Rocking sheep and rolling hills

Sisters Laura, 10, and Emily, eight, from Llangurig, Powys, try out the rocking sheep

The sheep are being auctioned for a farming charity

A Carmarthenshire man has come up with a typically Welsh version of the rocking horse - a rocking sheep.

The child's toy is the brainchild of Roger Newman, from Gwernogle, near Llandeilo.

They are made from a genuine sheep's fleece and are available in three sizes - ram, ewe and lamb.

They are on display at The Royal Welsh Show and are helping to raise money for a charity helping distressed farmers.

The only sheep at the show that are not in a pen or requiring assistance from a sheep dog, are being auctioned off to raise money for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (Rabi).

During the foot-and-mouth crisis in 2001, the charity gave away �10m - a third to those in the farming industry in Wales.

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Nick Bond of Rabi said: "Roger came up with the idea when he was doing some taxidermy.

"He was working on a lamb and thought it had potential. He was soon working on a new toy on the rocking horse theme."

Mr Bond said the fleeces were genuine and people could even buy their own toy sheep dog to go with the sheep.

Rabi's regional officer for Wales, Erys Hughes, said: "We've had a lot of children visiting our stand to see the rocking sheep - they are popular and a new take on the rocking horse and typically Welsh."

The charity is accepting bids for its 50 rocking sheep - one for each of its committees in the UK.

Mr Newman, who has been "rocking" for 35 years, also makes to order rocking horses, pigs, rabbits and cats.