Day Four Royal Welsh Show

The 95th Royal Welsh Show is drawing to a close for another year

and Radnorshire the host county, can be proud of a very successful Show.

But before then we have plenty of action for you including

the huge title of Supreme Horse Championship at the Royal Welsh

Show, and I will be catching up with a very dear four legged friend.

I?ll be keeping an eye on the Show?s future breeders in the Cattle Ring

as the Young Handlers take to the stage with

their favourite beef animals, and we?ll bring you the winner

And I?ll be on the water - if not in it -

in the Country Pursuits area as well as cheering Wales on in a brand new

competition which sees them taking on the French in the shearing shed.

Here in the horse village I am about to meet up with a very dear

four legged friend, a section D mare called Ffawydden or as I used

to call her Fowie. My father bought me this mare about 13 years ago.

I competed, rode, looked after her for three years and

we then sold her on to David Lloyd, a solicitor from Llandrindod Wells.

Hello, old friend. Do you remember me? Know. Maybe. I am sure she does.

It is fantastic to see her again. You are doing a fantastic job

grooming her, she looks wonderful. She is a lovely and bright colour.

How did you come to start riding for David? I had heard to get fit and

write for The Royal Welsh in the main ring seven years ago. I took to

the show and we did her class and she has never gone home. It is

fantastic to see her. I remember feeling when I was here and getting

ready to go into the ring so I know you have a lot to do. I do not want

to tear myself away. I will you get on with it. Thank you very much. I

am here ring side with her new owners. I'm glad she is in such good

hands. What classes she competing in the? She will be competing against

the larger horses. It is difficult to say what the chances are. She was

fifth overall last year for I am to say what the chances are. She was

fifth overall last year for slightly optimistic. What other judges

looking for? It is important to get a clear round but they also look at

the style of jump. David and Chloe, three refusals and it was not

Fowie's day-to-day. How do you feel? Disappointed. But it shows you how

to be philosophical about these things. Like all of us you have good

days and bad days. Chloe you did a good job and did her proud. It is

wonderful to see how she has developed and it was lovely to see

you, old friend. The forestry area in the showground has been

traditionally associated with pole climbing and axeman but this year it

is also highlighting the devastating effects of Larch disease.

And joining me now is John Browne who is one of the people in charge

of forest regulation and tree health for Natural Resources Wales.

There is a lot more planting going on in Wales now, isn't there a? It

is on the increase. We have planted a lot of trees and these clear areas

for large have to be replanted. We planted millions of transplants to

replace the trees that have been found. There are 6 million trees

affected. We have cleared 2000 hectares and that is a lot of trees

and those areas get replanted and that is why we have the replanting

programme. We have had huge interest in the story at the show people want

to know why the areas have been cleared on what impact is. It is of

great interest to people and we are here to

great interest to people and we explain why it is the case. We have

just planted a tree here which was fantastic. Why is it important for

us to do that. We planted a native hornbeam that will grow up and

replace the large tree that is currently on the edge of that part

of the ground. It will be great for people in the future and it can

enjoy the shade. It is a lovely tree as well. It is a butyl position and

I was very proud to be part of that. Thank you for your help. Not at all.

There are four sections within the Welsh breeds.

The Section A or the Welsh Mountain Pony is the smallest of Welsh breeds

The Section B or the Welsh Pony is a larger riding type with elegant

The Section C is a heavier horse and more cob like but compact.

And finally the Section D, the Welsh Cob is the largest

Around 700 international guests visit the Show

in an official role every year and this year is no exception.

But there are a group who have literally travelled

The Royal Welsh this year welcomes a special delegation from Patagonia,

the Welsh colony in Argentina which next year are celebrating 150

years since the settlement of the Welsh in Patagonia.

You and Lillian both speak Welsh, fluently, and Spanish of course. A

bit of English as well. How much Welsh is there in Patagonia? I

cannot tell you exactly how much Welsh tears but this time if we do

not do something about it we are going to lose it so we are starting

to build a new stool -- school with two languages, Spanish and Welsh, in

this next spring, in September, spring for us. You have a strong

connection with Wales and with farming. Yes, my family since it has

lived in Patagonia has been farming. Farming there is quite different to

farming in Wales. Lillian, have you enjoyed the show? I enjoyed it so

much. It is amazing really, it is so big I could not see a -- everything

because we were doing our stand but it is amazing. It was lovely to meet

you both. Enjoy the rest of your show.

We will catch up with a pet that although slow moving,

The talent of tomorrow will shine through

And who is the new guy and second in command here at the

Now, for my next item I need to get changed.

That?s better, because I need a wetsuit where I?m going.

Paddle boarding is a relatively new pursuit here at the

Kevin Davies from Carmarthen, a keen surfer and canoeist,

has been won over by this latest craze on the water

OK, what is that? This is a paddle board. It is a sporting craze that

has come over from the United States. That will take my weight? It

easily will take away to, it takes mine and I am considerably heavier

than you. How does it work? Is it like a surfboard? If you were

surfing, yes, but on flat water we stand with our feet about shoulder

width apart and a handover and we take it from there.

