Yearling crowned supreme champ at Royal Welsh Winter Fair
Thousands of visitors flocked to the Royal Welsh Winter Fair last week, where a Section D yearling was crowned supreme champion horse.
The Supreme Horse Champion title was awarded to ‘Llanmorlais Buster’, a Section D yearling colt exhibited by Mark Swistun, Swansea. The Welsh Horse Champion was a Section B yearling colt exhibited by Josh Hampson, West Yorkshire and owned by Alison Wright.
Supreme Horse Champion ‘Llanmorlais Buster’ exhibited by Mark Swistun of Swansea.
Building on the hugely popular Heavy Horse Village, first introduced by Caernarfon’s Ambassador Rhys Griffith at this year’s Royal Welsh Show, a dedicated area in the Farriery Pavilion showcased magnificent horses alongside the nearby Hound Show.
First staged in 1990, the annual event was held at the showground in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells on Monday and Tuesday and has become one of the most popular attractions in the British agricultural calendar.
The fair continues to maintain its position as one of the finest primestock shows in the UK, this year attracting nearly 700 exhibitors from across the UK.
This year’s theme, Ein Bwyd / Our Food, provided a dynamic learning experience. Year six workshops delivered by food wholesaler Castell Howell, broadcaster Myfanwy Alexander and The Big Science Project helped deepen pupils’ understanding of where their food comes from and how it is produced, with live cooking demonstrations and interactive sessions bringing the message to life.
Education played a central role at this year’s fair, with more than 2,000 schoolchildren and students attending across the two days. They made the most of free entry for organised primary and secondary school visits, along with reduced rates for further and higher education groups.
There were more than 370 trade stands, along with more than 80 additional stands in the Food Hall and street food area, where guests were able to sample a wide range of produce from across Wales. Best Food Hall Tradestand was Mountainview Ice Cream from Carmarthenshire.
The Gwledd | Feast Welsh food and drink village offered a vibrant mix of live entertainment and delicious Welsh street food. Performances included the Welsh Whisperer, Parti Camddwr and 50 Shêds o Santa Clos, as well as local schools and choirs.
Honorary Winter Fair director, William Hanks said: “We’ve been thrilled to welcome such high visitor numbers to this year’s Winter Fair, which once again delivered a wonderful festive atmosphere across the whole showground.
“From exceptional live music and outstanding food and drink to the superb standard of entries across all sections, the event truly showcased the very best of Welsh agriculture and rural life.
“We are deeply grateful for the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, stewards, traders, sponsors and, of course, the visitors who make this event possible. The RWAS is immensely proud of what has been achieved this year and we are committed to building on this success to make next year’s Winter Fair even better.”