Royal Welsh Show 'more relevant than ever' as it celebrates 120 years amid farmers protests

David Davies from Pontyclun's great grandparents were at the first Royal Welsh Show. He's also the proud owner of a collection of every catalogue from a Royal Welsh Show- from last year at 2023, going all the way back to 1904.

As the Royal Welsh Show celebrates its 120th birthday, the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society says "It's more relevant than ever".

On the 26th of February 1904, in Committee Room 12 of the Houses of Parliament, what was known as the Welsh National Agricultural Society was born.

It was created to raise awareness and understanding of farming and to promote the industry.

Aled Jones from the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society says "Given recent events (farmers' protests), I think that's even more relevant now than it was 120 years ago."

Farmers across Wales have staging demonstrations over the new sustainable farming scheme - which they fear will lead to 1,000s of job losses and damage farm incomes.

The scheme will replace the grants they used to receive when Britain was part of the European Union.

The Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths has told WalesOnline that she hopes no farmers will go out of business. She says the aim of the scheme is "to make sure we secure food production systems".

She continued: "It's also about safeguarding the environment and addressing the climate and nature emergency, with both adaptation and mitigation."

Ms Griffiths added that the Welsh Government "will make changes to the scheme" before it is rolled out.

The first show in 1904 was held in Aberystwyth and welcomed 120 attendees, now the show that's hosted at Llanelwedd is the biggest in Europe

Mr Jones says the Royal Welsh Show plays a "key role" in giving the sector a platform to showcase the industry in Wales and has done so since 1904. That year it was held in Aberystwyth and welcomed 5,000 attendees.

Now staged at Llanelwedd, it has grown into the biggest agricultural show in Europe attracting people from across the world each year.

David Davies from Pontyclun's great-grandparents were mountain pony breeders and competed at the very first Royal Welsh Show. He is the proud owner of a collection of every catalogue from the last century through to 2023.

"It's almost like a life's obsession," he says.

At that first show in 1904, a pony called Greylight won and afterwards was sold to Australia for 1000 guineas. That's the equivalent of £100,000 today.

Will Troughton from the National Library of Wales says that by 1908 the number of attendees had "trebled" from that first show.

He says in the first year the show ran it may have been "elitist" but after ordinary tenant farmers realised they too could compete, it "opened the floodgates."

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