Gwenddwr Show celebrated its 70th anniversary on Saturday, July 25, with a record attendance for the annual carnival, show and sports.

Held in sunshine with a fresh breeze, the event brought together competitors, families and supporters for a day which included livestock and marquee classes, children’s sports, entertainment and live music.

The show dates back to June 1953, when Gwenddwr school’s newly appointed head teacher, Mrs Mair Thomas, organised a special event in the school yard to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Pupils, many of them from local farms, entered a fancy dress competition before parading from the village along the lane to Tircanvas fields for sports and races.

The event proved popular and became an annual fixture. It has only been cancelled a handful of times, including during Foot and Mouth disease, when a field became waterlogged and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s show opened with the crowning of Show Queen Fern Williams, attended by Hendrix Powell and Grace Goodwin.

Show President Neil Parry judged the carnival, with Gwesyn Powell taking the overall prize after dressing as a colourful version of the president himself.

There was a strong entry in the marquee competitions, with trophies going to Kathy Thornhill for craft, Violet Kidston for photography, Celia Jefferies for flowers, Diane Powell for cookery and Rob Holmes for garden produce.

Hendrix Powell had the highest points in children’s cookery, while Romy Banks won the best entry. Lisa Williams took the children’s craft prize.

The Mair Winfield prize for creative writing, named after the teacher who founded the show, was won by Everlyn Jones.

Competitors were asked to create a display representing the show’s 70 years, which was won by Hendrix Powell.

The sheep section attracted 75 entries in the Welsh classes, while the dog and pony sections were also well supported.

The overall champion sheep was a Welsh ram from the Jones family of Ciliane Fawr, Crickadarn. The overall champion group was the Hardy Speckled Face group of the Jones family of Craigol, Newbridge-on-Wye.

The overall champion sheep was a Welsh ram from the Jones family of Ciliane Fawr, Crickadarn
The overall champion sheep was a Welsh ram from the Jones family of Ciliane Fawr, Crickadarn (Image supplied)

Ruth Jones’s Vizsla, Bruce, was named pedigree overall champion dog, while Linda Statts’s Labrador, Moss, won the non-pedigree overall championship.

In the pony section, Dani Harley won the Welsh Mountain championship and Mari Davies took the other than Welsh Mountain and ridden classes. Jenny Davies won the local class, while Mari Davies was awarded the overall winner’s cup.

Meanwhile, children took part in activities organised by Sunny Avon, including an inflatable football shoot-out and Kick ’n Stick target footballl

The obstacle race, organised by Toby Powell and friends, proved popular.

For the 70th show, the Wye Valley Axemen staged two demonstrations after returning from the Royal Welsh Show.

Inside the marquee, the committee put together a display charting the history of the show.

The evening programme included a rodeo bull, followed by live music from Elvis performer Kirk Marsh and Ammanford duo Lily Mai & the Echoes.

The organising committee thanked the supporters, stewards, advertisers and sponsors who helped to stage the event.