MRS Sue Farquhar of Canon Frome, Ledbury, who won both the male and female championships with her Shropshires at the Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells, said doing well at shows helped maintain a flow of inquires for her sheep.

"It has been a good year and I have sold rams this week for crossing purposes. "I think there is a resurgence in the traditional breeds because with them there is an ease of lambing and costs generally are kept down."

Mrs Farquhar, who has recently exported animals from her seventy-strong flock to Germany, believes that with CAP reform on the way, some of the continental breeds would be giving way to the traditional ones. S and S Gibbon of Hay-on-Wye won the top accolade in the Beltex classes.

They had the champion exhibit, the best group, and the best male. In the Border Leicester classes, D J and G A Watkins of Whitehouse Farm, Vowchurch, won the breed championship with a shearling ram, the group of three, and the male and reserve male awards.

"The winners were father and son, with the son beating the father which helps to show the improvement we strive for," said Mr Watkins.

The best group of Suffolks was shown by V E and B M Samuel of St Weonards. In the Bluefaced Leicesters, M J and M D Day of Abbeydore, entered the show scene at Builth by winning the group and the reserve female championships.

Woodston Manor Partnership of Lindridge, Tenbury Wells, gained the reserve breed championship in the Berrichon Du Cher classes. The partnership had the best male, the reserve female and the reserve group.

Mick Williams of Three Ashes, had the best shearling ewe and ewe lamb in the Berrichon section.

In the carcass, Andrew Bishop of Colwall landed the supreme championship with a Beltex cross, while W H Weaver of Hanley Swan, had the reserve with a Beltex cross.

With the sheep section at the Royal Welsh Show being the biggest and best in the world, exhibitors know it is a showcase for their businesses.

David Bishop of Colwall, who won the reserve female breed championship with a Beltex ewe, said winning at the top shows did much to promote his pedigree animals.

After winning at the Royal, he sold eleven ram lambs in seven days.

"Winning the supreme championships at the Shropshire, Three Counties and the Royal this time has led to a lot of inquiries for Beltex and no doubt the Royal Welsh will further stimulate a lot of interest in the Beltex breed."