Rare Welsh Cattle at Royal Show

[Farming UK - Brighouse, England].

A Welsh white cow and calf will have a starring role at this year’s Royal Welsh Agricultural Show at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells (July 21-24). They will be taking pride of place on the Welsh Wildlife Trusts’ stand in the Countryside Care Area of the Showground.

Most people in Wales will have heard of Welsh black cattle - but Welsh whites? Welsh white cattle are one of our ancient native breeds and were once a common sight in our countryside, along with several other colours.
However, with the creation of the Welsh Black Cattle Society in 1905, black was established as the standard Welsh colour and some of the other varieties were bred out.

A Welsh white cow and calf will have a starring role at this year's Royal Welsh Agricultural Show at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells (July 21-24). They will be taking pride of place on the Welsh Wildlife Trusts' stand in the Countryside Care Area of the Showground.

A small herd of these majestic animals is used to graze Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust's Glaslyn reserve, near Machynlleth. The cattle belong to the Mapledraig Herd.

The herd is owned by Liz Lewis-Reddy, a grazing ecologist who works with the Wildlife Trust and farms near Llandrindod Wells with her husband Mike.

Glaslyn nature reserve is part of the 40,000-hectare Pumlumon Living Landscapes Project, which aims to revitalise upland areas in the Cambrian Mountains for wildlife, tourism, and the local economy.

The ambitious plan for a landscape-scale regeneration involves working with more than 200 landowners to restore the natural environment, encourage appropriate grazing with traditional breeds, enhance the appearance of the area, and develop sustainable tourism.

Farmers could be given financial incentives for caring for their land in a way which helps the aims of the project.

..And eyes down for cowpat bingo!

The six Welsh Wildlife Trusts have a serious role at the Royal Welsh, raising awareness of the conservation work they carry out across Wales, and encouraging more people to do their bit for wildlife.

That said, however, they also know how to have fun! One of the highlights at the stand this year will be cowpat bingo - a game with a difference.

Joining the trusts alongside their stand will be some extremely rare Welsh white cattle. Welsh whites are one of the ancient breeds of Wales, very rarely seen these days, and are used to graze Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust's Glaslyn reserve, near Machynlleth.

Each day during Royal Welsh week (July 21-24) the pen holding the cow and calf will be marked with a grid and visitors to the stand will be able to pick a "lucky number" corresponding to one of the squares. The square which attracts the first cowpat will win a prize.

"The cattle are at the show to draw attention to the work we are doing on our reserves, and to highlight the importance of using these traditional breeds for grazing areas to which they are best-suited," said cattle owner and grazing ecologist Liz Lewis-Reddy.

"But there's no reason why we have to be serious all the time! The Royal Welsh should be an enjoyable event, and we want everyone to have fun."