Wales & South West Progeny Show

A good entry of sheep to the annual Welshpool progeny show saw some great sheep forward and some strong classes especially in the gimmer shearling class, which saw 14 out to judge and the ram lamb class with 10 cracking lambs forward for the judge Gareth Jones from the Robleston flock to mull over.

In the open section it was a smashing gimmer shearling from Sophie Harding which topped the tree. This smart sheep, by the Ashes N3 tup and is the full sister to the ewe which won at the Royal Welsh last month. She has been placed at the Highland, where she stood second and then again at the Welsh where she won her class. She is certainly full of style and the Ashes is really leaving its mark on the flock, with the first placed ewe and Reserve female champion by him too as well as the Reserve Champion progeny group of three gimmer shearlings all by him.

Pride of place in the male section went to Aled Jones, Craig-Yr-Orsedd, with a very smart tup lamb, T1 Craig Yr Orsedd, by the 3800gns Elian R3 that he bought in 2022 as a lamb and has done well for the flock, selling lambs by him up to 2000gns last year at Builth. This corker of a lamb will be leading the line for them at the Builth NSA sale next month and is out of one of the flock’s best line, with his mother being the leading gimmer lamb in the progeny group back in 2022, and she was out of the old H33 ewe which is still going strong rearing a lamb at 9 years old. To say the Elian tup is getting well is maybe a bit of an understatement, with the group of tup lambs by him going on to take the progeny championship. The other two lambs in the group are full brothers, T2 and T3, which won the recorded lamb class, are out of one of the flock Stalwarts, J86, who also had 2 lambs in the 2022 Championship group and 2 embryo daughters in the winning group of ewe lambs, also by Elian, this year too. She too is still going strong at 8 years old. The Elian tup was in attendance too, winning the aged ram class, and looking proud of his progeny’s successful day out!

The reserve male champion came from Tudor Harris and the Bonvilston flock with a lovely tup shearling, S6 Bonvilston by the P1 North Burndale out of a homebred ewe by the old L14 Kirkstead. This boy will be heading to Builth NSA sale next month and will certainly be worth keeping an eye on, full of style and has a great skin and outlook.

In the mule section it was a mule lamb out of a Dalesbred ewe for the Armstrong family, Lays, which took the individual section and in the progeny side it was a win for 25 year old Carla Ashley, Graig Wen Fawr, making her debut at the show. Her lambs, out of Beulah ewes, and raised at over 1000 feet were sired by a homebred tup, P9 Graig Wen Fawr.

After a successful series of summer shows, we will soon be into the Sale season, so hold on tight, I’m sure there’s going to be some fireworks ahead!