HOT work is ahead for Welsh open blade shearers at the world championships.

Rheinallt Hughes, the president of the Farmers’ Union of Wales' Denbighshire branch and the chairman of the union’s hill farming and marginal land committee, is a cut above the rest.

Rheinallt, of Llanarmon DC, near Llangollen, has just won a place at the Welsh open blade shearing circuit and he is representing Wales for the first time at a world championships.

This will take place in France on Saturday, July 6.

He and fellow FUW member Elfed Jackson, of Bethesda, will be competing in the open blade championships at La Dorate, near Limoges.

It’s the first time in the competition for Rheinallt and the 10th for Elfed.

“We came out here last week to acclimatise to the conditions, which is just as well.

"It has been 40 degrees over here,” said Rheinallt.

FUW president Glyn Roberts wished him well and he said: “Rheinallt puts his all into his work with the union and I know that he will do us proud this weekend.”

Rheinallt, together with his family, farms approximately 980 acres at Tu Hwnt i’r Afon, Llanarmon DC, of which 240 acres are owned and 720 acres rented.

Some 400 acres are in SSSI (moorland) and they are in Glastir and Glastir Advanced.

The family has a flock of 300 Welsh mule ewes and they also have a flock of 1,300 Welsh mountain ewes.

The farm is also home to a herd of 20 suckler cows.

He and his wife Liz, who is also out in France with the team, also run a holiday cottage business.