Visitors were overjoyed as the sun came out as this year’s Royal Welsh Show opened.

This year’s show started yesterday (July 22) and as usual saw a huge turnout from the Welsh public as well as Welsh ministers as the country’s largest agricultural show kicked off.

This year the Chair of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, Nicola Davies opened the show with new Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens and current Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething both in attendance.

The county for this year’s show is Ceredigion and at the opening it was said that the show “stood on the shoulders of great rural Welsh characters”.

The judging got underway immediately with Powys farmers such as Newtown’s Simon Hughes picking up championships in the first morning.

Ellie Amphlett from near Knighton.  (Image: Phil Blagg Photography.)

The county’s Young Farmers also began their singing competition under the theme of heroes with the Montgomeryshire YFC dressed as heroes in society such as nurses, policeman, air ambulance crews and soldiers.

The poultry section was back this year for the first time in five years to the general delight for those taking part. The poultry judging has not been at the show for almost 5 years after both Covid and then issues with avian flu meaning that poultry farmers have been unable to take part.   

Food producers have also been showing off their new products at the M&S food hall with many of the Powys stalls getting a great response for their multi award winning produce.

Many of the country’s longest serving figures in rural communities were honoured at the long service award.

However John Trevor Jones from Llansantffraid was the only person to receive the highly respected long service certificate which recognises those who have served for fifty years and have already received the show’s long service medal.