:00:10. > :00:15.Over 200,000 people and 8000 animals of all shapes and sizes will come
:00:16. > :00:20.from the world over to this beautiful corner of rural mid Wales
:00:21. > :00:24.and they're coming for this. This is the biggest and most prestigious
:00:25. > :00:47.agricultural show in Europe. Welcome to the Royal Welsh Show 2017.
:00:48. > :00:54.Hello, I'm Kate Humble and you join me on the first day of the 98 Royal
:00:55. > :01:00.Welsh Show. Over the next four days thousands of people will flock here
:01:01. > :01:04.to be part of the most important event in the agricultural calendar
:01:05. > :01:08.of Europe. Some come here for the annual summer holiday, some come for
:01:09. > :01:17.excitement and entertainment but at the heart of this is the fiercest of
:01:18. > :01:20.competitions. As family members, friends and relatives will be
:01:21. > :01:24.pitched against each other as well as competitors from all over the
:01:25. > :01:30.world to be the best in show. And right in the thick of it joining me
:01:31. > :01:35.is Gareth Wyn Jones. I'm leaving all this behind and heading to the show
:01:36. > :01:40.for the sites, the sounds and smells. It is my summer holiday and
:01:41. > :01:45.hopefully I will be catching up with old friends and making some new
:01:46. > :01:49.friends. You can follow all the action or sending your own
:01:50. > :01:58.experience of the show using the hashtag Royal Welsh show. Smile,
:01:59. > :02:04.everyone! If you have ever wanted to know how to grow a champion or
:02:05. > :02:09.flawless freesia, I know just the woman for you. She's the green
:02:10. > :02:15.fingered goddess, Rachel De Thame. Behind the locked doors the judging
:02:16. > :02:20.is currently under way for the flowers and vegetables. So a lot of
:02:21. > :02:24.nervous people around who have poured their life and soul into
:02:25. > :02:28.their produce. But it is not just vegetables and flower growers hoping
:02:29. > :02:32.to win prizes here, for farmers and livestock breeders, having one of
:02:33. > :02:37.the animals walk away with the prize is something to be proud of. But it
:02:38. > :02:43.is not easy. To win the top prize involves not just winning once but
:02:44. > :02:47.four times. Let me explain. These are Hereford cattle competing today
:02:48. > :02:52.for the supreme individual beef championship. We have four classes,
:02:53. > :03:01.balls of different ages, for heifers, and one for cow in calf or
:03:02. > :03:06.calf in foot. The winner will one of these, a cause for celebration here.
:03:07. > :03:11.Red card winners from the classes will go on to compete against each
:03:12. > :03:14.other to be judged best overall Hereford mail and the same with the
:03:15. > :03:20.females. Then the best male and female go head-to-head for best in
:03:21. > :03:25.breed. And the best of breed Hereford will be pitched against all
:03:26. > :03:29.the other best of breed pedigree animals to fight for supreme
:03:30. > :03:34.champion. Before any competition can take place the showground needs to
:03:35. > :03:40.be made ready full stop and that takes a huge amount of work and
:03:41. > :03:44.massive transformation. It will not be long now before this
:03:45. > :03:48.area is literally packed with thousands of people all enjoying one
:03:49. > :03:57.of the biggest agricultural shows in Europe. The man in charge of it all
:03:58. > :04:04.is the chief executive Steve Hewson. Is there anything that would make
:04:05. > :04:09.you wake up in the morning and think my goodness, I'm not sure that the
:04:10. > :04:11.show can go on. I think we're fairly confident it will go on, the weather
:04:12. > :04:17.is probably the greatest challenge we have contingency plans for all
:04:18. > :04:21.extremes. It is vital whatever the weather the main ring stays in
:04:22. > :04:28.perfect condition. That job belongs to John Smith. We installed a huge
