Growing up on a smallholding with a flock of 40 pedigree Black Welsh Mountain (BWM) sheep, 14 Coloured Ryelands, and two Valais Blacknoses, William and Elise are thoroughly enjoying making a name for themselves on the showing circuit.
Luckily, their passions are embraced by their parents Rhian - a vet and an experienced BWM breeder - and Mark, a marketeer and director of the family's sustainable wool products company.
William and Elise are certainly following in their mother's footsteps; Rhian having grown up in the cattle lines with her and her mother's Dexter cattle, before she went on to form her BWM Camelot flock in 2010, starting out with six breeding ewes.
"Mum had Dexter cattle her whole life, but when she had me, she had a lot to juggle and the winters got hard, so she swapped her little black cows for more little black sheep," says William.
The expansion of Rhian's BWM flock was the catalyst to William and Elise's obsession, each declaring that they will always have sheep, no matter what they become.
Their debut on the show scene came in 2017 at Frome Show with their bottle-fed BWM lambs.
William won the junior young handlers' class, aged six years old. And Elise, only three years old and undoubtedly the smallest in her class, came third - which she remembers being very happy about.
The family were hooked, and began planning their 2018 season: Honiton, Melplash, Mid Somerset, and Gillingham and Shaftsbury were all on their hit list, as was a return to Frome Show.
"I think my favourite show in 2018 - and it still is my favourite show - was Gillingham and Shaftsbury, where I won the junior young handlers' class with a ewe lamb, Camelot Poppy," says William.
The family went on to the Mid Somerset Show and the Melplash Show, with William taking third and second place, respectively, while Elise supported from the ringside.
Returning to Frome, William retained his junior young handlers' title and was happy to return home with his cup in hand.
Tight-knit friendships are forged in the sheep lines and there is one particular friendship that has shaped William's young shepherding path.
"I really got to know Tom Nash and his Coloured Ryeland flock at the Mid Somerset Show," he says.
"We went around the show together and I got to spend some time with his Ryelands and I just loved them - they are really friendly and the rams are so much calmer than other breeds. I really wanted my own flock."
Rhian and Mark quickly became friends with Tom's parents, Peter and Jackie Nash too. "I have my own fond memories of these kinds of friendships at shows and I really wanted both William and Elise to have that too," says Rhian.
The couple decided that William's commitment was deserving of the chance to produce his own champions.
"As an early Christmas present, we purchased two top in-lamb Coloured Ryeland ewes from Sharon Poulton, who is a lovely local breeder," says Rhian. "It worked well for the children as Elise's interest was very much in the BWM flock."
William's new flock became Wildways Coloured Ryelands and in February 2019 his two ewes, Bella and Bibi, lambed three ram lambs and a ewe lamb; Zane, Zeus, Zulu, and Zara.
The Wildways' first outing was at Sherborne Show in 2019, with William taking Zulu into his first intermediate young handlers' class - but it did not go quite to plan. "I had been halter training him loads," he says. "But at the show he got really naughty and just would not walk. The judge said: "You could have got first place if you handled him." It was funny."
And while Sherborne was not meant to be for William that year, Elise in the junior young handlers' class stole the show with Camelot Bean and was tapped out for first place.
Poor health and the pandemic saw the Rochford family coming up with new ways of getting their showing fix through 2019 and 2020.
"The Nash family were great and were happy to have William and Elise help Tom show some of his sheep at the Honiton Show in 2019," says Rhian. "We did manage to get to the Gillingham and Shaftsbury with some help - it was all hands-on deck. It paid off, with William taking first in the intermediate young handlers', and Elise winning the junior title."
Through lockdown, the children had schoolwork and sheep care responsibilities, the latter being most revelled in, as was competing in their respective breed societies' online shows. "I would just race up to the sheep barn between virtual lessons to spend time with my flock and play with lambs," says William.
It was over the 2021 and 2022 showing seasons that big things happened for the duo.
William and his Ryeland flock took their first champion young handlers' title in 2021 at Gillingham and Shaftsbury Show; winning the intermediate class before beating the qualifying field including Elise, who had gone on to win the junior class earlier in the day.
Elise really came into her own in 2022, winning the junior class at the North Somerset Show with her homebred ram lamb, Camelot Emmitt.
She then went on to take the young handlers' title at the BWM Sheep Breeders' Association (BWMSBA) Spring Festival with her homebred shearling ewe Camelot Dolly, while William placed second with a Wildways Ryeland lamb.
In 2022, Elise continued her impressive run, placing second in the ewe with progeny class at the Royal Bath and West Show with Chocolate, and, to her delight, clinching the champion junior young handlers' title with Camelot Dolly.
Not quite finished yet, she placed overall reserve champion in the young handlers' championship at the Three Counties Show, before making the journey to the holy ground for BWM breeders, the Royal Welsh Show - but disaster struck when their truck broke down.
Rallying in the face of great disappointment, Elise went on to show friends' sheep who were exhibiting at the show too, and it paid off. "I won the BWM young handlers' class and then won champion young handler. I also entered the RWAS young handlers' class and was placed reserve champion."
Since then, the pair have clocked up the miles and the accolades, including first and second place in the New Forest Show young handlers' class - Elise just pipped to the post by her brother - but joining forces to take the champion title in the interbreed group of three with the Camelot flock. William also went on to win champion young handler, and Rhian's BWM ram, Cefn Cowboy, took breed and interbreed champion.
A big date in the calendar for the Rochford family was the BWMSBA Celebration Show in the Brecon Beacons - celebrating 100 years of the society. "In my young handler class, I came first and then overall champion which Kate Humble judged - she was really nice and presented me with my rosette," says Elise.
Gillingham and Shaftsbury Show held reserve champion young handler Elise, and at Dorset County Show William's ewe took a celebrated accolade. "My homebred shearling ewe Wildways Bucephalus won reserve breed champion, and I was very happy, it's just extra special when it's a homebred sheep," says William.
At the BWMSBA end of season show and sale, Elise and Rhian's prized ram Cefn Cowboy won Ram of the Year, with the society also ranking the Camelot flock as the third best BWM flock in the country.
Three shows in this year and the buzz the pair get from showing has not worn off. "I get really excited," says William. "I love the showing because the sheep just bond with you so much more. And I also love camping and going off with my friends, it is really fun, especially the first show of the year."
As for winnings, Elise squirrels hers away while William admits most of his goes on ice-cream. Their saving habits might differ, but the siblings agree that it would be a very good thing if more young people got involved in keeping and showing livestock - made all the better if they can keep a few native rare breeds.
