Crowds brave the elements for Royal Welsh Fair
The rain came down in buckets but that didn’t stop the thousands of visitors enjoying the Royal Welsh Winter Fair, writes Meyrick Brown
WITH an air of optimism the crowds came from across Wales and many from much further afield braving the elements last week to again support the 26th annual Royal Welsh Winter Fair at Builth Wells.
Although an attendance of 17,400 was recorded on the first day, almost continuous rain had to be endured and the car parking areas suffered from the deluge with a number of visitors having to abandon their vehicles as the adjoining River Wye burst its banks.
However, the fireworks remained dry and some 4,000 evening shoppers were treated to a fantastic display which set alight the clearing night sky.
All was not lost as the second day was somewhat better and a rainbow that appeared over the showground in the morning signaled that there was yet a pot of gold to be found somewhere.
President David Morgan, representing Monmouth – the featured county which had raised more than £200,000 this year – remarked that he was very pleased to help towards the ongoing development of the equine area at the Llanelwedd showground.
Mr Morgan also referred to the wel-
MAIN RESULTS
Supreme and champion heifer - D Thomas, Llanwnen, res - G and A Sedgwick, Co Durham. Champion steer - D E and S J Cheaker, Bristol, res - A Lewis, Brecon. Exhibitor bred - D E and S J Cheaker. Supreme - S and S Gibbons, Brecon, res - Jones & Roberts, St Clears Pair - S and S Gibbons, Brecon. Supreme - H D and E M Roberts, Pwllheli, res - G L and J E Owens, Llanelli (and winning pair). Supreme and Welsh Mountain Pony, Section A - Franklin & Finch, Devon. Welsh Cob, Section D - J LlewellynJames, Worcester. Welsh Pony (Cob type), Section C - N L MacCarter, Ruthin. Welsh Pony, Section B - W A Owen, Holyhead. Welsh part bred - P Melville-Evans, Caerphilly. Coloured - Milton & Godwin, Worcester. Sport Horse - L Williams, Milford Haven. come comment of a Scottish visitor who praised the way in which the show organisers looked after its supporters and exhibitors.
Fair director Will Hanks expressed his delight at the high standard of the cattle entries, some of which he considered had been attracted as the result of the significantly increased prize money on offer.
Arguably one of the most prestigious to be won at the event, the supreme cattle champion title was awarded to Miss Wales, a 17-monthold three-quarter bred Limousin heifer, weighing 602kg and shown by a delighted specialist exhibitor Dai Thomas of Dolcoed, Llanwnen.
The animal was later auctioned by McCartneys, and the hammer dropped on £5,400, the successful bid being that of Newcastle Emlyn farmer and butcher Denley Jenkins who was one of the judges.
Other quotations were £800 for a 23.5kg lamb carcass, a pair of porkers selling for £410 and, in anticipation of Christmas, the champion goose attracted a bid of £310.
In the increasingly popular horse sec- YFC winners: Beef and lamb stockjudging: Overall - Carmarthen and Shropshire. FUW/Wales YFC Butchers’ beef judging: Individuals under 16 years - Tom Harris, Shropshire, under 18 - Florence Turley, Montgomery, under 21 - Caryl Howells, Carmarthen, under 26 - Rhys Cooke, Gwent, team - Shropshire. FUW/Wales YFC Butchers’ lamb judging: Individuals under 16 years - Aron Rees, Montgomery, under 18 - Dafydd Havard, Brecknock, under 21 - Ffion Rees, Carmarthen and Catrin Davies, Meirionnydd, under 26 - Thomas James, Glamorgan, team - Carmarthen (Ffion Jones, Caryl Howells, William Griffiths and Jack Davies). Wales YFC lamb carcass judging: under 16 years - Cain Owen, Ynys Mon, under 18 - Alaw Rees, Ceredigion, under 21 - Elin Rattray, Ceredigion, under 26 - Robert Powell, Glamorgan Christmas tree decoration - Lynda Jones, Brecknock. Lamb trimming - Aled Groucott, Gwent. tion the overall championship went to the Franklin and Finch partnership with their home-bred Welsh Mountain pony winner, the grey yearling colt, Sarum Pinot Grigio.
The Wales YFC Lamb Initiative, organised in a partnership with meat processor Dunbia and Sainsbury’s, saw Andrew Phillips who farms 1,600 ewes at Lamphey, near Pembroke win the supplier of the year award and, in the Carcass Hall, the winner with a E3L lamb weighing 19.5kg was William Gittoes from Llandefalle, near Brecon, who also secured the reserve and third place prizes.
Alison Harvey, Dunbia agriculture manager for lamb, said: “The Wales YFC Initiative is a perfect example of a successful partner- ship in practice.”
The Wales YFC also works alongside NatWest in seeking out young entrepreneurial members to compete in the business of the year competition.
The winner of the £1,000 award was a Brecknock member, Vicky Lynn Healey of Pontfaen YFC who owns a beauty salon in Builth Wells.