A well-known vet who accepted the advice of his daughter is now thanking his lucky stars after winning a magnificent new trailer.
And Dr Robert Ellis – known as Bertie – will be happy to allow his daughter Jessica to use the trailer as it was she who persuaded him to enter the competition on Ffermio, the popular S4C farming and countryside series.
Top prize in the competition was a 12’ cattle trailer worth £4,956 provided by Ifor Williams Trailers, Europe’s biggest and best known trailer makers.
Dr Ellis, from Abergwesyn, near Llanwrtyd Wells, was presented with it at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s Winter Fair in Llanelwedd.
Second prize went to Carmarthenshire farmer Aelwyn Evans who farms 300 acres at Caegwyn, Harford, Llanwrda. He is now the proud owner of a magnificent new £4,656 horsebox.
Smallholder Haydn Young, from Llannefydd, near Denbigh, was presented with P6E trailer worth £804 for coming third.
Dr Ellis has been in private practice in Llanwrtyd for 37 years but also farms 470 hectares on the Black Mountains. Having let the land for many years he is now spending more time farming and plans to build up his flock of sheep.
As a vet he specializes in treating horses and he himself has 30, while a friend and neighbour also keeps Shetland ponies on his land.
“The trailer is going to be extremely useful,” he said.
He said he rarely entered competitions and when he did it was never in expectation of winning anything.
“I think the most I’ve won is a bottle of wine,” he joked.
But his daughter Jessica, herself a vet in the Llandeilo area who sometimes helps on the family farm, persuaded him to have a go at the Ffermio competition which attracted thousands of entries from all over the UK.
“I am delighted now that she did,” said Dr Ellis, who has been a member of the council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for 24 years.
Now semi-retired, he is often commissioned by pharmaceutical companies to monitor clinical trials, and he is also called upon as an expert witness in legal cases, his speciality being equine nutrition. He also works as a contractor for DEFRA on TB clearance and as a saleyard vet for auctioneers Brightwells.
The Ffermio competition began in September and each week competitors were asked to answer a question, the first letters of the answers making up a secret word.
“I enjoyed taking part in it,” said Dr Ellis.
Elin Rhys Managing Director of Telesgop, the production company responsible for the popular Ffermio series, was extremely very grateful to Ifor Williams Trailers for supporting the series.
She said: “ Ffermio is unique. We keep farming and rural life at the heart of our storytelling but appeal to viewers in towns and cities too.
“The Ffermio competition is very valuable to us, with viewers far and wide tuning in, in the hope of getting their hands on the trailers!
“The trailers are part and parcel of country life, visible everywhere you go. Ifor Williams’ longstanding reputation for high quality manufacturing is the reason why we seek their support every year.
“The winners appreciate the quality of the trailers, be they farmers, small holders, or horse owners. It is a very special time for Telesgop’s Ffermio team, to see the excellent prizes going once more to very worthy winners. “
Llion Roberts, from Ifor Williams Trailers, said they were proud to be associated with Ffermio and that the faith in their product was clearly demonstrated in the response to the competition.
“It is an indication that our trailers are in great demand,” he added.
Arwel Ellis Owen, the Chief Executive of S4C, said: “The annual Ffermio competition captures the imagination of viewers every year.
“It reflects the popularity of Ffermio as a series that is at the heart of the S4C schedule and the response to the competition was fantastic again this year.
“We would like to thank Ifor Williams Trailers for providing the prizes and to Telesgop, who produce the series, for organising the competition.”