:04:29. > :04:32.amount of land drainage and also we put a lot of sand into the soil and
:04:33. > :04:37.so when it rains it goes straight through the soil into the pipe
:04:38. > :04:40.drainage. But you still need to irrigate. Absolutely because there's
:04:41. > :04:47.so much sand, it will drain quickly and out. So we need the irrigation
:04:48. > :04:54.to supplement that. And to the exhibitors appreciate that this blog
:04:55. > :05:02.is as magnificent as it does? Absolutely not just the look but the
:05:03. > :05:07.fuel. -- the fuel. We are all being irrigated! And preparations are not
:05:08. > :05:17.just happening at ground level. Andrew Mills ensures competitions
:05:18. > :05:21.can go on above our heads as well. This is the 100 foot pole climbing
:05:22. > :05:28.competition, the tallest in Europe. What is the criteria for the perfect
:05:29. > :05:34.tree to climb up the Royal Welsh Show? It is to be Douglas fir like
:05:35. > :05:40.those behind this. There is 15 foot in the ground is probably 130 foot
:05:41. > :05:45.tall and we do not have many of those about. How do you feel among
:05:46. > :05:58.the morning? I just get apprehensive and nervous. But it has to be fine,
:05:59. > :06:02.it has to be! I was here a couple of weeks ago, fantastic transformation.
:06:03. > :06:07.You are the president this year. Brian Jones. Here representing your
:06:08. > :06:13.host county of Carmarthenshire. What is the role of the president? Each
:06:14. > :06:20.county in turn acts as host county and that county during that year
:06:21. > :06:25.appoints someone to represent them as President. You have thrown open
:06:26. > :06:30.the show, we have been lucky to grab you because this is a busy couple of
:06:31. > :06:35.days. It is very important as well, it is the window of Welsh
:06:36. > :06:42.agriculture. And rural life. Not just to this country but Europe and
:06:43. > :06:48.the whole world. It shows our culture, the background work going
:06:49. > :06:52.on in Wales. It is a big day for cattle breeders
:06:53. > :06:57.today but what makes a bull brilliant or heifer head of its
:06:58. > :07:02.class? Gareth Wyn Jones gives us the lowdown. Welcome to the cattle sheds
:07:03. > :07:06.and two sections are competing. The beef and the dairy. Both will be
:07:07. > :07:19.judged on individual elements of their animals. The dairy on the
:07:20. > :07:27.odours and the beef on the meet. This year the link and read are back
:07:28. > :07:32.in the beef section, only 11 cattle here. Neil Hodgson is one exhibitor
:07:33. > :07:41.from the University of Nottingham Trent. A very old breed, widely
:07:42. > :07:44.keeping them? It is a commercial herd, it has to pay its way and at
:07:45. > :07:49.the same time we're teaching students as well as doing research.
:07:50. > :07:55.I had to pick a breed that was docile, not to put off the first
:07:56. > :07:59.timers. And you excited? Yes, very excited. Been here a few times
:08:00. > :08:05.before but we have never shown here ourselves. Fantastic cattle, we wish
:08:06. > :08:11.you all the best of luck. Different to the link and read, it
:08:12. > :08:18.is much tougher if you're showing limousine with 127 cattle competing
:08:19. > :08:20.here. -- Lincoln Red Cattle the Hereford cattle are becoming popular
:08:21. > :08:27.in the farming community and I'm here with Tom from south Wales. Good
:08:28. > :08:37.morning. We have a special heifer behind us called Mandy. I got her
:08:38. > :08:41.for a box beef scheme which will run and then I discovered she was
:08:42. > :08:47.pedigree so I kept breeding. So she should have been burgers! You have
:08:48. > :08:52.saved her. Saved her life. It takes a lot of effort to get these
:08:53. > :08:59.creatures show ready. And these are the favourites of the show, the
:09:00. > :09:03.Welsh Black cattle. We went to see how much work it is to get them
:09:04. > :09:16.ready for the judges. Can I give you a hand? Come on, then.
