A RECORD entry of 1,158 cattle, up by 216 on last year, has been received for the Royal Welsh Show in July.
It includes 967 in the classes for beef breeds – an increase of 178 on 2009 – and 191 in the dairy section – 38 more than last year – the numbers ensuring there will be some hotly-contested challenges for the leading honours among cattle breeders when the four-day Royal Welsh Show opens at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, on July 19.
British Limousins lead the entries with 183 followed by the British Blue, a derivative of the Belgian Blue cattle imported into this country in the 1980s, with 82, and the Simmental with 71.
The native Welsh Black breed will field 67 entries and the white-faced Herefords 58. A total of 157 commercial beef cattle will also line up for judging alongside the 18 pedigree beef breeds catalogued.
The dairy cattle classes will be led by a strong entry of 88 Holsteins followed by 46 Ayrshires and 40 Jerseys.
The Royal Welsh is famous for its sheep classes and 45 breeds, the largest number to be seen anywhere in the world, will be on view this year. A total of 3,145 entries have been received, nearly 200 more than in 2009, the popular British Texels leading with 340 followed by the Charollais with 220.
The distinctive Black Welsh Mountain will be represented by 138 entries and the commercially successfully Beltex by 124.
Pig entries this year number 123 and entries of goats have increased from 133 to 155.
A total of 3,292 horses and ponies will be on parade at Llanelwedd, the ubiquitous Welsh Mountain ponies (Section A of the Stud Book) with 527 entries overtaken this year by the entries of Welsh Cobs (Section D) at 529.
All the sections of the Welsh Stud Book will be strongly supported at the show and the fashion for coloured horse classes.