THE NSA Sheep 2018 event attracted huge crowds to the Three Counties Showground in Malvern last week. (18th)

The biennial event of the National Sheep Association had few more answere about Brexit than in 2016 just after the EU referendum was held.

But with a theme of "Thriving in an uncertain future" the one day event gave information, advice and ideas o safeguard themselves and their flocks whatever happens in the coming months and years.

Lord Inglewood, NSA President, referred to this uncertainty as he officially opened the event and explained the House of Lords role.

He said: "It would have been much better to have known what the deal on Brexit was before we voted on it but that's not the way it's been.

"What is happening in the House of Lords, because we have the time and the rules to do so, is to look at everything over this legislation."

He vowed that he and his colleagues would continue to give it "very considerable scrutiny." However he warned that while it was accepted public money should be used to pay for publoic goods, there was not going to be an abundance of public money to do that going forward.

Maintaining the industry with that shrinking pot of money was a topic that flowed through the four seminars at the event led by NSA officeholders and featuring industry leaders and experts.

They covered subjects such as stimulating demand for sheepmeat both domestically and internationally, public goods delivered by the sheep sector, and utilising technology within the sector to help businesses thrive.

Phil Stocker, NSA chief executive, said: "The discussion generated in each of the seminars showed the desire of our sheep farmers to position themselves in the best possible way despite the uncertainties immediately ahead of us."

The event featured twice as many workshops as in previous years including foot health, nutrition, responsible antibiotic use and sustainable parasite control.

A packed day also saw a record number of international visitors attend and the popular sheepdog sale which saw a top pprice of 3,400gns paid for Don, a two-year-old dog from DK Evans of Brecon.