Published on 8th June, 2016
The 2016 Royal Bath and West Show lived up to its billing of showcasing The Great British Festival of Agriculture, Entertainment, Food & Drink.
The transformational new layout of the Show went down a storm with visitors and traders hailing it as one of the best Shows for many years.
Chief Executive Rupert Cox, said: “This year’s Show has been fantastic, the new layout has had tremendous feedback from visitors and traders and the Show had a real buzz about it. The new music area with help of our incredible president Michael Eavis was a great success with people chilling out consuming the best of British Food from the array of food on offer in the new food and drink area”
“We embraced our heritage over four days with the finest Livestock in the Country, an array of agricultural equipment on Show and an excellent Main Ring display by the team at Redlynch Agriculture”
“I would to thank all the volunteers, the exhibitors, and sponsors whose hard work and dedication have made the Show such a success.”
Alan Lyons, Show Manager, sais: “It has been a great four days and I am pleased that everybody bought into the concept of the change in layout, It seems to have been a good formula and there has been a tremendous atmosphere around the whole Show.
Having the livestock here on the Saturday of the Show was excellent and a fantastic sight to see, I would like to thank all the livestock exhibitors for exhibiting at the show and all their support with the new changes”
This year’s President Michael Eavis shook hundred of hands, as he toured trade stands, cattle lines, attended receptions and presented awards across all four days of the Show.
He said “I had a great four days at the show and have been coming to the show since I was a child, I really enjoyed meeting the people who put the Show together and meeting so many visitors as I was toured the Show. There were so many highlights of my days at the Show but I thoroughly enjoyed the new music area with great bands and also the all the fantastic Livestock”
Farmer’s wife Gillian Dosson scooped the Show’s Farm Woman of the Year Award. Mary James MBE said “All of the nominated entrants are extremely hard working and inspirational women. They are absolute ambassadors for farming and the glue that holds communities together, so choosing a winner was extremely hard.”
The new Team Challenge on Wednesday consisted of three elements: – stock judging, cattle preparation and showmanship was won by The British Blue Cattle Society.
Mortimers Farm Ltd took the Beef Pairs Interbreed Championships for the Overall Champion Pair of Beef Animals.
The Texel Focus Show Champion went to David Bradley from Drayton Farm Partnership.
The In-Hand Cuddy Championship on Friday was full of pure excellence and class with the championship going to part bred Welsh “ Shildons Excaliblir”, bred by Mrs V Rudd and exhibited by Mr Mark Reeves.
The British Cheese Awards featured just short of a thousand cheeses from across the country. The Supreme Champion went to Cropwell Bishop Creamery Shropshire Blue from Nottingham and Reserve to St Thom by Lightwood Cheese Ltd.
Alan Berry who makes cider at Templecombe, took home the Surpreme British Cider Championships with his Blackmore Vale Medium Cider.
The Reserve went to Kilmejan cider from Northern Ireland.
They beat more than 500 other ciders to the blue riband of cider competitions at Orchard and Cider.
A sweet cider produced by Rich’s Cider of Watchfield near Highbridge was voted “The People’s Choice” by the hundreds of people who took part in the final judge-off for this year’s competition in the Orchards and Cider marquee at the Royal Bath and West Show on Saturday.
The Price of Wales Award went to West Somerset Flood Group. The group is made up of parish and town councils who are working together and with their communities to reduce flooding in West Somerset. The group operates with no funding (any grants obtained go to member communities) and members’ time and work is freely given