The 2009 Royal Bath & West Show was hailed as one of the best in recent years with 155,960 visitors through the gate, which was the second highest since 2004. The combination of superb weather, excellent features both new and old and improvements of popular sections created a superb atmosphere which was commented on by many.

Livestock numbers across the board were excellent with the quality of entries exceptionally high with Mortimer’s Farm winning Supreme Champion Beef Animal with their Charolais cow ‘Mortimer’s Eurovision’. Overall tradestand exhibitors reported very positive sales throughout the show with some even running out of stock completely.

David Cameron attended the show on the first day and was received extremely enthusiastically by the public. He visited several areas of the show before giving an exclusive question and answer session to the press and then delivering a Cameron Direct Session in the lecture theatre which was received very positively by everyone creating some very interesting debate.

Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall stole the show on the Friday visiting many sections of the show and spending a lot of time talking to members of the public and exhibitors. His Royal Highness also took a spur of the moment ride on the miniature railway much to the enjoyment of everyone watching.

The new layout and features of the Farming for the Family section was received with delight by visitors and was extremely busy from the beginning to end of every day at the show. The Fashion Show which was greatly expanded and improved from last year was also very popular and the inclusion of the dogs in it was hailed as pure genius and is likely be a permanent feature in the future. The Grey Hound Rescue, West of England, who generously provided the dogs were delighted that they were able to show the dogs off and tell their stories in front of such a captive audience. Their generosity was rewarded as one of the greyhounds called Grace, who had been seized under the Animal Welfare Act after being found in the worst possible conditions, was adopted by one of the exhibitors called Toadcake Tackshop and taken to her new home straight from the show.

The Imagineering Fair won the Gold Medal for the best feature in Show which was just deserved with its superb display of aircraft and vehicles celebrating the 100 Years of Naval Aviation as well as the usual medley of activities, competitions and information to inspire youngsters.

The Smelliest Cheese competition was hugely successful and captured not only the UK’s media attention but also television from Germany! Charles Martell, the maker of the well known Stinking Bishop was delighted to receive the winning trophy made especially for the competition by Tony Uloth. The Champion Cheese in the Dairy Produce section, which was a block Davidstow Cheddar made by Dairy Crest was brought by R H Longman for £1000!

The Cannon ball man, The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and the French ornithologist Christian Moullec with his Geese which were all main features of the show were all a resounding success and ALL wowed the crowds time and time again.