:09:17. > :09:23.If you want a chance to meet the love of your life here is a little
:09:24. > :09:33.tip. Get yourself a handsome Welsh Black ball. It certainly worked for
:09:34. > :09:37.Jessica and Hugh Williams. I don't know what it is but just being on
:09:38. > :09:44.the end of a rope attached to one of these animals kind of makes you feel
:09:45. > :09:47.magnificent. And in the hills above Harlech these native cattle have
:09:48. > :09:56.gained an unlikely reputation as matchmakers. It is how my mum and
:09:57. > :09:59.dad met, as a Welsh Black sale. And that is how myself and Jessica met
:10:00. > :10:05.as well. Was that essential getting your parents had get -- had got
:10:06. > :10:10.together over the Welsh Black, bet you went for a girl associated with
:10:11. > :10:15.this cattle? It was not essential, but it helped! What makes them
:10:16. > :10:21.special? They've got to be black, they're a traditional breed. And
:10:22. > :10:25.quite deep chested. That is what you want, the depth in the animal, that
:10:26. > :10:31.good topline. At the end of the day they're beef animals. But despite
:10:32. > :10:35.their tough exterior, please cattle also enjoy a spot of pampering
:10:36. > :10:42.before a show. So you're brushing the hair upwards. It just gives them
:10:43. > :10:47.a bit more body and shine as well. They enjoy the pampering. And the
:10:48. > :10:53.blower as well, you would think you would not -- they would not like the
:10:54. > :11:02.noise but they love it. It is like me next and they push in. They
:11:03. > :11:05.really enjoy it. If you do walk away with the top prize, is it one of the
:11:06. > :11:11.top accolades you can get? Absolutely. A lot of people regard
:11:12. > :11:16.it as one of the best shows in the world so to get any prize there, but
:11:17. > :11:22.the top prize is absolutely fantastic achievement.
:11:23. > :11:26.Who wouldn't fall in love over a Welsh Black? We will find out how
:11:27. > :11:31.few and Jessica got on a bit later on but now I have come to see some
:11:32. > :11:37.of the most dashing animals on display today. This is the coloured
:11:38. > :11:41.pony ring and dashing herself is a wonderful Karen. What is it about
:11:42. > :11:48.these horses that has been particularly special for you and
:11:49. > :11:55.your family? They're just part of the family. And my son who is
:11:56. > :11:59.autistic and has dyspraxia, and terrible agoraphobia, finds it hard
:12:00. > :12:03.to go outside of the house until he met his pony Texas. He knows he's
:12:04. > :12:08.going to see him and he can go outside the house without any help.
:12:09. > :12:12.And I started to show him as well which is why I'm here today. And
:12:13. > :12:19.this is the first time you and your son Jason has been to the Royal
:12:20. > :12:26.Welsh Show? It is. This is a huge show. And you said Jason has really
:12:27. > :12:31.struggled to get outside at all. So for him to be here today, what does
:12:32. > :12:36.that mean for you and him? I'm absolutely, just lost for words. To
:12:37. > :12:42.see him in the ring just makes me very emotional. He is overcoming his
:12:43. > :12:47.fears and becoming a man which is just amazing for me. It is the most
:12:48. > :12:53.wonderful story. And where the most inspirational woman. I have to say
:12:54. > :12:57.it is the only thing that outdoors these ponies, you are fantastic.
