News Archive 2008
Welsh Blacks gear up for Royal Welsh Show
With only a week to go until the Royal Welsh Show (July 21-24) Welsh Black Cattle breeders are making their final preparations for the show ring.
This year's Show sees a 36 strong entry of pedigree Welsh Black cattle entered, bulls and females, from 18 exhibitors - three of which are making their show debut.
Said Welsh Black Cattle Society Chief Executive, Andrew James, "The Royal Welsh is renowned for its ability to attract large volumes of farming families; and none more so than the support the show attains from devotees of Wales ' only native cattle breed the Welsh Black.
"We have exhibitors are from north, mid, south and west Wales and consist of established cattle breeders with a depth of experience and show ring successes with young and enthusiastic members who are so vital to the breed's future at agricultural shows."
The Welsh Black Cattle judge this year will be John Beynon, Cert Agric, FRAgS of St Davids, Pembrokeshire.
A familiar face at the Royal Welsh and shows throughout Wales , Mr Beynon has won endless prizes and awards with his Tyddewi Herd, which was established in 1976.
Among those hoping to win at the Royal Welsh Show is the Ellis family who farm at Nantycynog, Bryncrug near Tywyn in Gwynedd.
The family who began showing Welsh Black Cattle at the 2005 Royal Welsh Show, will be back again this year hoping their Ynysfor Herd will again do them proud.
But unlike some of their contemporaries the Ellis' don't have a large pool of cattle from which to choose, as their Ynysfor Herd comprises of just 15 Welsh Blacks. These, along with 100 ewes and 400 organic chickens, are kept at the 50 acre smallholding which the family took over 18 months ago.
A carpenter and joiner by trade Ken Ellis came into farming at 21 to work with his father, the late Emlyn Ellis who managed the nearby Rhydygarnedd Herd of pedigree Welsh Black cattle for Mrs Sarah Tudor.
After a period back in the construction industry Ken came back to farming and the Ynysfor Herd was established in 2000.
Now he farms with Lisa, his wife, and with the help of sons Tomos (18) an apprentice carpenter and joiner, Dafydd (16), and nine year-old William has been successfully showing cattle in shows around north and mid Wales where females from their herd have picked up several trophies.
"I have always loved farming and have been involved to a certain extent with agriculture all my life. While I trained in the building industry it was always my intention to one day go into farming, and to keep Welsh Black Cattle in particular," says Ken.
This year will be the third time cattle from the Ynysfor herd have been exhibited at the Royal Welsh Show.
In 2005, their debut year, the Ellis family entered three animals which won a first, third and a fifth prize rosette. The same three cattle - which at the time constituted half the Ynysfor herd - went on to win the Best Group of Three title.
Their in-calf heifer was included in the breed Group of Five class and also the Native Group of three which won the overall best native breed title at the show.
The 2007 Royal Welsh Show was nearly a replica of the 2005 show with a home bred heifer Ynysfor Gwenno winning first prize and their other animals winning a second prize and fifth prize. The family also took the reserve champion female title, and again one of their in-calf heifers was selected in the breed Group of Five and in the native Beef Breed Group of Three, winning in both classes.
But the Royal Welsh isn't just about winning; the event holds special significance for Welsh farming families.
Says Lisa: "This will be our third year of competition and while we look forward to it a lot of hard work goes into preparing the cattle with early mornings and late nights."
"But the Royal Welsh is very important and special for us as a family and it has become our annual holiday. It also enables us to see a lot of friends that we only get to see during show time."