Northies celebrate 40th return to the Royal Welsh Show

Melfyn Williams winning the North Country Cheviot champion at the Royal Welsh Show in 2013.

Known for its remarkable hardiness and high-quality wool, the breed was originally introduced to Wales in the 1970s after the breed society felt there was potential in crossing the breed to the Welsh Mountain ewe.

It was first exhibited at the Royal Welsh in 1983 by a handful of dedicated breeders who had successfully begun to establish the Northies in Wales. Among them was former president of the North Country Cheviot Sheep Society, Melfyn Williams, whose father, John Huw, was a noted early adopter of the breed.

Mr Williams has competed at the show ever since, winning the first Interbreed title for the North Country Cheviot with his Pengroes flock in 1997.

“Those early shows were a fantastic time for someone with an interest in the breed as they set the scene for the next 40 years,” he remarked.

“Naturally, everyone wanted to win in the ring, but as soon as it was over everyone got together, had a drink or two and talked about Northies. It was a great atmosphere then and still is now.”

Mr Williams recalls that in 1983, there were around 34 North Country Cheviots exhibited, with the first champion being won by Lady Beaumont of Deddington Mill, Oxfordshire.

This year, there have been more than 130 entries for the Northie classes at the Royal Welsh, with breeders coming from all corners of the country, reflecting the growing popularity of the breed.

“The Northie is one of the largest hill breeds with the park-type being suited to lower pasture and hill areas, while the hill type can go ‘further up the mountain’ and people really seeing the advantages of that,” Mr Williams explained.

Growing from strength to strength

David Pittendreigh, now 82, also exhibited in the first breed classes in 1983, and like a number of the original exhibitors, has competed every year since, except when asked to judge.

Unlike many of his fellow competitors, however, Mr Pittendreigh started his shepherding career with Northies in Black Isle, Inverness, before moving to Wales where local sheep breeders were beginning to express an interest in Northie lambs.

He soon purchased a flock of 50 sheep from his old boss in Black Isle and moved them down to his new home to become the Coel-Y-Foel flock in Llanlwni, Cardiganshire in 1973. It was to become just the second Northie flock to be registered in Wales, but over the course of his career, Mr Pittendreigh has started a total of 53 flocks with his ewes.

At its height, the Coel-Y-Foel flock consisted for 150 Park type North Country Cheviot ewes, but despite being in his 80s, Mr Pittendreigh still runs 40 ewes. For his efforts in establishing the breed, he was recently awarded an Honorary President title by the North Country Cheviot Sheep Society.

According to Mr Pittendreigh, some of the earliest memories he holds of showing Northies at the Royal Welsh Show was the parties.

“I have some great memories from those times and from the Royal Welsh generally. It is a fantastic show. It’s a family show and has always been a family show. That’s why people love it so much,” he said.

Demonstrating the qualities of the breed, in 2000, a Gilston-bred North Country Cheviot ram shown by Arwel and June Jones won Supreme Champion of Champions at the show – a truly fantastic achievement when up against so many breeds at the Royal Welsh Show.

The Royal Welsh Show takes places on from Monday, July 24th to Thursday, July 27th at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells, Powys.