After a successful show season, the heifer champion, Glangwden Velvet went on to claim the supreme championship for the Edwards Brothers, Corwen.听
The May 2024-born heifer was听bought听privately from the Jerman family,听Newtown,听 earlier听this year and crossed the weighbridge at听598kg.听
Sired by听Mystyle听Perigrino, the heifer听was听placed reserve commercial champion at this year's Royal Welsh Show and overall champion at听North East听Live.听
It went under the hammer in the post-show sale and was knocked down for 拢27,000 to K. Jones, Carmarthen. 听
Reserve overall was another Limousin heifer, The Duchess, from Mike and Melanie Alford, Cullompton, which had been champion liveweight at LiveScot. The December 2024-born, 520kg heifer is out of a Limousin-cross Aberdeen-Angus cow and is by Uptonley Livingthedream. Earlier this month it won its class at the Borderway Agri Expo.听
Heifers听were the pick of the day for the judges,听Mike Rowlands, Powys,听and听James Crichton, Dumfries, who said: "Our champion was听a spectacle,听clean throughout with a good top and square from听behind.听While the reserve had a bonnie head,听handled听firmly听and听was outstanding for her age."听
Champion听steer was another Limousin bred animal, Bang On,听bred and brought out by the team at听Wilodge, Shifnal. The June听2024-born steer is a son of the Limousin sire,听Graiggoch听Rambo. Weighing听656kg听it听sold for听拢3,280听to Anthony Gibson.
Edwards Bros also claimed the reserve champion steer with Spiced Rump, a听June 2024 Limousin cross听weighing听594kg,听it听shared听the same sire as the champion,听Mystyle听Perigrino听and was also听bred by听the Jerman family.听听
Baby beef听
After years of trying, the听Cheacker听family, Gloucester,听finally听claimed听supreme听baby beef title for the first time with a home-bred听April born听heifer,听Pretty Little听Thing.听Sired by home-bred bull, Norman Salvador,听it听weighed in at听318kg听and听was fourth at听Agrifest.听In the sale, R. Whitfield, Bold,听bought听the heifer for听拢4,400.听
Reserve overall was another Limousin cross heifer, Annabelle, from E. H. Pennie and Sons, Montgomery. The pure-bred 368kg Limousin heifer bred by Paul Dawes, Hereford, claimed the overall baby beef championship at Borderway Agri Expo and is sired by Dinmore Tonka.听
Sheep听
A record breaking听525 pairs were seen in the sheep section and听after winning the听pure continental听championship, Tirion Griffiths, Ty Isa, Denbigh,听took the ultimate crown with a pair of听Dutch Texel听lambs听weighing in at 47kg/head.
These were bred from his flock of 35 pedigree ewes which run alongside a commercial flock.听It was the first time Mr Griffiths has clinched the award, after coming close in听2023 when he stood听reserve.听They went under the hammer for 拢1,500听each, to听the听The听White听Hart,听Llandeilo.听听
The live pairs sheep judge,听Gerallt Roberts, Gwynedd, said he was 鈥榮plitting听hairs'听when it came to choosing his winner over the pair in reserve, but his champions had the edge on the back leg, which is a prime cut, especially coming into the Christmas period.听听
The runners-up听 came听from听young听shepherd, James Daniell, Bristol, with a pair of听Beltex-cross听lambs. Winning the butchers'听weights section, the听39kg lambs went on to sell for 拢1,200听each.听听The pair听previously听won their class at听Agrifest.听
The native championship went to a pair of听52kg听pure Suffolk lambs from听regular exhibitors,听I. T. Davies and Son, Brecon.听Taking reserve native and claiming a first championship for the breed at the Welsh Winter Fair听was a听pair of 45kg听Derbyshire Gritstones听from听D. and C. Brown,听Herefordshire.听
Carcases听
In the carcase hall, the pairs champion went to Gareth and Avril Jones and daughters, Lampeter, with a pair of home-bred Beltex crosses, which weighed 22.4kg and 22kg and graded at an E3L. They went on to sell for 拢900 each.
The reserve champion pair was awarded to N. and L. Standring, Hereford, which were second to th echampions in the class. The 20.7kg and 21.5kg lambs graded as an E3L and E2.
Meanwhile in the singles class, it was the duo, Swinnerton and听Hamplett听Bros, Staffordshire, that fought off the competition to be crowned supreme champion. The听Beltex, E3L graded lamb weighed 24.1kg deadweight and听joined the听winning live lambs with听The White Hart,听Llandeilo听for 拢1,600.听听
Gareth Jones, Carmarthen,听took reserve supreme and the award for the best bred in Wales, with a听Beltex-cross听lamb听which weighed 21.5kg deadweight and graded as an E3L. Also听purchased听by The White Hart, it went under the hammer for 拢3,000.听
Pigs听听
In the pig sheds, after making the trip down from Yorkshire, Mark听Horsley,听took the pairs supreme championship with听Pietrain听crosses, which听sold for 拢420 each.听听
Meanwhile the single championship went to young听showman,听Teulu听Jenkins, Newcastle Emlyn,听with a Welsh cross听Pietrain听which听went on to sell for 拢550.听
Results听
Cattle听听
Overall (M. Rowlands, Powys and J.听Crichton, Dumfries) Supreme and heifer,听Edwards Bros,听Glangwden听Velvet听(Limousin); reserve and res. heifer,听M. and M. Alford,听The听Duchess听(Limousin-cross); sup. steer,听Wilodge, Bang On (Limousin-cross); res.,听Edwards Brothers, Spiced Rump听(Limousin)听
Baby beef (S. Sellers, Lincoln) Sup.,听Cheaker听family,听Pretty Little听Thing听(Limousin); res.,听E. H. Pennie, Annabelle听(Limousin).听
听
Sheep听
Overall (G. Roberts,听Gwynydd) Sup., T. Griffiths (Dutch Texel); res.,听J. Daniell (Beltex听cross).听
Native hill and upland (G. Roberts)听Sup., D.C. Brown (Derbyshire Gritstone); res.,听G.听and L. Davies (North Country Cheviot).听
Continental (G. Roberts) Sup.,听T. Griffiths听(Dutch Texel); res.,听R.听and L. Cooke (Blue Texel).听
Cross-bred (G. Roberts)听Sup., L. Pritchard (Texel cross Welsh); res., H. Jerman (Suffolk cross Welsh).听
Butchers' weight (G. Roberts)听Sup., J. Daniell听(Beltex听cross); res.,听T. Griffiths (Beltex听cross)听
Welsh Mountain (G. Roberts) Sup.,听Roberts family (Welsh Hill Speckle); res.,听G.听and E. Lloyd (Tregaron Welsh)听
Lowland (G. Roberts) Sup.听I. T. Davies听(Suffolk);听res.,听D. Jerman听(Poll Dorset).听
听Lamb听carcase听single (A. Morgan, Powys) Sup.,听Swinnerton and听Hamplett听Bros听(Beltex); res.,听G. Jones听(Beltex听cross).听
Lamb听carcase听pairs (S. Jones,听Llanon) Sup.,听G. and A. Jones and daughters听(Beltex听cross); res.,听N.听and L. Standring (Dutch Texel).听
Pigs听
Pairs (S. Loveless, Dorset) Sup., M.听Horsely听(Pietrain); res.,听D.听and R. Davies听(Welsh听cross).听
Single (R. Evans) Sup., T. Jenkins (Pietrain听cross); res.,听A. and W. Evans. James (Pietrain听cross听Welsh).听
听
