2025 proved a challenging year for many in the North Wales club; a generally pleasing lambing was closely followed by the threat of BTV-3. As a region we felt this challenge acutely due to the anti-midge border (invisible to the human eye) dividing our geographically widely spread out club membership and therefore hampering the ability to do the usual meet ups at a variety of shows and sales.

Early in May we were asked if we would represent the society at the RWAS Hill Farming event on Thursday, 12th June 2025, at Hafod y Llan Farm, Beddgelert, at the foot of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). Dewi Ellis very kindly agreed to represent the Society and the North Wales Club. Dewi and Kim took 10 of their shearling ewes to showcase the breed, manning the stand with help from family members and Society President Wynne Davies. It was by all accounts a very successful day with many useful conversations. Families enjoyed meeting the sheep and the sticker collection was diminished by the attending children allowing a little time for their grownups to chat. A guess the weight of the ewes competition was won by a young man from Garndolbenmaen.

Usually in June, we would hold our club show. Due to the ever changing Blue tongue situation and variable restrictions, it was decided that it should be not go ahead as any of our members over the border in England would be unable to attend. Looking forward to the coming year we are hoping to hold our club show alongside other Lleyn sheep classes at the Flint and Denbigh County show in August. We believe that this will provide an excellent ongoing additional promotional opportunity for the Lleyn breed.

Our Farm Visit / open day was in August by kind invitation by Delwyn and Elaine Hughes (Flock 1991), please see Farm visit report.

The sale at Ruthin this year was successful; with at least some of the uptick in trade as a direct result of a club advertising presence at both the Anglesey and the Flint and Denbigh shows, where Lleyn Society banners and promotional items were evident and available for any interested parties. The pre-sale show classes were judged by Dylan and Anwen Jones and family (Lluest Wen).

The club year finished with our AGM at the Drovers, Rhewl. It is always lovely to see each other whilst enjoying a well cooked and tasty meal.  It would be usual to hold our annual dinner and prize giving on the second Friday in January. However, due to the extreme weather on the planned night of the meal, you will now have to wait to hear the results of the 2025 Flock contest, our new Champion Stock Ram competition and the two points cup awards until after we meet up at our now planned  ‘Spring Banquet and prize giving’. This will be held once lambing draws to a close.

That’s it for 2025 and we hope to catch up with you at some stage during the coming year.

Sarah Greig, North Wales Club Secretary