I had to tell you, this is a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Out on the water. Is it? All right then.

Up, up! Oh, my gosh, that is so hard. Look forward. I do not move.

You said it would be easy! Hold on. Kevin, that was so much harder than

I thought it was going to be. The balance needed on their was

incredible. It is really difficult. Step off. Hold on. Thank you very

much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The feathers from the beginning of the week have gone to make room

for the fur, and today for the pet section.

What makes a pet is a very interesting question, and the

choice of pets does seem somehow to say a great deal about the owner!

There are all kinds of interesting pets here and some

are exotic, strange and even weird, but they are all loved by someone.

Fiona Wase from Crossgates, Powys is the secretary of the pet section.

What exactly does the Secretary of the pet section do? First of all it

is making sure that the entries have come in safely and then it is

allocating the various entries as to whether they belong to adults or

children and then the different classes that they will go into. In

your view, what does make a good pet? A good pet has got to be one

that is clearly looked after so it has to be in good condition and

healthy. It needs to be easy to handle so, as you can see with this

guinea pig, it is not bothered at all and it is obviously a very well

loved pet. That is what the judges are looking for? Absolutely. With so

many different types of pet the judging process must be difficult.

It can be and that is why we have many different classes. We have

classes for guinea pigs with long parents moved coats and separate

classes for canst us and cats and once there are individual winners it

is not so difficult to find the overall winner. There are 68

different pets here. The judge, Charlotte Cadwallader,

has made her decisions, and the pet owners now are either very

happy or maybe a bit disappointed. But I think it's true to say,

that the pets themselves are With me now is Owen Williams and his

tortoise Rex. Tell me what he makes tell -- tell

me why he make such a good pet. He likes to sniff out things. Does he

move fast? Very fast. Can a sprint? Yes! He seems to move -- is used to

have his eye on that rose that. It is a very splendid Rosa. Our wealth

as he downed? He has won three times in a row. He has had four years of

winning. He is obviously a very special taught us. Congratulations

to both of you. You had better sprint off home now.

The Shire is the largest horse in the horse world.

In the dark ages the Shire was used as a steed to carry knights

and all the heavy armour into battle before retiring to farm work.

It was present in both World Wars being an integral part.

The talent of tomorrow can be spotted

in our next competition, because it is nearly all about the handler.

When taking part in class of numerous animals,

it's up to the handler to make sure that they show off the animal to

its full potential so that the judge can see the animal's best side.

Washing, grooming and brushing all adds to

the look, but keeping control and handling in the ring does ask

One who knows what the competitors are going through at the moment is

Lin Pidsley from Honiton in Devon, who although a past winner at this

competition in the Winter Fair, is passed the age for competing

competition in the Winter Fair, is past the age for competing

It is about the handler a lot more than the animal. It is about how

they are preparing the animal and dressing the animal before they go

into the drink -- ring and dressing themselves is really important, you

do not want to see someone with the Waco from yesterday and black eyes

and back kind of thing, it is about looking the part and being the part

and then while being in the ring the judges judging you for the whole

time. Do we know how many entries they have had? Over 40 entries so

they have split the classes into four different age groups depending

on where it spits evenly so there are eight or ten in each class and

then three exhibitors are picked from each class to go into the final

and that is when the pressure is on, if you like. This is the final, just

ten young handlers, the pressure is on. Quite. They have a chance now to

go back out to the lines, re-dress, freshen themselves up, and come back

in. One foot wrong, it could lose them the competition. Well, the

judge has given his reasons, and we have our winners. That is the young

lady on the end. Fantastic! It was her birthday yesterday, so she will

be truly celebrating. Congratulations, well done. What's

your name? Sophie, I'm from Scotland. A long way to come, has it

been worth it? It has. It's been my birthday yesterday as well, so it is

great. What a great present! From 40, you are this year's beef handler

Champion, well done. Thank you. Still to come, with a magnificent

turnout of sheep at the show this year, we'll catch up with the winner

of the Champion of Champions. And the horse championships, which

horse will be awarded the best of Add national pride to that mix, and

you have a unique combination that The team is ready to give it their

all, the teams are... So, gentlemen, how would you rate

the shearing at The Royal Welsh show? Probably one of the best show

in the world, it is a very good show. Top shearers, it is great.

What would it mean for you to win here today? If we win here today, it

is a Rhyl chance, it is a dream. We won last year in France. Today is

not the same. Gentlemen, in the spirit of a good competition, I wish

you all the best. Thank you. Thank you. So, boys, have you seen this

French team in action? Yes, we went to France last Thursday night. We

competed against them over the weekend, and they are a very good

team. So, you've analyse the way they do things, any hidden tactics

to get a one over on them? Last weekend was their advantage, because

now we have home advantage today. The competition is about to start.

