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Ffos Las founder Dai Walters celebrates win on home turf

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Ffos Las racecourse founder Dai Walters returned home to victory on Sunday when his six-year-old novice Lump Sum won the DragonBet Welsh Champion Hurdle.

Ridden by Dylan Johnson, Lump Sum was made the 11/10 favourite for his handicap debut and surged clear after jumping the last.

He’s trained by Sam Thomas.

Walters, who is pictured above (centre) with sponsor James Lovell and Ffos Las’s general manager Kevin Hire, is one of Wales’ most well-known businessmen, and regularly appears on annual lists of the richest business owners in the country for his wide-ranging business interests in construction as well as his love of horse racing.

His fortune is entirely self-made having started out as an apprentice labourer at an opencast site in south Wales in the 1970s. The Walters Group website describes how, after working as a labourer, greengrocer and tree planter, he took a job as an apprentice fitter at the Wimpey operated Maesgwyn opencast coal mine at the age of 20. There, he worked his way up through the ranks to Ganger (section) Fitter, ending up as a Foreman Fitter for the site and within five years, he was plant manager at the Trecatti Opencast site near Merthyr where he was responsible for managing over 300 items of plant across three opencast coal sites in the South Wales Coalfield.

In 1982 Walters, whose Christian name is Gweirydd, struck out on his own to buy his first bit of machinery, namely a Caterpillar 950 working for British Coal at the Onllwyn Washery and a Caterpillar D4, working on the Hirwaun Industrial Estate constructing an extension to the GEC Hitachi factory.

Since then, the Walters Group has added earthmoving and civil engineering services to its portfolio, and was soon involved in major construction projects throughout Wales. 

But Walters is perhaps best known for his love of horse racing after two of his former Irish employees persuaded him to buy a share in a horse. As his passion for racing grew, in 2009 he turned his attention to transforming the former opencast mining site in Carmarthenshire into the Ffos Las Racecourse, which became the UK’s first purpose-built horse racing venue since 1928. In 2018 he sold Ffos Las to Arena Racing Company (ARC), saying that they would be able to attract more reliable fixtures by moving them around their network of racecourses.

Community

Tractor run lights up Pembrokeshire and raises funds for charity

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THE PEMBROKESHIRE ILLUMINATED TRACTOR RUN took place today (Dec 21), raising funds for two vital charities: the Catrin Vaughan Foundation and Wales Air Ambulance.

Starting at Clarbeston Road AFC at 6:00pm, the brightly lit convoy of nearly 200 tractors made its way through Withybush Hospital and Haverfordwest High Street before finishing at the Pembrokeshire County Showground.

The annual event has become a highlight of the festive calendar, drawing large crowds to witness the spectacle of tractors adorned with colourful lights and decorations.

Funds raised from the event will support the Catrin Vaughan Foundation, which provides crucial assistance to families facing hardship, and the Wales Air Ambulance, delivering life-saving emergency medical care across the region.

Organisers praised the dedication of local farmers and volunteers, whose commitment ensures the event’s continued success year after year.

(Image: Nia Marshall/Facebook)

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Business

Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure

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PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.

The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.

The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.

A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”

Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.

Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.

From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.

Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.

(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

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Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

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ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

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