Wales & South West Progeny Show

Welshpool Progeny Show – Monday 21st August, 2023

The last progeny show of the season was help at the Welshpool Livestock Market, and was well attended with some large classes for judge, Scott Thomason, Piel View, to sort through. The gimmer classes were particularly strong with 21 gimmer lambs out and 14 gimmer shearlings.

It was from the gimmer shearling class that Scott picked his winner, with Sophie Harding from the Shrewbridge flock hogging the tickets in that particular class, taking the first three prizes. All three of them were by the Ashes N3 which they bought in 2020 for 6200gns from Frank Johnson. The champion, a long, stylish sheep, is out of a homebred ewe by the Cassington J1, which was the Kelso champion when purchased. It was no surprise to see the shearlings go on and take the progeny championship too, with them being like peas in a pod, but the progeny group included “Star Appeal” which was the highest placed traditional gimmer at the Royal Welsh, but was accidently left in her pen for the show!

The reserve champion was the male Champion, a shearling ram from the Gornal flock from Phil Davies, who had grandson Alfie Benbow doing the showing, which he made a great job. He has a great body and lovely skin, which saw it take the prize for best skinned sheep in the show This cracking ram, which is by the homebred J18, which has done well for the flock, will be heading to Builth later this autumn, and will certainly be worth keeping an eye on, especially as it has some great figures behind him, putting him in the top 10% of the breed.

The reserve female champion was from Dewi and Meinir Parry with a sharp gimmer lamb by the M3 Leadburnlea sire which was 5000gns at the Covid Hexham sale, and has gone on to do well, breeding the 6500gn Kirkstead. Dewi had seen how well it was breeding and bought some semen to use on his flock, and this lamb is out of a Kirkstead bought ewe out of the F22 Kirkstead, which has breed so well. She took a first at the Anglesey show and the three gimmer lambs he was showing by the Leadburnlea also took the reserve tickets in the Progeny classes too.

The Reserve Male champion came from veteran breeder Phil May, who always brings some great sheep out. His reserve was a tup lamb by the P6 Kildalloig and he went on to take the first prize in the tup lamb class in the progeny section too with more of the same breeding. Phil enjoyed a good show, taking the first prizes in the aged tup section with Shelve P3, and also taking the ewe class first prize ticket too.

The mule championship, both in the singles and the progeny section were won by Daisy Williams from the Daisy flock.

Well done to all exhibiters for putting on such a good show…..now roll onto the sales!