:12:58. > :13:01.Good luck. But let's go to another colourful corner of the show to join
:13:02. > :13:05.Rachel De Thame for the Royal Welsh Show arrives about a month before
:13:06. > :13:11.many of these vegetables which the absolute peak. But that does not
:13:12. > :13:19.stop hundreds of exhibitors and competitors turning up with the very
:13:20. > :13:23.cream of their crops. These vegetables are not just grown,
:13:24. > :13:30.they are coaxed lovingly out of the ground. Nurtured and groomed to
:13:31. > :13:36.utter perfection before any of us get to lay our eyes on them. To
:13:37. > :13:40.exhibitors who certainly have grabbed my attention with their
:13:41. > :13:47.spectacular giant vegetables are Philip and Brenda. That is what I
:13:48. > :13:52.call a show stopper. You cannot miss this barrel. What is involved in
:13:53. > :13:57.growing something like this? A lot of it is fun and enjoyment, I just
:13:58. > :14:06.do it as a bit of a hobby. But it took me just six weeks to grow the
:14:07. > :14:11.vegetable itself. Six weeks to grow it, and you can sit and almost see
:14:12. > :14:15.them grow. It seems to me that thing that behind every great man is a
:14:16. > :14:21.woman. Behind every great Maroh there is a woman! Does that mean you
:14:22. > :14:27.have to be very patient and allow fillip to be out in the garden the
:14:28. > :14:35.whole time? Very patient yes. It is a lovely hobby and we have had great
:14:36. > :14:38.fun over the years. It is nice to come to a show like the Royal Welsh
:14:39. > :14:45.Show for a day out. And the thrill of growing it. I've been so
:14:46. > :14:48.impressed with the produce of the show, vegetable growing is
:14:49. > :14:55.definitely alive and kicking in Wales and I cannot wait to see the
:14:56. > :15:01.flowers. Doctor who lives in Wales, sort of
:15:02. > :15:04.cover the series is filmed here and the doctor has kindly lent me the
:15:05. > :15:16.Tardis to do a bit of time travelling myself.
:15:17. > :15:21.Following the industrial revolution in the late 18th and early 19th
:15:22. > :15:26.century there was a big increase in demand for food in Britain. To meet
:15:27. > :15:30.the demand landowners, farmers and politicians saw the need to educate
:15:31. > :15:35.and share farming information and practices. And what better way to do
:15:36. > :15:40.so than through farming itself, and the first agricultural societies in
:15:41. > :15:44.Britain were formed. The English Royal agricultural Society was
:15:45. > :15:48.formed in 1838 but it will be more than half a century later into Welsh
:15:49. > :15:52.agricultural Society was formed in 1904 and held its first show in
:15:53. > :15:55.Aberystwyth. The town would be home to the first six shows until the
:15:56. > :16:00.decision was made to take the show on the road. From 19 said it would
:16:01. > :16:05.flip-flop between South and North Wales before the First World War put
:16:06. > :16:10.a stop to that. It would be 1922 before the show was resurrected. The
:16:11. > :16:14.Society celebrated its golden jubilee at the 1954 show. It was a
:16:15. > :16:18.time to reflect and also look forward. Questions were raised about
:16:19. > :16:26.the sustainability of moving the show from town to town. Would a
:16:27. > :16:30.permanent home be better. In 1963 the society have a splash out on a
:16:31. > :16:31.permanent fight at Llanelwedd in mid Wales. And as they say, the rest is
:16:32. > :16:52.history. -- permanent site. And here we are. Back to 2017, and a
:16:53. > :16:56.little look ahead to the future. Still to come, Gareth takes to the
:16:57. > :16:58.water and Rachel is having a blooming marvellous time in the
:16:59. > :17:03.flower tent. If you thought that all pigs look
:17:04. > :17:07.like the little pink pig in babe, this might come as a surprise,
:17:08. > :17:15.because there are hundreds of breeds of pigs, some are pink, some are
:17:16. > :17:19.black, some have floppy ears, some of straight is, some have straight
:17:20. > :17:26.tales, some have curly tails. In short, pigs come in all shapes and
:17:27. > :17:29.sizes. This year, the show has an all-new Director of Pigs. This is
:17:30. > :17:36.Phil Fowlie, the new Director of Pigs. What is your job to do? It is
:17:37. > :17:42.to keep an eye on the pig section, and hopefully to see it working
:17:43. > :17:46.well. We have some beautiful Welsh sows behind us. Obviously with
:17:47. > :17:52.cattle and sheep they have halters on. Pigs have boards and sticks. Why
:17:53. > :17:57.is that? If they get too close together, they will ultimately have
:17:58. > :18:01.a fight. What you see today isn't something that happens overnight. It
:18:02. > :18:10.takes a long time to prepare a pig for a show. What other judges
:18:11. > :18:14.looking for? I would imagine that he wants a very sound commercial pig
:18:15. > :18:18.that is going to reproduce, good quality meat, and it's important
:18:19. > :18:24.that you have the right head on a Welsh pigs. The ears have got to be
:18:25. > :18:29.of a moderate size. Some of the these examples, I'd like to take
:18:30. > :18:35.anyone home. So if any pigs go missing at the end of the show...
