Wednesday's 3pm attendance was confirmed as the highest ever – 68,024 people had gone through the gates at the time of counting – and organisers say this year's total attendance is on course to be well above the 10-year average.

David Walters, chief executive of the RWAS, said they were pleased with how the week went: "We've had a Royal visit, fantastic weather and great attendance on all days.

"Aside from a few teething problems with the new traffic systems earlier in the week, the show has been a great success.

"We're extremely pleased with the high turn-out, especially in the face of worrying times financially and the difficulties facing the agricultural industry at the moment."

Traffic problems on the roads around the showground in Llanelwedd had threatened to cast a shadow over the event, but Harry Featherstone-Haugh, RWAS director, said these were quickly sorted out: "After things admittedly weren't brilliant on Monday, but by Tuesday everything had been sorted out and people found their route to the show far clearer and more efficient.

"The public by and large followed traffic instructions later in the week, meaning the systems we put in place vastly improved the flow of people to and from the showground."

An accident on the A470 between Erwood and Builth on Wednesday did cause tailbacks as a vehicle overturned, but no-one was seriously injured and traffic was moving again within an hour.

Favourable comparisons to last year's washout show are inevitable; people attending last year were subjected to miserable weather and a show crippled by the effects of foot and mouth outbreaks across the UK.

This year though it is a much different story; record crowds basked in the warm sun and welcoming atmosphere, and despite the early traffic hiccups and bluetongue restrictions causing the cancellation of some awards, organisers can be proud of a successful event in which the vast majority of things went right.

*Inside this week's County Times we have three pages on the Royal Welsh, including two pages of pictures from the show.