The early years 1904 - 1909
The period of the Society’s foundation was marked by fierce arguments and falling out. On 1st February 1904, Lewes T. Loveden Pryse (the third son of Sir Pryse Pryse, Gogerddan) proposed the idea of a National Society and a National Show. Many agreed, but a fierce opponent of the idea was John Gibson, the editor of the ‘Cambrian News’ at the time.
Loveden Pryse
There was much argumentative correspondence – some of it personal – in the columns of that newspaper. Gibson saw it as the son of a landowner trying to force an institution on the farmers of Wales, arguing that the venture would harm the North Cardiganshire Agricultural Society. Gibson received the backing of the United Counties Agricultural Society, based in Carmarthen – due to that organisation’s envy at the fact that Carmarthen would not be home to the new Society and its Show!
Lord Powis, Wales’ largest landowner at the time
Despite the arguments, the scheme gained the support of Lord Powis, Wales’ largest landowner, Lord Tredegar and numerous MPs (including Cardiganshire’s representative, Vaughan Davies, who went on to become Lord Ystwyth, Tanybwlch). Another whose backing proved crucial was D.D.Williams – the son of a farmer from Argoed, Tregaron, who was a lecturer in agriculture at the University College of Aberystwyth.
The first Show was held on 3rd and 4th of August 1904, on the Vicarage Fields, Llanbadarn Road, Aberystwyth and it was a success. One of the first winners was the pony "Grey Light", owned by Evan Jones, Manorafon, Llandeilo. She was sold in 1911 to Anthony Horden of Australia for a thousand guineas!
"Grey Light", a show winner in 1904
Although people from all over Wales approved of the idea of a national Show, low membership and a lack of money made the Society’s work problematic. The intention was to have a Society that did more than just organise an annual Show, and they declared the following aims:
- That the Society should hold an ‘open’ annual show, attracting the best of UK stock, with some special prizes confined to Welsh farmers.To start new, and assist existing, horse, pony and bull societies throughout Wales, to assist in stock and breed improvement.
- To publish an agricultural journal in Welsh and English for distribution, free of charge, to members of the Society.
- To promote and assist agriculture generally throughout Wales in every way in its power
Continue with the show hits the road 1910 -1939
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