:18:36. > :18:39.You will know where they are! Thank you very much and good luck for the
:18:40. > :18:45.rest of the show. Someone who is hoping for success again this year
:18:46. > :18:51.is my old friend Liz Shankland. A few weeks ago, I went to see her
:18:52. > :18:56.with her bevy of ginger beauties. They may looks laid-back, but pigs
:18:57. > :19:01.are known for their personality, and Liz Shankland credits them for
:19:02. > :19:07.changing her life. Before pigs were in your life, what were you doing?
:19:08. > :19:14.You are not a farm girl, are you? Know, I'm a total fraud. I'm
:19:15. > :19:18.completely a fraud as far as farming is concerned. I came from a little
:19:19. > :19:25.terraced house in Merthyr Tydfil. The biggest thing I ever touched at
:19:26. > :19:32.home was a cat. For 30 years I've been a journalist, and I've worked
:19:33. > :19:35.in newsrooms all over the place, and looking after livestock was probably
:19:36. > :19:43.the furthest thing from my thoughts. I just happened to see an advert for
:19:44. > :19:49.a house which had some land. So I ended up with pigs. Before Liz knew
:19:50. > :19:54.it, she was a prize winning breeder of rare Tamworth pigs. There is
:19:55. > :19:59.really a need to keep this breed going. So part of what I'm doing is
:20:00. > :20:05.from a conservation point of view, because I want to see our old,
:20:06. > :20:09.traditional breeds surviving. Getting these mud monsters ready for
:20:10. > :20:17.the show requires a lot of shampoo and elbow grease, and Liz has her
:20:18. > :20:22.very own show rituals as well. I love them. I have a pair of lucky
:20:23. > :20:30.knickers! I do know that! Not just one pair. I've got two pairs. I
:20:31. > :20:35.should hope so. It is a four-day show. You never know when you are
:20:36. > :20:40.going to get into the championship the next day, otherwise you have to
:20:41. > :20:45.put them inside out! Do you feel particularly proud when you take
:20:46. > :20:51.home a rose that? Of course you do. It may not be this year, but at the
:20:52. > :20:57.end of the day, I'm doing this because I love pigs, I love my
:20:58. > :21:04.breed, and I'm having fun. I can see.
