Happy New Year and no blues for Welsh Blacks
Happy New Year and no blues for Welsh Blacks
By Jeremy Hunt
NEW buyers securing foundation stock and a confident demand from established breeders set the New Year off in great style for the Welsh Black Cattle Society.
The Dolgellau show and sale saw bull prices reach 3700gns and females sell to 1000gns on a day driven by enthusiasm and commitment to the future.
The breeds beef marketing scheme and a greater awareness of the value of native breeds as part of suckler-cow replacement policies is having an impact on the fortunes of the Welsh Black.
Making the days biggest investment were J P Owen and Sons who were determined to take the bull Iwrch Geraint back to their farm at Tai Pella, Gwytherin, Abergele. Bred by Alun Vaughan on his hill farm high above the Conway Valley at Nebo, Llanrwst, Geraint had been pulled out to stand reserve champion by judge Richard Tudor Jones, Tynybryn, Llanfihangel-y-Pennant, Tywyn, Merioneth.
This June 1997-bred son of Neuadd Addewid 68th, a bull with two sons successfully sold at the November fixture at Dolgellau, weighed 705kg on the day – a daily liveweight gain of 1.22kg. He is out of a Neuadd Cawr 220th sired dam bred in the Ardudwy herd.
Mr Tudor Jones kept ringsiders and exhibitors in suspense as he made his final championship decision – but the victorious slap on the rump was given to Caerynwch Tywysog 6th.
Sired by Brysgaga Seraff 26th, a bull bred by current society president John Pryse Rees, Tywysog 6th weighed 630kg representing a daily gain of 1.35kg. He was bred out of a cow by Eugrad Heulyn and made 2000gns to P I Arrowsmith, Builth Wells.
Some of the oldest and most respected bloodlines in the Cattle Societys herd book came together in Neuadd Dafydd Ddu 186th, a son of Neuadd Addewid 71st from Hywel Jenkins, Taliesin, Machynlleth. Buyer at 880gns was R T Richards, Bronllan, Llansannan, Denbigh.
A new lady enthusiast was busy studying pedigrees and cattle at the sale. Emma Davies, Llandysul, Carmarthenshire is setting up a new herd and paid the days top female price of 1000gns for the maiden heifer Seisiog Dwynwen 48th consigned by Goronwy Jones and Co, Nebo. Dwynwen 48th is by Gwern-Cynyddion Meirion 2nd.
The Davies family is among the new generation of Welsh Black breeders. Emmas sister recently returned from Canada with a group of fellow breeders whose trip was part of the Breed Societys EU and Welsh Office backed breed development scheme.
The closed Rhiwlas herd of the Society president elect Robin Price – no females have been bought in for over 50 years – produced the second highest priced female with the served heifer Rhiwlas Kim 7th, a heifer believed in-calf to Brysgaga Madog 2nd. She made 800gns to Mr Jones, Corwen.
(Farmers Marts (R G Jones) Dolgellau)