep rings here at Builth is progressing well, with Paul Slater cracking through the Continental section before moving on to the Butchers’ lambs.

In the first class of the day, the purebred Texel class the winner was a pair of 42.5kg lambs from Steve and Sara Gibbons, the same exhibitors then took the top ticket in the second class for Beltex lambs, this time with a pair of 44.25kg lambs. Second in this class were the Hall family, with a pair of 47kg lambs and third was Terwyn Glyn Davies with a pair of 41.75kg lambs.

In the AOB Continental class the winners were a pair of 40.5kg Blue Texels from Enfys Williams, with Steve and Sara Gibbons second with a pair of 47.75kg lambs and third was Dafydd Lewis with a pair of 49.25kg lambs.

Taking top spot in the first of the Hill lamb classes, the South Wales Mountain class, under judge Alwyn Davies, was a pair at 75.5kg from G M Groucott. Second to them was a pair from Adrian Watkins weighing 80kg the pair and third was Messrs Groucott and Morris with a 69.5kg pair.

The Tregaron Welsh Mountain class was won by Irwel Jones with a an 81.5kg pair and second here was D Morgan Evans with a pair at 80kg and third was Yvonne Edwards with a pair at 82kg.

In the Talybont Welsh Mountain class the winners were T C and A J Tyne with an 82.5kg pair, with Neil Dillon second with a 100kg pair and third were J and M E Price with their pair at 86.5kg.

Winning the Black Welsh Mountain class was the Workman Family with a pair at 71.5kg, the same exhibitor was second with a pair at 64kg and third was E O Williams with a pair at 70.5kg.

by Jonathan Long

Taking top spont among the sheep entries here at the English Winter Fair were Steve and Sara Gibbons, with their pair of purebred Blue Texel lambs which had earlier won the day’s pedigree championship. This pair by Whatmore Siren, the sire of this year’s Royal Welsh breed champion. This pair tipped the scales at 98kg the pair and later sold at £950 apiece to Andrew Froggat.

Reserve overall secured domination for the Gibbons family, with their Beltex cross pair taking the reserve honours. This pair, by Llymbrain Nelson weighed 92kg and sold at £340 to Martin and Val Brown.

And completing the set for the Gibbons was their purebred Beltex pair which picked up the reserve pedigree championship for them.

by Jonathan Long

Steve Smith’s Penparc flock has sold at a best of 2000gns for Penparc Trojan, a son of Kiltariff Osprey out of a dam by Blackstown Oswald. This went to Messrs Jackson, Wolfclyde.

Then at the same money was Stonehills Touch of class from the Riby family. Sired by Allanfauld Rockafella, he is out of a dam by Humeston Pride of Kings.

And trading at 2600gns was Wellingley Tyson (lot 332). This is by Garngour Patriot and out of a Kelso Planet daughter.

by Jonathan Long

The pre-sale show at the first major Texel sale of the season, the Northern Irish National Texel show and sale, Ballymena, saw a rare double achieved by Andrew Fyffe’s Fairywater flock, with both the overall and reserve championship tickets going to Fairywater animals.

Taking the overall championship for Mr Fyffe was his gimmer FAO1100201. Sired by Strathbogie Python this one is out of a dam by Ettrick My Jinks and is full sister to the champion from Omagh and Castlewellan.

Reserve overall under judge Geraint Jones, of the Erw flock, Corwen, was Fairywater Tribute, a son of Cornerstone Isaac and out of a dam by Knock Impulse. His dam is a maternal sister to last year’s sale topper, 9000gns tup Fairywater Susperstar.

Taking the reserve female championship was Brian Hanthorn’s second prize gimmer, HBN1100334, an ET bred daughter of Mullan Royal Flush out of a dam by 120,000gns sire Loosebeare Imp.

And in reserve spot in the males was Derryvore Terminator from Owen Donohoe. This son of Glasker Supreme is out of a dam by Straidarran Kojak.

Class results

Shearling ewe

1- Andrew Fyffe, Fairywater, FAO1100201

2- Brian Hanthorn, Mullan, HBN1100334

3- J and R Currie, Tullagh, CJT1100239

4- Richard Henderson, Ballynahone, HBR1100237

5 – Gareth Tumelty, Aideshill, TGA1100131

To see the full class results click below. Selling in the ewe lambs and gimmers gets underway shortly, news from the sale ring will follow in due course.

by Jonathan Long

The Ingram family have made it a clean sweep in the sheep lines at the Royal Welsh this year, taking today’s interbreed group of three title to add to the pairs and individual interbreed championships won yesterday with Charollais from their Logie Durno flock.

Standing reserve to the Charollais were the North Country Cheviot trio from J Earle.

In the show’s ram lamb interbreed, a competition staged for the first time this year in memory of former chief sheep steward George Hughes, the winner was the Brecknock Hill Cheviot from G J Meredith, while reserve spot went to the Charollais tup lamb from Tim Prichard.

by Jonathan Long

Topping a highly successful day for the Ingram family their Charollais ewe, Logie Durno Kate has just clinched the overall intebreed title here at the Royal Welsh. This Rockvilla Golden Promise daughter is out of a Rutland ewe and is full sister to Logie Durno Jackpot, the Charollais champion here two years ago. This is the Ingram’s first interbreed win at the Royal Welsh in just their third year of showing at Builth Wells.

Standing reserve overall was the champion from the Upland section judged this morning, the Beulah tup. This was a two shear ram from Dyfan Evans. Bred by Messrs Price, Pencry, and bought privately last year, he is by a Bound tup and is on his first outing this year.

Taking the show’s lowland native championship immediately before the overall championship was the Welsh Mule winner a shearling ewe from Ben Powell which is homebred and one of 500 the family will sell this year at Builth Wells and Welshpool.

Reserve in this section was the Clun Forest tup from Brian and Anne Davies. This was bought last year as a shearling at Ludlow from Messrs Froggat.

by Jonathan Long

The Charollais pair from the Ingram family, Logie Durno, Aberdeenshire, have made the long trip south worthwhile by taking the interbreed pairs title here at Builth Wells this morning.

This pair, made up of a homebred aged ewe and a bought in tup were picked out by judged Duncan Currie for their excellent fleshing qualities and perfect balance as a pair. “What I was looking for was a real pair, two sheep evenly matched and well balanced. The Charollais pair fitted the bill perfectly.”

The Ingrams’ older ewe is the same ewe as won the Highland show last month. This is Logie Durno Kate. She is by Rockavilla Golden Promise and out of a Rutland ewe and is full sister to the 2010 Royal Welsh champion Logie Durno Jackpot. Her team mate was Ffrwd Lord of the Ring, a son of a Rhaeadr tup which was bought at the main Builth tup sale for 3200gns last September.

Standing reserve was the Kerry Hill pairing of a shearling tup and shearling ewe. The ram from Geraint Roberts is homebred and by a tup bought from Messrs Francis, Myndcal. Meanwhile the gimmer is from Sion Jones and was bought last year as a lamb from J P Owens. She enjoyed success at this year’s Royal Welsh Spring Festival.

by Jonathan Long

Taking the championship honours in the prime lambs here at the Royal Welsh was Dafydd Lewis with his Beltex cross pair, with P and C Houldley reserve with their Beltex x Texel lambs.

And in the lamb carcass competition the champion was another from Dafydd Lewis, again a Beltex cross and in reserve was Liz Davies with her pure Beltex lamb.

by Jonathan Long