:21:05. > :21:09.We will find out if Liz's knickers prove to be lucky tomorrow. Now,
:21:10. > :21:14.let's head back to the rather more fragrant fruit and vegetable hall
:21:15. > :21:17.and Rachel de Thame. It has taken months of planning, but finally the
:21:18. > :21:24.horticultural tent at the Royal Welsh Show is in full bloom. These
:21:25. > :21:27.displays are preening colour, charisma and fragrance into what is
:21:28. > :21:39.one of the largest movable marquees in Britain. Tell me a bit about the
:21:40. > :21:44.theme for this year's show. That is the first thing you look at, in the
:21:45. > :21:50.fashion, and then in the fashion to the artist, design and models. You
:21:51. > :21:57.take that on board when you have the fascinator 's or the hats, and on
:21:58. > :22:02.this occasion, it was a shop window. Jonathan, you are a Master florist
:22:03. > :22:09.with masses of experience, so why are you still drawn towards showing
:22:10. > :22:15.here? Apart from being Welsh, it is a very prestigious show. It comes
:22:16. > :22:22.here every year. My classes which I run in South Wales come to a close,
:22:23. > :22:25.so this is my holiday. Victoria Jane from Swansea started flower
:22:26. > :22:30.arranging three years ago after leaving her job with the local
:22:31. > :22:35.authority. I went to the college locally and retrained to become a
:22:36. > :22:41.florist. And I opened a shop within four weeks of qualifying. You didn't
:22:42. > :22:44.hang about! Tell me a bit about what you have created? Julien MacDonald
:22:45. > :22:50.is contemporary and his work is phenomenal. Did you get an award
:22:51. > :22:57.this year? Not this year. I have had a second and a third and two highly
:22:58. > :23:01.commended. The first thing is, you want to compete and you are in it to
:23:02. > :23:10.win it, and when the judge doesn't quite see what you are
:23:11. > :23:15.interpreting... For many farmers, this show is their annual summer
:23:16. > :23:20.holiday, and for the last 25 years, Gareth Wyn Jones has left his North
:23:21. > :23:27.Wales farm in the care of his dad and travelled down here to fully
:23:28. > :23:32.embrace the summer holiday spirit. There's so much to do here at the
:23:33. > :23:37.Royal Welsh. Some people take to watersports like ducks to water. I'm
:23:38. > :23:43.definitely not one of them. Canoes and me don't get on. Anything to do
:23:44. > :23:48.with water, I'm not a fan. In fact, I'm a little bit scared. Are you
:23:49. > :24:00.coming down, Gareth? Are you serious? Come on! So, Ian, kayaking
:24:01. > :24:06.is becoming a big sport in the UK. It is the fastest-growing sport for
:24:07. > :24:11.the last 12 consecutive years in the UK. It could have massive potential
:24:12. > :24:16.for the rural economy and health benefits. There is a huge benefit to
:24:17. > :24:20.people going out and enjoying the countryside, but they need to do it
:24:21. > :24:25.with proper instruction, and they need to respect the environment they
:24:26. > :24:38.are in the. You are here with your two children, who are really good at
:24:39. > :24:40.this job. One of them has been doing this for nearly eight years.
:24:41. > :24:43.Children can do anything. A paddle, a duck to water. We have got
:24:44. > :24:49.something special planned for you. If you get on the pond and you are a
:24:50. > :24:55.TV presenter, we have a rule. We are going to roll you. I'm absolutely
:24:56. > :25:05.terrified, but I've been told I'm in very good hands. Put yourself
:25:06. > :25:16.forward. One, two, three! That wasn't bad!
:25:17. > :25:24.So, Gareth, have you got over your fear of water yet? No comment,
:25:25. > :25:31.ladies! Rachel, first time at the show for you. Have you loved it? I
:25:32. > :25:36.have loved every minute. I felt so at home in that agricultural tent,
:25:37. > :25:41.and it is the atmosphere of it. Sadly, it is almost time for the end
:25:42. > :25:43.of the show, but before we go, let's find out who our winners are today.
:25:44. > :26:10.Really chuffed. Congratulations to all of them. We
:26:11. > :26:15.are going to be back tomorrow. What are you up to Gareth? I'm going to
:26:16. > :26:20.the sheep said to see some old friends. I am not back tomorrow, but
:26:21. > :26:25.Cerys Matthews is, and she's going to be a bit of a daredevil! I am
:26:26. > :26:33.going to be meeting some of the city slickers who are giving the farmers
:26:34. > :26:56.a run for their money. We will see you tomorrow. Goodbye!
:26:57. > :26:57...we're on a mission to prove the UK is wilder than you think.
:26:58. > :27:03.So join us for a week of adventure, UK-style.
:27:04. > :27:07...we're on a mission to prove the UK is wilder than you think.