Leading attractions at Royal Welsh Show
Improvements to the surface of the main ring on the Royal Welsh showground should prevent a repeat of the mudbath conditions caused by bad weather at the 2007, 2009 and 2010 events at Llanelwedd, the show’s Honorary Director, Harry Fetherstonhaugh, told members at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s annual general meeting.
As a result of the improvement scheme (completed at a cost of approximately £200,000) drainage rates had been dramatically increased from 2mm per hour to 150mm per hour, he said. However, the ring would still need to be managed in a more proactive way in future. For example, in the event of a short, sharp shower, it might have to be temporarily vacated to allow it to drain to avoid surface damage.
Although the ring looked marvellous at present, the sward was young and tender and this had influenced the choice of the main displays for the 2011 show said Mr Fetherstonhaugh. The principal attraction will be the famous horse trainer, Jean Francois Pignon, whose troupe of six horses, with their graceful and amazing performance, have delighted audiences at events across Europe.
Jean Francois has gained worldwide acclaim for his ‘Horses at Liberty’ display in which the loose and riderless animals perform many of the classical dressage movements such as the passage, the extended trot and the pirouette.
“We look forward to welcoming him back for what will be his third visit. The previous visits were in the wet years of 2007 and 2009 but, hopefully, this time the weather will be kinder so that we can see him and his horses perform at their very best,” Mr Fetherstonhaugh said.
The other leading attraction at the show this year will be the Bolddog Lings Freestyle Motorcycle Display Team whose extreme stunts and tricks have thrilled audiences around Britain. The team has the largest and most sophisticated truck and landing ramp in the world enabling the riders to jump gaps over 75 feet wide and reach heights of 35 feet giving them enough time to perform an array of death defying tricks in mid air.
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