Wales & Border Progeny Show – Kindly hosted by Llanfyllin Show

Saturday 8th August 2026

The Wales and Borders progeny show returned to Llanfyllin Show this year after last year’s inaugural edition, and the welcome was as warm as the weather! Last year bluetongue restrictions prevented any English flocks from competing, and despite the spectre of the disease still lingering over the industry, this year everyone was welcome to attend which made for what many sage observers thought to be the finest show of Bluefaced Leicesters ever assembled in Wales.

The job of sorting through the quality sheep before him, under a mercilessly hot sun, fell to Gareth Roberts of the Myfyrian flock. He found his champion in the first class of the day, the aged tup from Aled and Aron, Craig-yr-Orsedd. Blacket House S21 is a real colossus of a tup, correct in every way, he was overwhelmingly deserving of top honours. He’s no stranger to the show, having been champion as a two shear last year, nobody who saw him on Saturday would bet against a threepeat next summer… He has a pedigree to match his looks, a son of the 3600gns Cocklaw N13, he is twin brother to Blacket House S22 who is the reigning sire of the year after doing so well up at Burndale. Aled and Aron have sons of this fabulous tup heading to Builth and Carlisle later in the year, and they will no doubt be high on a lot of peoples’ shopping lists.

Reserve champion went to the gimmer from Sophie Harding’s Shrewbridge flock, who was following up from her success at last month’s Royal Welsh. This imposing yearling ewe, V9, is a daughter of the 2000gns Piel View S1 bought out of Builth a few years back, and her mother, who herself was female champion at the Royal Welsh as a gimmer, is a daughter of the legendary Ashes N3 who has bred so incredibly well for the flock. The Shrewbridge flock dominated the proceedings in the female section, also winning the ewe and ewe lamb classes with a mother and daughter outfit! The ewe, T22, is herself a daughter of the Ashes tup, and she went on to be reserve female champion. Her outstanding daughter, W5, is sired by a famous tup of yesteryear, Lydbury Marcus. The dominance of the female section is all the more impressive when you consider that the three class winners were the back-ups for the Royal Welsh team which did so well!

Reserve male champion went to an outstanding lamb from Dewi Williams, Blacket House, who was making his debut at the show despite being one of the region’s most respected and successful breeders. His Blacket House W1 rose to the top of a very deep field of quality tup lambs in the open class with his combination of power and style. He’s a son of Shrewbridge S3 who was bought out of Welshpool as a shearling for 500gns… This isn’t the last time this sire is mentioned in this report, but even if it was, the victorious lamb alone would mean he was an absolute bargain!

Elsewhere in the individual classes the shearling tup class was won by D & M T Parry with Kirkstead V1. He’s no stranger to red rosettes having stood first prize at Builth last year when they bought him for his style and presence. A son of the £12,000 Madrissa S7 he’s grown into a big powerful shearling with a tremendous skin and real presence,

Finally, the performance recorded tup lamb class was won by the Davies family’s Gornal flock. Gornal W017  is an outstanding son of Blacket House T25. Full of bone and power, with beautiful white hair, he’d be an asset to any flock on looks alone, but he even has the figures to back it up. He’s definitely worth a look when he’s put up for sale at Builth next month.

The progeny classes attracted great entries, which is brilliant to see and testament to the breeders for putting in the effort to bring so many quality sheep forward. Gareth found his champion group in the ewe lamb class, from the Blacket House flock. These massive, stylish lambs were again sired by Shrewbridge S3, who underlined his stock getting credentials by siring the winning group of three tup lambs as well. Safe to say it was a satisfactory debut for the flock, but I’m not sure other breeders will keep their hands idle if they catch Dewi bidding on a tup in the low hundreds at Welshpool in future!

Reserve champion progeny group went to D & M T Parry’s Nant-y-Glyd flock with their three gimmers. They were like peas in a pod, with cocky, upright outlooks and silky, bright white hair. It was the second year in succession the flock had won the group of gimmers, but unlike last year, this time they were sired by Piel View T1, who himself had been part of a winning progeny group up at Penrith as a lamb!

The only progeny group of bluefaces which requires the sire to be a part of it is the Performance Recorded Sire with Tup and Ewe lamb class. This was won by the Davies family, with their triumphant performance recorded tup lamb being joined by his sire and an equally powerful ewe lamb.

The champion mule progeny group went to one of the regions oldest flocks. Dai Edwards’ Llanarmon flock is the third oldest flock based in Wales, so they know a thing or two about turning out quality mules by now! Their winning lambs were sired by Cernyw T26, who is a son of the Church Farm P27, hard to find better Welsh genetics for breeding top drawer whiteface Welsh mules.

Reserve champion in the mule progeny section went to James Ruggeri of the Gyrhos flock and his nephew Joseph Evans. Joseph tries out James’ tup lambs every year to make sure they’re doing the job right before they’re sold as yearlings at Welshpool. On the evidence of these lambs, buyers should be making a note of Gyrhos V3, a son of the 3000gns Whinnyhall P1, when the catalogues come out for the sales.

Thanks to Buddug Sian Photography – if you would like to view the whole gallery of images – please click on the link below

photographs are available to purchase from the link

Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders Association Wales & Border Progeny Show – Sioe Llanfyllin 2026