Crowds and no rain clouds - for opening day of Royal Welsh
The rain stayed away and the sunshine came out for the opening day of the 2024 Royal Welsh Show as huge crowds gathered at the showground in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells yesterday (Monday).
The Royal Welsh Show. PHOTO: RWAS
In her welcome to visitors at the opening ceremony, the Chair of Council, Mrs Nicola Davies BA (Hons) FRAgS, said how she could feel the “buzz and excitement” around this year’s show. She welcomed the Governments’ Ministers and Senior Officials present, which included First Minister, Vaughan Gething MS, Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs, and Jo Stevens MP, Secretary of State for Wales, along with The Rt. Hon. Elin Jones, Presiding Officer of the Senedd, who was opening the show. Mrs Davies told the audience that this was the 5th time that Ceredigion, her home county, had been the Featured County, with the first time being in 1967.
She said that Ceredigion felt a sense of ownership of the show, since the first Royal Welsh Show was held at Aberystwyth in 1904, and it was fitting that Ceredigion were this year’s Featured County. She also expressed her condolences to the family of Mr Charles Arch, who had been the voice of the show for many years and had been invited to open this year’s show, but unfortunately, he passed away before he could fulfil this role.
This year’s president, Mr Denley Jenkins said that Mr Arch had been very much looking forward to the honour of opening the show, and he also extended his sympathies to the family. He went on to state that The Rt. Hon. Elin Jones MS was a very able and worthy replacement in the role.
Ms. Jones reiterated how the people of Ceredigion have a special relationship with the Royal Welsh Show: “it’s in our roots and in our hearts”. As she declared the show open, she said that it was an honour to open the show, “but it’s an honour every day to be a ‘Cardi’!”.
A little later in the morning, the launch of the New Horticultural Village took place.
Following the Opening Ceremony, the show came alive with its back-to-back 12 hours of entertainment in the Main Ring, including the Dancing Diggers, the Heavy Horse Display and Black Mountain Falconry. Competitions across the showground began, with competitors from far and wide competing and showcasing their exhibits for the top accolades; from cattle to horses, flowers to honey, pigs to ironworks and it was great to welcome back the poultry section after their enforced absence due to Avian Flu. The opening day truly has exhibited the very best of what Wales has to offer.