October 4, 2011: Livestock schedules for this year’s two-day Royal Welsh Winter Fair have gone out to 5,000 potential exhibitors at the event which takes place on the showground at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, on November 28 and 29.
The Winter Fair, first introduced in 1990, is now widely regarded as the best prime stock show in the UK, if not Europe, and is one of the most popular attractions on the agricultural show circuit. Leading stockmen will again be competing for a share of the thousands of pounds in prizes being offered to the winning entries in the 179 classes including poultry and special awards listed in the schedule. They include 51 classes for cattle, 50 for sheep and 21 for pigs. There are also 14 classes in a lamb carcass competition. The number of classes in the horse and pony section is 35, and a new feature at the Fair this year is a competition for dressed poultry with eight entries. The sale of livestock on the second day of the Fair is a highlight of the event when keen bidding is expected for the quality stock on offer. The sale always attracts big crowds to the ringside and intending bidders are required to wear a buyer’s lapel badge and to register a number with the auctioneer before the start of the sales where a centre section of seats opposite the rostrum is reserved for them. No-one is permitted into the sale rings without the appropriate badge which is worn for easy identification of bidders by the auctioneer. The selling of livestock begins with lamb carcasses in the Carcass Hall at 10.30am followed by the sale of sheep at 12 noon and pigs at 2pm. Cattle enter the sale ring at 3pm with the champion and reserve going under the hammer at 3.15pm. Baby beef animals will be sold last and the sale of dressed poultry takes place on Monday, November 28, in the Carcass Hall at 4pm. Entries for the Winter Fair close on October 19. Further information: www.rwas.co.uk/en/winter-fair