Rugby hero Dan Lydiate tackles new future with Welsh Black Cattle and “big beast” of a trailer

A top trailer maker has teamed up with rugby legend Dan Lydiate to help him tackle the future growing his herd of pedigree Welsh Black cattle.

The former Wales and British and Irish Lions flanker called time on his glittering 18-year playing career last year and has entered the world of coaching, including a secondment to assist head coach Steve Tandy at this year’s Six Nations championship.

When he’s not sharing his rugby expertise on the training ground, Dan’s working alongside his brother Jack and their mum Lyn on the family’s 500-acre farm, Ty’n y Berth, just outside Llandrindod Wells.

Along with its 100 sheep, the farm is also home to Dan’s new pride and joy, his 50 Welsh Black cows.

Dan, who was capped 72 times for his country and three times for the Lions, called on the team at Ifor Williams Trailers for advice on the best trailer for the farm’s requirements.

Dan, 38, first bought a 14-feet long trailer from the firm five years ago and after being impressed by the quality and reliability, visited the company’s Sandycroft factory in Flintshire to pick up a new, larger 16-feet long version, dubbed the “big beast” because it’s the largest in the popular range.

Accompanied by brother Jack, Dan was given a tour of the factory by site manager Jak Tyrer and learned more about the history of the famous Welsh firm in a presentation from marketing manager Joe Pardoe.

Dan, who lives in Ammanford and coaches the senior team at Newport-based Welsh regional side Dragons and also helps with the club’s academy, said the family connection with the trailer firm goes back a long time.

He said: “I remember our grandfather actually had a little eight-foot Ifor Williams box trailer, we had it for years.

“I ended up buying an Ifor Williams trailer five years ago and it has been really good for us, we have been really happy with the product.

“For me, the biggest thing when I am transporting large animals is the stability on the road.

“I found that going around corners with this triple-axle model from Ifor Williams Trailers, the stock wasn’t moving around so much, and the box wasn’t swaying.

“Safety is a paramount consideration and obviously reliability. These trailers are very durable and robust. They also hold their value really well, so that’s also a big incentive..

“The opportunity came along to get the new updated one, and it matches with everything we want to do.

“Where the home farm is, we have land about six miles away, so we will be using the trailer to transport the cattle, take them up to the hill, and generally transport the sheep around the farm too.

“The Welsh Blacks are going well, the cattle suit the terrain we have, they are bred for the region.

“I am also selling our boxed meat and we are doing a charcuterie thing with the beef as well, doing a healthy snack, we will be launching a website for that.

Dan said the fact that Ifor Williams was still family-run and family-owned and was a globally-recognised Welsh brand was an important factor in choosing the firm’s products.

He said: “It is great that Ifor Williams is a world-leading manufacturer of trailers, it puts Wales on the map.

“What stuck out for me in visiting the site was the efficiency, just seeing the trailers from start to finish and how quickly they are turned round.

“You can see the huge quality that goes into the build.

“There’s people who have worked for the firm for 50 years, you don’t see that a lot, so it is a proper, traditional family Welsh company, and that resonates with me a lot.”

Dan’s new TA510 trailer has an internal headroom of seven feet, useful to accommodate his 6ft 2ins height, and has a width of 5ft 10in and a maximum gross weight of 3.5 tonne.

It comes with a slurry tank and with sheep decks for additional flexibility, and the firm’s innovative Easyload release on the ramp, which makes it more efficient for farmers when they are loading and unloading livestock.

Ifor Williams Trailers added a bespoke version of their famous logo to Dan’s trailer to incorporate the name of his herd which is called Llaithddu after the valley where the family farm is located.

He said: “The new trailer is very impressive, it seems so much bigger.

“The height room is a great advantage, being a taller person it means I don’t have to duck down when I am moving things in and out.

“The flap design lets more air in, which is great for the cattle, and will also help with fuel efficiency thanks to the air flowing through.

“And I really like the extra work lighting on the back because when you are loading in mid-winter it gets very dark.

The Ifor Williams team is also delivering a smaller Q7 trailer to Dan’s family farm.

The trailer, which can be pulled by a quad bike, is ideal for transporting sheep and lambs, especially during lambing time.

Jak Tyrer was delighted to welcome Dan to the site and show him the pioneering technology and innovation the company has developed.

He said: “We are part of the farming community and it is vital for us as a business to work alongside farmers.

“We have been doing that since 1958 and we continue to design and engineer a product which suits their demands and their needs.

“The benefits of the trailer Dan has received is that it does more than one operation.

“It is used for sheep as well as cattle.

“We are proud to be a Welsh brand and to have someone like Dan here, who has represented Wales so well, is a huge honour.

“We do have a lot of rugby supporters here at our site and many of them were thrilled to know Dan was attending and had chosen our product for his farming business.”