We were probably the only couple in Wales that didn't know about the Royal Welsh Show but ike the proverbial "blind pig" we stumbled upon it. I have never been to such an event but for Connie, veteran of many St. Joe County Fairs, it was a walk down memory lane.
Every form of farm machinery sat gleaming in the sun like some kind of a science fiction display. But Connie couldn't take her eyes off the rusty-red 1954 Allis Chalmers tractor, just like the one she drove on her Michigan farm as a teen. The tears in her eyes might have been ones of nostalgia. More likely they were reminders of the pain from manhandling the beast.
Painful memories?
We watched (I in complete ignorance) the judging of several classes of horses and Shetland cattle. Pity the poor judges, standing in the broiling sun in dark three-piece suits and bowler hats. Traditions die hard. Neither of us quite understood the 'team horseman' competition, a relatively new event created by Charles, Prince of Wales, to spur (pun intednded) interest in equestrian sports for average people on regular horses. We couldn't help but notice that the US team was very much outclassed.
Hard hats?
I was impressed by the women's side-saddle competition. Didn't know they still rode that way - or wore top hats and veils, too. The best horsemen were the Cossack trick riders, dare devils who did unbelievable stunts on wild looking beasts.
