Royal Welsh Show 2025 - Suffolk Sheep Society

A truly Welsh affair this year!

Date: 21st July 2025

Judge: A Evans, Dol-lys flock

A slightly, but only slightly, reduced entry at the Royal Welsh show for 2025 owing to the RWAS policy with Bluetongue virus restrictions making it a “Truly Welsh” affair! However, there were still plenty of sheep on show to make the Suffolk breed fill the ring with top quality stock from start to finish.

A slightly delayed start due to the previous breed overrunning and a shower of rain at the start of judging soon cleared away to make it a very pleasant afternoon for showing.

Andrew Evans, Dol-llys flock and vice chair of Council keeping the Welsh theme and taking on the task of judging the 2025 entries, executing his duties efficiently as we worked our way through the classes. Results were uploaded as they happened on Facebook as the judge tapped out the rosette winners in each class to keep everyone up to speed on an as it happens basis.

The Overall Champion came from the stable of Arnie Oare, Groes flock a keen competitor at the Royal Welsh seeing his flock rise in stature and his breeding being recognised in the show ring. Cat number 6085 a powerful shearling ewe hitting the judge’s eye from the strong earlier class to become Female Champion and then on to Overall Champion. Flock book number SHK: 24: 04118 sired by Pyeston Ghost and from a Rhaeadr ewe A12:22:02551. The shearling, a single lamb derived from ET has a considerable back pedigree littered with well known flocks and has certainly given Arnie a return on his considerable investment in the Suffolk breed.

Reserve Overall Champion was category number 6065, rounding off a pretty good week for DP and RA Delves, Bridgeview flock. Following on from a highly successful sale at Lanark, their pen took reserve which was a bit of icing on the cake for their ram lamb who came first in his class, went on to become Male Champion and finally Reserve Overall. The lamb BLN:253530 is a single ET sired by Limestone Online, current sire of the year, and from a homebred dam BLN:21:01120 which is again littered with high profile flock names in its back pedigree.

Reserve male champion was tapped out for young breeder Oliver Sparks, Homeland flock who had one of the best Royal Welsh shows ever being placed by the judge in four of the classes that he entered! His second place ram lamb followed through to be named reserve male champion. WSU:25:01409 took the eye of the judge making it the year of the ram lamb for the male championships this year. Congratulations to Oliver for his 2025 Success, a young breeder with a long career ahead of him in the show ring.

Reserve Female Champion came from the pen of Carwyn Lewis, Studdolph flock a newcomer to the Suffolk breed and showing a great deal of promise with the latest success. Catalogue number 6114 with a ewe lamb (FK24:25:00503), a natural served single lamb by Lakeview Double Choice, from a purchased Birness ewe 1W:23:03777.

Overall, a superb set of sheep put before the judge on the day, quality and quantity making the packed ringside stop and look. Hats off to all the breeders in Wales! A great showcase on the day putting the message out that Suffolk sheep, new and young breeders are filling the honours board and we are in a great place and on the up and up!