ENTRIES are now open for the Smallholding and Countryside Festival which takes place this spring.
The festival, the first Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) event of the year, returns to the Royal Welsh Showground on May 18 and 19.
The weekend-long event is a celebration of rural life with smallholding pursuits at its heart, showcasing the real diversity of the Welsh countryside.
Together with an array of display ring attractions, competitions, children's activities, shopping tradestands, live music and delicious food and drink, the festival promises to be a fantastic day out for all.
Entries for livestock and equine competitions are now open and competitors can view the schedules and enter online at the RWAS website.
With over 600 livestock classes and special awards for sheep, pigs, goats and cattle, many of which are for traditional, rare and native breeds, there is an opportunity for everyone to get involved. Entries close on Wednesday, April 3.
This year’s festival will host qualifiers for the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) Royal International Horse Show and Senior Showing and Dressage Ltd (SSADL), British Show Pony Society (BSPS) and British Show Horse Association (BSHA) London International Horse Show.
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Once again, the festival will host the Premier Open Dog Show. Entries are now open for the 2025 Crufts qualifier where rosettes, prize money and quality pet food are all up for grabs for the winning canines.
Postal entries close Tuesday, April 9, and online entries close Tuesday, April 30. Go to the FDS website to view the schedules and to enter.
All the usual attractions and areas will be at the event for you to enjoy. The Smallholders Centre will continue to be the main port of call for those wanting to learn more about the smallholder’s way of life.
Explore the Country Life Area, featuring the Panic Family Circus, the Woodville Medieval Re-enactment Group, petting farm, donkey encounter, forestry competitions and sporting and countryside activities, all accompanied by live music from the bandstand.
The festival display ring has a jam-packed bill for your entertainment, including Dangerous Steve’s thrilling quad and motorbike stunt show, Paws for Thought Dog Display Team, show jumping and working hunter competitions, scurry driving and Meirion Owen and his sheepdogs.
The Meirionnydd Shearing Centre will host wool handling and blade shearing competitions throughout the weekend, demonstrations from the Gwent Guild of Spinners and Weavers, a vintage shearing display, and wool related tradestands.
Sample the delicious goods in the renowned Food Hall or grab a tasty bite at one of our many food stalls in the Welsh Food Village, Gwledd | Feast.
Tickets for the Smallholding and Countryside Festival are available online. Early-bird adult tickets are £18 and children’s tickets are £5. You can also purchase a family ticket. Discounted tickets are available for RWAS members until April 30.
Visit rwas.wales / cafc.cymru for more information about the festival or to buy tickets.
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