A MAN brought up on a small farm near Carmarthen who made his career in steel construction across west Wales has returned to his first love with an award-winning herd of Highland cattle.

John Evans might very well have made a career on the family farm at Cwmffrwd were fate not have taking charge of his future prospects.

When he was just 12 years old his father passed away but, although his mother had been determined to ensure that the farm was kept going, shortly afterwards she suffered an horrific accident whilst herding cattle and had no choice but to give up.

John completed his education and had made quite a name for himself as a rugby player before embarking on a career in steel construction with Arnolds in Oswestry and Pembrokeshire.

Having thoroughly learned the business, some 30 years ago John returned to his Cwmffrwd roots from where he set up his own specialist steel frame building construction firm.

Already with a wide-spread reputation for quality construction across a broad customer base in agricultural, industrial and sports facilities products his expertise in the trade was well recognised across Wales, and new commissions were soon coming in from satisfied customers in southern England, the home counties and even the Isle of Wight and as far north as the Orkney Islands

The firm now has 20 employees, including two of his five children, and he has ensured that all site staff are fully trained in health and safety to the ECITB (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board) standard, allowing contracts to be undertaken within the power generation and petrol chemical industries.

But he still had an appeal in the back of his mind to go farming so, ten years ago with his partner, Rose, they bought a 50-acre all grass smallholding, Ty Rhos at Trawsmawr, again not far outside Carmarthen.

Not long before this he had been erecting a building for Dai Ormond – a Highland cattle breeder at Marros, near Amroth – and he had taken a great liking to these animals.

Mindful that the farming enterprise was only a hobby and that he still had the day job with his firm, John was assured by Mr Ormond that the Highland cattle were easy to calve and low maintenance with a good temperament and easy to handle.

John, now 67, bought two in calf cows from Dai Ormond’s Rowston herd to establish his own herd, registered as the Ty Rhos Fold, from which he has used AI to build numbers up to nine cows and heifers together with their crop of calves born in late spring.

He soon became a member of the Highland Cattle Club of Wales and considers the future to be looking very good for the breed in Wales, Many more people are keeping them and the Royal Welsh Show presents an excellent showcase, he says.

Earlier this year he was surprised and delighted to receive an email from the breed society secretary with the news that his herd had been selected as winners of the 2016 Small Herd competition for Wales and that he was to attend the society’s agm and prizegiving ceremony at The Royal Hotel, Oban.

John modestly claims that, for him personally, this was definitely the highlight of his farming career.

In addition to his award winning herd John and Rose keep a breeding flock of some 120 Balwens and Welsh mules.