Standing champion in the Hereford section at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair was steer Penrhiwgoch Progress 508 from Messrs Griffiths, Ferryside, Pembrokeshire, with Will Griffiths on the steering end.
Home-bred, it is by Border Napier N57 and out of Penrhiwgoch Binks Rachelia 220 which also carried Border breeding on its maternal side and was born in May 2020. The Griffiths family also won the steer championship in three consecutive years from 2016 to 2018.
In the sale on Tuesday afternoon, this steer passed through the ring to a top call of £2.31/kg and weighing 702kg, it grossed £1,621.62, and sold to Douglas Willis, a butchery business in Cwmbran, Torfaen.
The reserve champion and reserve steer position was also secured by the Griffths family, again with a home-bred beast, this time Penrhiwgoch Progress 516, another Border Napier N57 son, born in June 2020. Weighing 656kg, it sold for £2.48/kg, amounting to £1,626.88, bid by J and S Wareham, Broadoak, East Sussex.
In the heifers, July 2019-born Celynen Envy 2nd from Alun Richard, Pumpsaint, Carmarthenshire. Born a twin to a male, it is by Windycreek 1 Notary and out of Blackwell 1 Envy. The breeder was also successful at the 2018 Royal Welsh Winter Fair, where they won the heifer championship and reserve in 2019. The sale saw R and S Rattray, New Cross, Ceredigion pay £2.36/kg for the heifer, and at 638kg it grossed £1,5050.68.
The reserve heifer rosette was handed to Scott Coates, Monmouth with February 2020-born Parkapella 1 Serena 1447. By Moeskaer Upgrade, it is out of Nanhoron 1 Serena 10th and weighed 590kg. It sold at £2.36/kg, totalling £1,392.40 to butchers ER East and son located on Brecon high street which are keen supporters of the breed.
The society stand was busy throughout the course of the show with members, interested parties and prospective new members.
Thanks must go to the Jones family of Dendor Herefords, Caersws, Powys for once again supplying stock for display on the stand. Two bull calves were loaned and were Dendor 1 Vivian and Dendor 1 Virginian.
Dendor 1 Virginian is by Dendor 1 Nairobi which was the supreme champion at the National Poll Show in 2018. Dendor 1 Vivian is by Gouldingpoll 1 Moonshine which stood supreme champion at the Royal Welsh Show in 2018 as well as making up one half of the Fitz Hugh Trophy winner with stablemate Dendor 1 Ruby 29th.