SIOE'R ganrif - show of the century, that was the verdict of chairman of the Royal Welsh board of directors, John T Davies.

“As a Pembrokeshire man I am so proud of my native county and its contribution to the 100th show, the county did its bit and excelled in making it the show of the century. Sioe'r ganrif!” he said.

Welsh sunshine graced the show with its presence all week sending sales of ice creams and sunhats soaring. And making the most of the glorious weather, visitors were thankful for the recently-installed water refill points dotted around the showground.

Not only did this serve to keep everyone hydrated in the sizzling heat, it also helps the society and the show reduce the amount of plastic used onsite, which goes towards its commitment to making a positive contribution to the climate change agenda.

Apart from the competitions, amazing shopping and the 12 hours of non-stop action and attractions each day, the show plays hosts to a large number of visiting dignitaries.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall opened a new equine arena, unveiled a full sized sculpture of a Section D Welsh Cob stallion and officially opened a new garden on the showground, created specifically to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the prince’s investiture as Prince of Wales.

There was also an opportunity for them both to meet with exhibitors, stewards, traders key agricultural leaders and showgoers and even present a number of prizes in the judging rings.

The royal couple were also joined by other royal visitors to the show, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and Queen Pumi, head of the Zulu nation.

King Goodwill intends to take back to his nation many examples of good practice to further improve their farming skills. Sharing good practice goes back to the reason agricultural societies were originally set up.

Technology was also very much to the fore.

“The showground, here in rural mid-wales, is fast becoming one of the best connected rural event sites in Wales,” said Steve Hughson, chief executive of RWAS.

"We are delighted that the permanent phone mast here on site has been upgraded to 5G as a result of a collaborative project between ourselves, Welsh Government and BT, and that we will also have a new Vodafone / O2 5G mast on site before the Winter Fair.

“Following the installation of Superfast Cymru in 2014, and the 4G mast in 2016, this newest development is part of our strategy to move with the times, stay up to date with the ever-changing world of technology and ensure we remain relevant for the next 100 shows.”

Following the theme of innovation and future development, during the show a gold medal for the device most likely to be beneficial to Welsh farming, was awarded to Solar Pump Solutions Ltd, for their Solarflo Water System, allowing water to be pumped from any remote location without needing access to electricity.

A Royal Welsh award of merit for new innovation that shows the most potential for improving agriculture in Wales was awarded to the JCB 19C-1 E-TEC mini excavator – the first of the electric generation and the industry’s first fully electric mini excavator with zero emissions, low noise levels and no compromise on performance.