A Llanrwst man can wipe an expensive item off his long-term shopping list after beating thousands of other entrants in a TV competition.

Christmas came early for Myrddin Davies when he won the first prize of a £ 4,000 trailer in the annual competition on S4C’s popular programme Ffermio.

For many years the show has been in partnership with Ifor Williams Trailers, Europe’s largest trailer manufacturers in offering three of the company’s popular models. This year, as in the past, viewers were asked to answer questions and then provide a seven-letter word from the initials of each answer.

Myrddin, who lives in Ffordd Tan yr Ysgol, Llanrwst, has tried his luck several times in the past and always come up with the correct answers but has never struck lucky. This time, however, he was shocked and delighted to learn that he had won.

“The competition is a popular talking-point among farmers, who often discuss the answers and I know how many would like to win the trailers,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard that I had won; it’s quite a prize.”

The trailer, a TA5G 10-feet-long model with sheep decks is worth £4,105 plus VAT, and will be a very useful addition to the Davies family’s fleet of vehicle.

The 33-year-old works part-time as a project manager for the Menter a Busnes enterprise agency and spends the rest of the week on the family farm at Nant y Wrach Fach, between Pandy Tudur and Llanrwst. There his parents Gwynfor and Myra Davies keep 400 sheep and 100 cattle.

“We already have three Ifor Williams trailers - we wouldn’t have any other make – but we would have been looking to replace one of them in a year or two,” said Myrddin. “I can take it off the shopping list now.”

He received his prize at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s Winter Fair in Llanelwedd, which he attends each year.

Semi-retired Brian Thomas, 73, won this year’s second prize, an LM85G model, eight-feet long and with dropsides, a headboard and tailboard, which is worth £1,970 plus VAT.

Brian, of Blaengilfach Uchaf, Cilrhedyn, Llanfyrnach, near Crymych in Pembrokeshire, has come up with the correct answers every year but until now has not been lucky enough to win.

Blaengilfach Uchaf is a 200-acre holding on which Brian, who also worked as an agricultural contractor, keeps store cattle and sheep. He is one of five siblings, four of whom farmed in the area.

He is helped on the farm by his wife Mary and son-in-law Richard Davies, and over the past three years his deteriorating health has restricted his mobility.

“I now have more time to watch TV and read, and so I do enter more competitions,” he said.

There are already two Ifor Williams trailers at Blaengilfach Uchaf but the new model will prove very useful for different jobs.

“We always buy the company’s trailers because they are the best around,” said Brian.

Unfortunately, due to his ill-health, he was unable to attend this year’s Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s Winter Fair at Llanelwedd, and so it was left to Mary and their daughter Elaine to collect their prize and take it home to Llanfyrnach.

Morris Jones, of Tryal Farm, Llanrhystud, is now the proud owner of a Q5e trailer which was the third prize.

Every year since the competition was launched Morris, his son Richard and brother Ifan, all of whom work on the family farm, have submitted correct entries but never been among the winners.

“All three of us tried again this year and obviously my luck was in this time because we know how popular the competition is,” said Morris.

Tryal, a 123-acre holding, has been in the family for three generations and the Joneses keep sheep and cattle.

They already own three Ifor Williams trailers of various sizes but the Q5e model, worth £1,110 plus VAT, which has hinged solid sides, a roof rack and stock door, will be a very useful addition to their fleet.

“We always buy Ifor Williams trailers because other makes simply do not compare with them. The ones we have are bigger so this will be useful in other ways,” said Morris, 55, who said that neither he, his wife Delyth nor any other members of the family enter any other competitions.

Gwawr Lewis, of the production company Telesgop, who make Ffermio, said that interest in the competition increased every year.

“Whether you’re a farmer or someone who loves the great outdoors an Ifor Williams trailer will always be a superb product to win,” she said.

“It’s fantastic that the company has, once again, put up three of their best products as prizes, which helped to ensure that interest was again massive.

"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 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. “

Iorwerth Roberts, the company’s head of sales in North Wales, said Ifor Williams Trailers was proud to be associated with Ffermio and that the faith in their product was clearly demonstrated in the response to the competition.

“We have had fantastic support from our loyal customers over many years and in return we feel it is vitally important to support the rural community,” he said. “Ffermio provides us with a great way of giving something back.”

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News » Christmas comes early for Myrddin