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SHEPHERD’S CROOK: Adam Henson - left - receives the FUW Bob Davies Memorial Award from Gareth Vaughan.[/caption]
BBC TV's Countryfile presenter Adam Henson has finally received his Farmers' Union of Wales Bob Davies Memorial Award in recognition of his major contribution towards raising the profile of Welsh farming.
He should have received it at last July's Royal Welsh Agricultural Show but was unable to attend due to filming commitments in the Lake District.
Instead he was presented with the award - a shepherd's crook carved by Aberystwyth stick maker Hywel Evans - by FUW president Gareth Vaughan during the recent Royal Welsh Smallholder and Garden Festival where he judged the rare breeds classes.
Mr Vaughan said: "The poignant manner in which Adam has dealt in the popular Countryfile programmes with a host of difficult issues that affect all Welsh farmers was one of the main reasons why he was chosen as the first winner of the award.
"One of his most memorable items was the manner in which he could barely disguise his emotions after losing, due to bovine TB reactions, one of the two splendid Longhorn steers he had spent months training to work as draft oxen."
Receiving the award, Henson said: "To be awarded with the Bob Davies memorial award is a great honour. I do my work at home and on Countryfile but to be considered as an ambassador to promote British farming and farming in Wales is really very lovely and I am honoured to receive the award."
The award - in memory of Farmers Weekly Wales correspondent Bob Davies, of Welshpool, who died in November 2009 aged 69 - is offered to a media personality who has raised the public profile of Welsh farming.
Henson has delivered thousands of lambs on his 1,625-acre farm in the Cotswolds. As well as managing more than 1,000 sheep, his farm also includes the Cotswold Farm Park which has more than 50 flocks and herds of rare-breed farm animals including 198 pigs, 14 Highland cattle and 15 different breeds of sheep.
His passion for rare breeds was passed down from his father and, since 2001, Adam has been a regular presenter on Countryfile, reporting on his own fortunes in the regular feature Adam's Farm.