Herd History
In 2020 the “Rees” family celebrate 90 years at Brysgaga since Rowland Pryse Rees moved to the then rented farm in 1930. The 1930’s were difficult times, it was only by milking the Welsh Blacks and selling the milk locally from door to door that allowed the rent to be paid and food to be put on the table.
Times improved during post war years with the opportunity arising in 1959 for the son, John Pryse Rees and his wife Dorothy to purchase Brysgaga from the Gogerddan estate.
During this period and up until its dispersal in 1978, a dairy herd ran alongside the beef and sheep enterprises. New bloodlines were then introduced to expand the Welsh Black herd in the early 1980’s notably from Ysguboriau, Rhydygarnedd, Penywern, Dysynni and Doldowlod herds. There followed a sustained and successful showing period to raise the herd’s profile, showing ceased in 1995 after winning best group of three cattle at the Royal Welsh.
John Pryse Rees was honoured with becoming breed president in 1998-1999 and was privileged to judge the millennium Royal Welsh show in 2000. His autobiography “In Garni’s Wake” was published in 2003, two years before his untimely death in 2005.
Further development of the Brysgaga Herd is now in the safe hands of Rowland Rees, his wife Janice, and their two boys, Dafydd and Daniel, the fourth generation to breed Welsh Black Cattle at Brysgaga.
