WALES’ biggest tractor event descended on Llandovery last weekend, which saw a record breaking entry of 328 tractors from Wales and England, with one participant from Ireland, and included many local tractors from Brecon and Radnor which had made the journey to the market town.
The town famous for being on the drovers route to London saw a new type of new age drover – that being the participants in the fifth Welsh National Tractor Road Run. It was hosted by the Llandovery and District Vintage Machinery Society, who are celebrating their 40th anniversary, and was assisted by the Tractor Clubs of Carmarthenshire.
Under the chairmanship of haulage contractor Stan Archer, the committee had organised everything to a tee, except for the rain which dampened the start and the first hour of the Run.
The assembled local dignitaries of Jonathan Edwards, MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, the newly elected chairman of Carmarthenshire Council, Councillor Irfon Jones, together with the three local county councillors, Cllr Handel Davies, Cllr Arwel Davies and Cllr Andrew James, were on hand for the official start and speeches.
Also, the tractor drivers held a minute’s silence in memory of Talgarth Tractor Run supremo Brian Kite, who recently lost his battle with cancer.
The record breaking entry was raising money for three charities, namely the Llandovery Hospital League of Friends, the British Heart Foundation and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show featured county appeal for Carmarthenshire and had royal patronage, as the Prince of Wales Charitable Trust had donated the first prize in the fundraising raffle.
After parading through Llandovery, the tractors toured the local communities of Myddfai, Llanddeusant, Bethlehem, Llangadog and Llansadwrn in the morning with a dinner stop at Llanwrda where spectators could look at the congregated mass of tractors before setting off to tour the Pontyrhyd and Cilycwm areas before heading back to Llandovery.