Schedules out for Royal Welsh Show
More than 5000 livestock schedules for the 2010 Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, in July have gone out to potential exhibitors across the UK. Some have also been sent to a number of European countries from where the show draws mainly competitors in the horse classes.
New to the livestock breeds on view this year will be Coloured Ryeland sheep. The Royal Welsh stages the largest display of sheep breeds to be seen anywhere in the world and the addition of Coloured Ryelands takes the number of breeds being exhibited this year to 46.
The Ryeland, one of the oldest breeds in the country, originated in Herefordshire and is so named because it was used for grazing rye growing areas known as rye lands. The breed sometimes produces coloured lambs as the result of a recessive gene. They have no gene for whiteness and when bred together produce lambs with fleeces varying in colours from pale silver to shades of grey and black. Occasionally their fleeces are dark brown and may be spotted or patched. Eight classes and special awards have been listed for Coloured Ryelands at the show.
Twenty-five breeds of cattle are scheduled for this year’s Royal Welsh with 257 classes and special awards for the 21 beef breeds that will line up for judging and 143 for dairy animals. There will be a special competition for young cattle handlers in both the beef and dairy sections in which the prize money for the first placed competitors will be £100 each.
One of the more famous attractions at the Royal Welsh show are the classes for Welsh ponies and cobs – they bring thousands of visitors to Llanelwedd every July, many from overseas who make the journey to Mid Wales especially to see the spectacular display in the main ring.
This year’s schedule lists 388 classes and special awards in the horse section among them a qualifying class for the supreme light horse or pony in-hand Champion of the Year, the final winner of which will be decided at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, in October.
The schedule and entry forms are also available on line (www.rwas.co.uk) and the closing date for entries is April 28.
The four-day Royal Welsh Show takes place from July 19 – 22.
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