Long-serving NSA Wales & Border Ram Sales stalwart Pam Chilman has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to the event as she marks her retirement.

Pam was presented with a framed watercolour painting of her first prize Kerry Hill ram lamb, painted from a photograph taken at the main sale in the late 1990s. The image has become well known among sheep breeders, having featured on Kerry Hill Society cards, catalogues and other official publications over the years.

Pam said: “I absolutely love the water colour. I was the secretary of the Kerry Hill Society for so many years.

“One year I took my ram lamb to the NSA Wales & Border main sale. It won first prize in the pre sale show and the photo has been well used over the years.

“It’s a wonderful memento of my years with both the society and the sale.”

Pam first became involved with the NSA Wales & Border Ram Sales in the late 1970s and was part of the original team that helped launch the event in 1978, when she was secretary to the then Wales & Border Region of the National Sheep Association.

Over the decades, she became a true “Jack of all trades”, helping wherever she was needed - from penning sheep with cloakroom tickets and sellotape in the early days, to serving as a ring master in the Blue Faced Leicester ring, a tup inspector, and even managing traffic at the event.

Pam also organised the popular cheese and wine gatherings held on the Sunday night before the sale, later taking responsibility for First Aid and manning the information desk, where she solved problems and fielded queries.

In recognition of her dedication, Pam and her husband Jeff were jointly awarded Honorary Life Governorship of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society in 2021.