Winner announced for the RWAS Dr Emrys Evans Award

With a theme of ‘Stockman’s Skills’ with the objective of exhibiting and showing livestock’, the winner of this year’s Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s Dr Emrys Evans Award is Mr Cai Edwards from Clwyd.

The judges were extremely impressed by the high standard of entrants for the award, kindly sponsored by Mrs Mair Evans. All ten candidates demonstrated a wide range of skills, including modern techniques and traditional methods and showed a variety of stock from sheep to cattle and horses. Other skills, including clipping and trimming in preparation for the shows, often highlighted the number of hours that the candidates devoted to exhibiting.

“It was a real honour to be asked to judge the Dr Emrys Evans award this year.” said judges, Mr DE Meurig James FRAgS and Mr Martin Sivill.

“Being given the opportunity to visit different young farmers from across Wales was an exciting task and they didn’t disappoint when we met each of them. The skills that were presented to us and the stock that we were shown was a credit to each and every candidate.”

Two candidates stood out above the others, both showing a huge amount of knowledge and skill in the showing of their chosen stock.

Non Thorne from Pembrokeshire owns an outstanding herd of Pedigree Hereford cattle. Her enthusiasm for the breed was visible in the time she puts into promoting it. She used social media to help her promote the breed particularly during Lockdown when there were no shows. She presented her stock confidently and showed off the skills as a competent show person.

Cai Edwards from Clwyd owns and shows commercial beef and pedigree Limousin cattle. He made a great impact on the judges as soon as they drove into his yard.

“The team of show cattle were tied up and ready to be viewed. His preparation, including demonstrating the process of preparing an animal for the show ring and the knowledge that he clearly has was plain to see. He has also had much success on the show circuit, many of which have been with home bred cattle. Cai’s awareness of changing markets means that he would like to increase the pedigree numbers, but he also showed that he sees the benefit of the commercial stock, selling well off the back of the show successes.”

After much deliberation the judges are pleased to award the Dr Emrys Evans Award to Cai Edwards from Clwyd and wish him and all of the candidates continuing success for the future.

A certificate and medal will be presented on Monday 18 July at the Royal Welsh Show in memory of Dr Emrys Evans, a Royal Welsh gold medalist and chairman of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s board of directors, who died on the eve of the centenary show in 2004.

Picture caption: Mr Cai Edwards (right) pictured at the 2018 Winter Fair where he and his family won the Supreme Cattle Champion.