English and Scottish exhibitors barred from Royal Welsh Show

English and Scottish livestock exhibitors will not be allowed to compete in this year's Royal Welsh Show due to the Bluetounge virus.
The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society have said they have taken the taken the decision due to veterinary advice about the 'unique risks' of the show.
The Bluetongue virus is a highly infectious disease spread amongst sheep and cattle by infected midges
It is listed by the UK government as a notifiable disease and the last year has seen multiple outbreaks in England.
This has culminated with a recent change being announced by DEFRA which will see 'the restricted zone for bluetongue extended to cover all of England' from July 1 – 'this means that from this date you will be able to move animals within England without a bluetongue licence or test'.
As a result, the show which will be held on the week of July 21 had to asses the situation.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society said: 'While supporting the unrestricted movement of animals is important to us, our primary focus has been on developing a showing policy for this year's Royal Welsh Show that protects our exhibitors and the integrity of the event.
'The Show presents unique risks – it is a large-scale gathering of susceptible animals sharing close airspace over five to six days, and it takes place during the peak vector season. This is distinctly different form one-day livestock markets or direct farm-to-farm movements.
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now: www.countytimes.co.uk/subscribe
As a digital subscriber you will get
Unlimited access to the County Times website
Advert-light access
Reader rewards
Full access to our app
'For this reason we have adopted a precautionary approach and will not be accepting livestock entries from any exhibitors based within an BTV Restriction Zone nor from those who need to travel through an RZ to reach the show.
"This includes all entries from England and Scotland."
The Society added that the decision 'relates to this year's Royal Welsh Show and the Show alone'.
They added: 'This has not been an easy decision for us We have explored all available options including pre-movement testing and unrestricted entries. Each had its pros and cons, but ultimately, none provided the level of risk mitigation we require or proved practically workable.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Powys County Times

7 hours ago

• Powys County Times

The Battle of Pilleth regaled upon 623rd anniversary

TODAY marks the anniversary of the Battle of Pilleth - one of the most pivotal battles in Welsh history. The battle, also known as the Battle of Bryn Glas, was waged between Knighton and Presteigne by forces loyal to Owain Glyndwr who led a rebellion against the English from 1400-1415. In 1402 the war reached Powys. The war broke out amid turmoil across England with King Richard II dying in prison in 1400 after being overthrown by Henry Bolingbroke who would be declared King Henry IV. An ally of the new king, Reginald Grey, baron of Ruthin, then sparked a Welsh rebellion when he seized lands owned by Glyndwr who was falsely accused of treason. The result was a 15 year war waged across Wales with Powys often centre stage. This almost brings us up to the legendary 1402 battle. In June, Glyndwr and his forces visited Knighton - close enough to the garrison town of Leominster and prompted a confrontation with forces loyal to Sir Edmund Mortimer. The Wigmore Chronicle says the battle site was 'upon the hill called Bryn Glas in Maelienydd near Knighton'. Glyndwr divided his army with his archers armed with the powerful longbow placed on the slopes of the hill while the remainder were concealed in a valley to the left of the hill. As the battle waged several Welsh archers in Mortimer's army defected and loosed arrows against their former comrades with several prominent nobles loyal to the new king falling in battle. Mortimer was captured and King Henry abandoned him to his fate which ironically led to the Marches noble renouncing his allegiance and married Glyndwr's daughter. Legend says the corpses of the fallen English soldiers were mutilated by women who had accompanied the Welsh solders as revenge for past invasions on Welsh soil. However, historians claim this could well have been propaganda as the English nobles sought to deflect the impact of defeat which saw more than 1,000 English soldiers killed. The English dead lay unburied and the stench caused the area to be avoided for months and war continued for another 13 years.

