For me, the Royal Welsh Show is over for another year. Greatly diminished in size and enjoyment this year by the wet weather. Absolute nightmare for the organisers - and well done them for keeping the Show going for the full four days.
Shambo, the bullock at the centre of the TB storm was the top talking point. This has turned out to be a nightmare problem for the Government. Shambo might be a scrawny 6 year old freisian bullock who would never have been given shed room, let alone temple room on most Welsh farms - but his cute face on our TV screens won over millions of supporters across the world, including my own family. It became a really tough call. I always thought that there was no option but death for Shambo, and I was staggered by the High Court reprieve - which was overturned on appeal. Lucky Elin Jones, not having to don the 'black cap' herself. Elin has just gone to New Zealand for four weeks holiday. Very lucky for her that she hasn't gone to India.
Best Shambo joke of the Show was by David Fursden, President of the CLA, which put on a very grand anniversary 'do' on Tuesday. In his speech, David said that he was pleased that the High Court ruling had been overturned "because it saved the CLA from going to the trouble if becoming registered as a religion." And funniest line for me was when I pointed out to a friend of mine that his trouser zip was undone. Edward Hamer, another friend told him not to worry "because a dead bird never falls out of the nest". I'm sure its an old line, but I'd never heard it.
But as always, the Show was a fantastic event. Lets hope for better weather next year.
3 comments:
While TB is not as serious as the Foot and Mouth disease that swept Montgomeryshire and the UK in 2001, I have to say that the urban people behind this "cute" faced cow have no ideas of the potential consequences they could cause. The issue should have been dealt with on an animal health ground and not as a cuddly animal competition. Remember the pyres Glyn?
I'm with you on this - but I can see that the 'cuteness' of the late Shambo's face and name generated a lot of public sympathy. Many more peole are now questioning the current strategy for tackling this disease which has caused much suffering to livestock farmers in Montgomeryshire.
And now there are two more for the slaughterhouse.
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