Royal Welsh 2024 Opening Day

Royal Welsh Show – “It’s in the roots, it’s in the heart” 2024 Opening Day

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 this year.

In her welcome to visitors at this morning’s (Monday 22 July) 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, 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 5^th 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. Mr Jenkins stated Ms Jones’s agricultural credentials as a Ceredigion farmer’s daughter, from Llanwnen, who went on to study for a masters degree in Agricultural Economics at Aberystwyth University, before becoming Member of the Senedd for Ceredigion at the inaugural Senedd elections in 1999, and had held the seat since. She became the Senedd’s Presiding Officer in 2016 and still holds the role.

Ms. Jones opened her speech by reiterating the messages of condolences to the Arch family and reflecting on how the honour of opening the show was bittersweet for her under the circumstances. She stated that Ceredigion characters like Mr Arch, past show president, the late Dai Jones, Llanilar and the late Elystan Morgan had left a huge endowment for the next generation, but this year’s president and his wife, Mr & Mrs Denley & Brenda Jenkins, had followed their lead with zest, humour and dignity. “It is our pleasure to stand here this morning, on the shoulders of the greats of rural Wales, we claim the traditions of the rural community. Dai and Charles Arch were champions of our Ceredigion Countryside, a way of life like no other”. She went on to talk about how their real passion had been ensuring that the next generation were there “to farm, to lead and to tell our story”. Ms Jones thanked the effort the committees and fundraising organisers and how joyous it had been to see the “young, the not-so-young and the ‘wannabe’ young, the 8 to 88-year-olds all working together”. She reiterated Nicola Davies’s words about 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. After a hiatus for a year, which gave the Society the opportunity to rethink and refresh the Horticultural Section at the show, Assistant Hon. Director of Horticulture, Adam Jones, welcomed celebrity gardener, Sue Kent to open the new area. Prior to the show, Sue Kent commented “This year’s Horticultural Village is packed with interest, something to inspire every gardener, I can’t wait to see it all’. While opening the Village, she said “”I’m delighted to be here. Spending a day celebrating the best Wales has to offer horticulture.  It’s wonderful to bring all this talent and enthusiasm together. I’m looking forward to seeing all the exhibits and visiting the floral art and horticultural competition Marquee and see what the judges have decided.”

Following the Opening Ceremony, the Royal Welsh 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.

RWAS President Mr Denley Jenkins with Rt. Hon Elin Jones (left) and his wife, Mrs Brenda Jenkins (right)