Sunshine joins the crowds at the Royal Welsh Spring Festival

A fun-filled couple of days has been enjoyed by thousands at the Royal Welsh Spring Festival in Llanelwedd.

A celebration of smallholding and rural life, the festival is a firm favourite for many in the spring show season.

It offered everyone the opportunity to benefit from a huge selection of free workshops, talks, question and answer sessions, demonstrations and displays taking place all weekend. It didn’t matter if it was growing vegetables, shearing, treating and vaccinating pigs, keeping chickens, managing woodlands, or many other topics and skills, there were opportunities for everyone to learn something.

“We are really pleased with how much everyone enjoyed the first Royal Welsh event of 2018.” said Kay Spencer, Spring Festival director.

“This event is always a fantastic way to kick-start the show season and this year has been no different. Our fantastic visitors have come out in force, revelled in the wonderful friendly festival atmosphere and fully embraced the ethos of the event… a celebration of smallholding and rural life.”

Soaking up the beautiful spring sunshine, the crowds gathered to watch the daring James Dylan’s Stuntworld motorcycle show, the entertaining Meirion Owen and his famous Quack Pack, along with a host of other entertainment, including scurry driving, show-jumping, the BASC Gundog Display, tug-of-war competitions and the spectacular display called the Festival of Welsh Land Rovers.

The more athletic visitors braved the heat and the mid-Wales hills to once again take on the challenge of the Royal Welsh Trail Running Festival, run in conjunction with Run 4 Wales.

The hundreds of finishers were presented with a technical trail running T-shirt and a commemorative Welsh slate medal.

Food and drink play a large part of any Royal Welsh event and the Spring Festival doesn’t disappoint. With the ever-popular food hall and the teeming Street Food area, visitors were faced with a huge choice of tasty delicacies to try throughout the weekend.

Along with the cookery demonstrations in the Welsh Food Skills Centre and the Taste of Game kitchen in the Food Hall, festival-goers were treated to a live baking demonstration from Bake Off’s Val Stones and Louise Williams.

Completing the wedding theme, children visiting the festival on the Saturday enjoyed dressing up and joining in with our Royal wedding party games and taking home their own party bag.

“The Spring Festival is the perfect way to begin the show season for the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society” said Steve Hughson, chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.

“I am delighted, given the competing demands of a Royal wedding and the FA Cup Finals, that the crowds still came to our event and created a fantastic and enjoyable atmosphere.”

“We are fortunate to have this tremendous support at all of our events, the next one being the up-coming Royal Welsh Show just nine weeks away, held here at the showground in Llanelwedd on July 23-26. ”

A full list of competition results will be available on the website rwas.wales

The top results from the weekend:

SHEEP

Champion – Master Oliver Sparks, Pontyclun, RCT. Reserve – Miss Cenin Eifion, Gwynedd

Group of three: Champion – Lynda & Griff Richards-Davies, Llanwrda, Carmarthenshire. Reserve – Master Oliver Sparks, Pontyclun, RCT

PIGS

Champion – Mrs A J Walton, Cheshire. Reserve – Bleddyn & Gayna Beck, Neath

GOATS Angora: Champion – D & V Lockton, Pembrokeshire. Reserve – D & V Lockton, Pembrokeshire

Dairy goat day 1: Champion – Mr Nick Parr, Surrey. Reserve – Mrs & Miss T & M Ogborne, Bristol

Dairy goat day 2: Champion – Mr Nick Parr, Surrey. Reserve – Mr Kevin Rose & Miss Wendy Holden, West Midlands

Pygmy breed: Champion – Messrs Tim Bee & Nigel Keen, Monmouthshire. Reserve – Mrs Jill Osborne, Newport

Pygmy pet: Champion – Mrs June Camfield, Newport. Reserve – Mr & Mrs J & P Keates, Worcestershire

Boer: Champion – Mr Ian Johnson, Derbyshire. Reserve – Mr Jo Jenkins

Angora fleece: Champion – C & D Tyler, Pembrokeshire. Reserve – Ms Jeannie Camm, Ceredigion

CATTLE

Champion – Mrs Carolyn Redmayne, Cambridgeshire. Reserve – Mrs Alma James, Pembrokeshire

STANDS

Best Sheep Breed Tradestand Award – Hebridean Sheep Society. Reserve – Badger Face Welsh Mountain

Best Cattle Breed Society Stand – Winner – Highland Cattle Club of Wales. Reserve – Big Time Lowline Angus

HORSES

CHAPS Mid Welsh Regional Show, Supreme In-Hand: Champion – Matthew Carr with Carn Nicholas Tom, Swansea. Reserve – Rosita Hamar with Tic Tac Toc, Handler – Elliot Clifton, Shropshire

Heavy Horses/Shires/Foreign, World or Rare Breeds: Champion – Heather Robertson with Colony Yasmin, Monmouthshire. Reserve – Rosita Hamar with Coolee Bend Talisman, Shropshire

Novice Section: Champion – Tori Thomas riding Penstrumbly Our Latif, Swansea. Reserve – Mati Davies riding Syfynwy Sweet Annabel, Pembrokeshire

British Miniature Horse Society: Champion – Charlotte Leonard with Karosel Alamo’s Perdita, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Reserve – Charlotte Leonard with Blackspirits Queen of Diamonds, Rhondda Cynon Taf

Donkey Breed Society Championship: Champion – Clare Humphries with Lottie, Wiltshire. Reserve – Karen Palmer with Chocolate Penny, Carmarthenshire

CHAPS Mid Welsh Regional Show, Supreme Ridden: Champion – Sophia Chambers with Cilmaengwyn Romany Lad, Powys. Reserve – Wayne Rees with Hollyland Maystar, Rider – Sian Warman-Randall, Powys

Hacks & Riding Horses: Champion – Zara Owen with Hide N Seek, Powys. Reserve – Jessica Cox with Rainstown Dazzler, Monmouthshire

Side Saddle: Champion – Mr & Mrs Gough with Nolton Hareton, Rider – Kate Mills, Powys. Reserve – Rachael Forkings with Parys Lad, Powys

Arabs: Champion – Molly Walsh with Romanno Hot Spot, Pembrokeshire. Reserve – Rhodri Jones with Jasmine Al Wallian, Handler – Rhiannon Jones, Carmarthenshire

Veteran Horse Society Area Qualifier In-Hand: Champion – Sue James & Carwyn Williams with Mas Mitch, Handler – Jonathan Jones, Carmarthenshire. Reserve – Julia Rudall with Gryngallt Peridot, Caerphilly

Veteran Horse Society Area Qualifier Ridden: Champion – Gemma Rees with Banjo II, Pembrokeshire. Reserve – Elizabeth Powell with Edw Cream Cracker, Rider – Mya Perry, Powys

Irish Draught: Champion – Zara Owen with Griffin Bridge, Powys. Reserve – Emma Allum with Foxridge Archibald, Rider – Shelly Higham, Carmarthenshire