HARDY Scottish sheep breed, the North Country Cheviot, is celebrating its 40th appearance at the Royal Welsh Show this year.

The versatile breed was first exhibited at the event in 1983 by a handful of dedicated breeders who had successfully begun to establish the Northie in Wales.

Among them was recent past president of the North Country Cheviot Sheep Society, Melfyn Williams, whose father, John Huw, was a noted early adopter of the breed.

Huw and Melfyn were joined by other well-known breeders of the day including David Pittendreigh, David Roberts, John Lloyd and David Hughes, to compete in just two classes, one for rams and the other for ewes.

Melfyn said: “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.

“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.”

Melfyn 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.

“This reflects the growing popularity of the breed in Wales,” Melfyn said.

“There’s potential for further growth, too. The Park type is very popular and we’ve seen an increase in the Hill type over the past five years.

“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.”

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