Daily Mirror

a day ago

• Daily Mirror

Lavender thrives and 'will thank you' if you add 2 things to garden soil now

There's nothing worse than a sad-looking lavender bush, especially if you've planted it at the front of your flowerbed. But there are two things you can add to your soil that will help it thrive Lavender is a quintessential feature of many British gardens, its elegant foliage adding a touch of charm to flowerbeds and borders. It's not just a visual delight either; it serves as a natural pest deterrent, particularly for ants, whilst attracting vital pollinators to the ecosystem. However, a droopy lavender bush can be a real eyesore, especially if it's front and centre in your flowerbed. ‌ Despite being relatively easy to maintain, lavender does require certain care to ensure a healthy and abundant bloom. As a Mediterranean plant that flourishes in sunlight, it doesn't need much watering but does require well-draining soil for optimal growth. ‌ Interestingly, lavender is drought-resistant, and overwatering can lead to root rot if the soil isn't suitable, reports the Express. If you find your lavender looking a bit sparse despite using well-draining soil, horticulturist @ has revealed two additions to your soil that could help your lavender prosper. In a TikTok video, the gardening guru explained that the "two main lavenders you'll come across are English and French lavender". He noted that while English lavender is "a little bit more hardy", French lavender typically "flowers for longer". Despite their differences, it's essential to ensure "free-draining soil is absolutely crucial" for both types of lavender. Free or well-draining soil is defined as soil that allows water to flow through swiftly, creating the arid conditions that lavender thrives in. ‌ Sandy soils are often chosen for plants needing excellent drainage, but Ish also suggests incorporating two additional elements into your soil to make lavender "absolutely thrive". To enhance soil quality and its draining capability, grit and sand can be mixed into the earth. While these additions aid in drainage, it's vital not to overwater. Ish advises keeping lavender in "lightly moist soil", cautioning that many gardeners lose their lavender "because they overwater it or water it daily like most of their plants, and it causes root rot". Neglecting to trim your lavender during the summer may lead to a woody and thin appearance, but subpar soil and excessive watering can "cause black foliage and make it go gooey at the top". Instead, "your lavender will thank you" if you water it sparingly, or even rely on rainfall, ensuring it has time to dry out thoroughly afterwards.

Scottish Sun

a day ago

• Scottish Sun

You have the eyes of a hawk if you can find the alligator hiding in this swamp

Check further down this story to see if you were right! SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR! SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR! You have the eyes of a hawk if you can find the alligator hiding in this swamp ALLIGATORS are one of nature's toughest predators. Every year thousands of people visit Florida every year to get a glimpse of the lurking beasts. Advertisement 5 Can you find the alligator hidden in this swamp? Credit: Harry Williamson But unless they are out in the open or strolling along the side of the road, the ferocious reptiles can be quite hard to spot. Their scaly green and brown skin allows them to blend in with the murky swamps of the southwest Florida and the Everglades. So it really takes someone with sharp eyes to find a gator that wants to hide. A visit to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary just outside Naples, Florida, provided the top opportunity to put the eyes to the test while wandering along the boardwalks. Advertisement Somewhere in the swamp picture above, there is a lurking alligator but if you look close enough then you might just be able to see her. Female alligators are typically smaller than males, making this one much harder to see. The knobbly monster is also blending in with the leaves, brown water and other swamp plants. And to make things even harder, the sunlight reflecting off the low waters make her even more difficult to find. Advertisement The American Alligator can be found in the State's marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes and is one of the most darkly coloured species of gator in the wild. That means that if you managed to spot the alligator in the picture then you are well and truly have an eye for detail. You have 20/20 vision and a high IQ if you find the tiny alligator blending in with the lily pads in under 20 seconds If you look close enough you can see her lurking near the trees. Zooming on the image will show the scaly skin of her head and back just resting above the water. Advertisement So well done if you managed to spot her! 5 Did you manage to find our alligator? Credit: Harry Williamson 5 She was very hard to spot in the murky swamp Credit: Harry Williamson 5 A visit to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary gave the opportunity to see one of the amazing reptiles Credit: Harry Williamson Advertisement Optical illusions are becoming a popular puzzle for people wanting to put their optical illusions to the test! Sticking with an animal theme, people have been told they have to be pretty observant is they can find all the animals in this cluttered garden. Another brainteaser challenged people to put their detective skills to the test by finding one person in a park full of people. One Aberdeen artist even designed a stunning optical illusion with an important message hidden in plain sight. Advertisement And our own Scottish Sun features team put our readers to the test as they challenged them to find the famous Scottish faces in these five AI-made images of natural wonders.