South Wales Texel Breeders Association

Pepermint Pipps Progeny Parade

South Wales Club Progeny Show 2011

In one of the strongest competitions yet, 18 pairs of lambs were entered in this year’s competition at Llandovery. It was a pair of gimmers by Rascarrel Pepermint forward by DDJ Watkins and Co (Cwmcerrig) that took the championship though.

Malcolm Evans, a Suffolk and Hampshire Down man well respected on the local show circuit was the judge. Club Chair Trudy Davies was glad to see the younger members not only participating but also bringing out excellent stock and ending up in the cards.

Pepermint had been bought by the Watkins family from the Welsh Premier sale in Builth 2009. They were the joint under-bidders on his 13,000gns sire Templand Megane at Lanark in 2006. This honour adds to the accolade of the 3rd prize shearling tup rosette Pepermint picked up at the 2010 Royal Welsh Show. The gimmers both traced to the Watkins’ influential donor ewe WJJ05118, one being a daughter of this Tophill Kiwi ewe and the other a granddaughter out of a Glenside McCoist ewe. These ewes will now travel to Machynlleth, where they will grace the South Wales Club stand at NSA Welsh Sheep 2011.

Second in this strong class with 8 pairs forward were daughters of Kingfisher Pedro, property of John and Josie Hardwick (Abercrychan). Pedro is by the home bred Kingfisher Ken Rigg out of a Glenside ewe by Keltic Star. In third was young recent recruit to the club Will Davis (Twyn Y Cryn) with direct daughters of Castlecairn Keltic Star.

The Watkins’ narrowly missed out on a double in the group of five gimmers class with another entry by Pepermint awarded second place. The winner of this class was the star of the Texel Journal 2011, Alfryn Davies (Ifan Ddu) with 5 by Aman Paradwys. Considering he only had 6 gimmers in total this year to select from, that has to be considered an amazing feat. Alfryn intends to keep all six gimmers for stock causing him to consider a reluctant sale of Paradwys (by Knock Nugget) at the Llandovery Club sale in September. Third in this class were club stalwarts Powell and Marion Jones (Llanthomas) who proved no worse off for their significant reduction sale last year. Penparc President is a Mellor Vale Masterpiece son out of a Penparc Kingpin daughter.

In the pair of lambs section more Masterpiece blood was in evidence, Will Davis (Twyn Y Cryn) again, this time taking first spot with a pair by Millar’s Outstanding, the Lanark Champion from 2008 and stock tup at Milnbank. In second in both this class and the group of lambs class was Keith Evans (Scurlage Castle) with the progeny of Haltcliffe Pheonix. Pheonix is by Douganhill Jeronimo and was purchased at the Ynysau dispersal sale having himself come from Lanark the previous year. In third were the Jones’ (Llanthomas) with a pair by Penparc President.

In the group of 5 lambs class was another young club member Owen Watkins (Caenantmelyn). His group were by Loosebeare Major, a Haddo Jogger son by a Clougher Judge ewe. 3rd in this class were Jon and Bridget Booker (Banc Olive) with 5 by Claybury Regard, a tup with a remarkable pedigree. He is by Glenside Eurostar, the famous stock tup at Knock from yesteryear and out of a sister of Claybury Istabraq by Green Golden Boy, himself the first prize ram lamb at Lanark when Bridget’s father judged there.

Club Chair Trudy Davies was very happy with her night: “It was a very good turnout of lambs and yearling ewes with some very good animals coming forward”