Princess Anne was welcomed by farmers in Llanelwedd on Monday for the 40th anniversary of Europe’s biggest ram sale.

The Princess Royal attended the National Sheep Association (NSA) Wales and Border Ram Sale at the Royal Welsh Showground, based near Builth Wells, which features various breeds of tup.

Wales and Border Ram Sale committee chairman Richard Gwilliam and vice chairman Graham Jones showed the princess around the bustling site which was loud with the sound of the ongoing ram auctions.

The princess also spent the day accompanied by the new Lord Lieutenant of Powys Tia Jones as well as her predecessor Dame Shan Legge-Bourke.

Sisters Ellie Owens and Hannah Owens, from Presteigne, who are both sheep and cattle farmers, said they had found meeting the princess “nerve-racking” but enjoyable.

Ellie said: “She was very interested in what we had to say, and she was very easy to talk to.”

Hannah added: “It’s good to see her – you don’t normally see royalty at places like this and it’s knowing that she chose to come along as well because she is interested in the industry.”

While Princess Anne was running behind schedule at the sale, it is understood it was down to her interest in farming. Her grandmother, the Queen Mother, was an early supporter of the sale which has been held at the showground since 1978 when it started with 660 rams entered from 10 breeds.

The Queen Mother even sent her own North County Cheviots down from her Castle of Mey in Caithness to be entered into the sale which has an annual turnover of £2.5million.

Hereford farmers Charlotte and Reg Marshall met princess while they were selling shepherds crooks handmade from ram horns – something they described as their hobby.

Charlotte said: “She said she’s got Wilshire rams as well and we were telling her that the crooks are all handmade from the ram horns. She was very nice, very normal to talk to. She’s chatty and she just really puts you at ease.”

Amanda Price from Llangammarch Wells, who owns Fascin8 Millinery and tweed, met Princess Anne at her stall selling items such as handmade fascinators and hats. She said that she was telling the Princess Royal where she sourced her materials from and explained that her products are all handmade.

Amanda said: “She was nice, she was very interested in what I had to say. I told her where I source the wool from, that it’s all British and handmade at home and she seemed to enjoy looking at what I have for sale.”

The NSA Wales and Border Ram Sale is understood to have helped establish several different breeds of sheep in Wales. It has played a role in strengthening numbers and quality throughout Britain as well as bringing some breeds, such as the Blue Faced Leicester, farther south.