This crowd is looking for a fierce competition. We are secretly hoping

for a home win. The winners of the Wales versus

France... Are Wales! It is a great Welsh win, but, oh, boy, could it

have been any closer? Successful Shows need talented

people organising them. Last year, the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society

appointed Steve Hughson as its new Chief Executive. Shortly after this,

a brand new role was appointed, the Assistant Chief Executive post,

which went to Aled Jones. Well, lovely to meet you, you are a

farmer 's son. And an agricultural value and surveyor, what made this

role is so appealing? Well, like all farmers sons, I've been brought up

here, and captured by the imagination of the place and when

the opportunity presented itself, I couldn't let it go, I was thrilled

to give this position, the someday my age, to hold this position. This

is young blood in at the top of the board. The board have put their

faith in youth, I guess. Mentioning youth, how would you like to see the

society developing? There are huge opportunities. It is a hugely

successful event. There is huge opportunity to drive the society

forward, making use of the facilities outside as well. It is an

exciting time. The show was in had hands. Well done in the job and I

hope you continue to enjoy it. Thank you, that's brilliant.

The Irish Draught was primarily used for farm use in the olden days, and

Today, they are popularly used for crossing with thoroughbreds

and warm bloods, and excel in eventing and show jumping.

At the Show, this breed can be seen in the Hunter Class,

With 45 different breeds, and more than 3,000 sheep entered

300 more than last year, the Royal Welsh Show can boast that

it is probably the most important sheep event in the world!

That is why the Champion of Champions competition,

without doubt, carries a great deal of weight in the sheep world.

This is one of the big highlights of the week,

and keeping me company by the ring is Brian Davies from Brecon.

You yourself have an impressive show record. It is my 60th year here. I

started when I was eight. I think I've been in this rink at every year

since about them. Only twice when there was foot and mouth, and then

twice when I had the honour of judging the inter-breed cows.

We have had a free decisions now, can you bring us up-to-date? Earlier

on, we saw the Hill Champion, won by the farmer in sunny bridge. The

continentals, that was won by Adrian Davies. And then we have just seen

the lowland breeds judged, that was won by the Suffolk, a new breeder

from Aberystwyth. So, we can safely say that a Welshman is going to win

this year, but I will ask you to pick your winner. Personally, I

think the Charlotte year is the best. We will have the result any

minute now. Well, you're right, it has gone your

way. Excellent. You can't tell until you've handled them yourself, but

then I'd agree on looks with the judge. And the runner-up is an

exceptionally good RAM. Congratulations to Adrian Davies.

What a fantastic day for the whole family. Amazing! Remarkable

achievement, enjoy the celebrations. You've got to because it might not

happen again. Yesterday, we saw Supermodel take

the Prince of Wales Cup Today, we see all champions

of the Welsh horses, the section A, B, C and D, compete

for the Tom Sprightly Cup for the Continuing her winning streak, the

winner was Supermodel. Joining me as Mia Warman. In the Main Ring, it is

building up. So many competitions. Seven in I sources said today. It is

anyone's. I'd love to be in the ring. I'd love to take all of these

horses home. How do you choose? The judge has made his decision. And it

is a friend of yours. Very good friend of mine, Wyn Morris, from

Pembrokeshire. Next, The Royal Welsh in hand championship with the award

going to David Oliver. Guardsmen also went on to win the supreme in

hand. Now the Supreme Horse Championship, the best of the best.

Cr?me de la cr?me. Take us through the categories. So, the working

Hunter, the supreme, the section D, the reserve, the champion of the

driving, and then the sections seek halt -- section C. What does winning

this title mean to an exhibitor and breeder? The world. Imagine if you'd

read your animal, brought it and it brings home the cup. It's nothing

better. I wish I was in there myself. We have a decision. The

winner is the written horse. Yes, a friend of mine, Wyn Morris.

Fantastic. Wonderful. There will be parties in Pembrokeshire tonight. I

should think so! We've been talking up parties in Pembrokeshire,

congratulations. You are not running, you are watching. I'm very

proud. He was born with me as well, so we've bred him from the

beginning. He has just been an absolute superstar all the way. That

was some gallop. He comes across as such a thoroughbred, Welsh through

and through. Absolutely. Short and stout! If you say so! Thank you very

much. The 95th Show has drawn to a close.

Another extremely successful year. There have been many unforgettable

moments over the last few days, but seeing Ffawydden my old pony

was definitely a highlight for me. For me, it was seeing the pure joy

on the faces of the winners as they took the championships in what has

to be one of the top agricultural shows in the world. For me, it had

to be entering the pig ring and coming out with a coveted red card.

First prize! If you've missed any of this week's programming, or you want

to watch it all over again, you can do just that by catching up on my

player. They're also be a highlights programme here on BBC Two Wales on

Sunday night 7pm. For tonight, we leave you with some of the show's

most memorable moments. From all of us here, goodbye.