Pre Lampeter Show 1962

The Royal Commission on Horse Breeding held in 1888 was informed that premiums
awarded to stallions would encourage owners to keep a better standard of stallion (rather
than the ‘cheapest’ stallion) and the services would be offered to tenant farmers at a
maximum fee of 50s. Queen’s premiums were offered to every British breed in 1888
which became the King’s premiums 1901–1911. In 1912 the awarding body was the
Board of Agriculture and Fisheries who allocated six premiums of £50 to Welsh cob
stallions, i.e. £20 when awarded, £26.5.0 for covering 25 mares at £1.1.0 stud fee and
5 shillings per foal (total of £3.15.0) when the foals were born. This was considerable
money when compared with the average annual agricultural wage in 1912 of £37 (now
£18,000).

County committees were set up to organise the judging of these premiums, 2 for
Cardiganshire, 2 for Montgomeryshire and 1 each for Carmarthenshire and Radnorshire
and the judges and government officials travelled to the four designated centres. By
1923 the Board had increased the Welsh cob premiums to 18 (90 in total for all the UK
breeds) and that year amongst those awarded were four Royal Welsh champions.
It caused great sorrow in the WPCS when the premiums were discontinued in 1930
at the start of the depression years but, after much negotiation with the Remount
Department at the War Office, small premiums (4) of £25 were offered in 1935 and
judges Mr Tom Jones Evans and Mr Eddie Griffith travelled to four centres in
Breconshire/Radnorshire, Cardiganshire,Montgomeryshire and Glamorgan and selected
four stallions from 18 presented.
The premium scheme was maintained during the war years with 3 or 4 premiums
awarded every year. In 1946, six premiums were awarded, Cardiganshire required one
each for North and South, one each for Brecon, Carmarthen and Pembroke with an
additional premium for Anglesey but not one for Glamorgan and the judges traveling
to six centres.

Rather than have the judges traveling around the counties, on 6th April 1956 twelve
stallions congregated at Lampeter to compete for eight premiums of £80 and were
judged together as a show class won by Llwynog-y-Garth who was awarded a premium
for Monmouthshire. It was the WPCS which organised this show and, in order to attract
a greater attendance of interested spectators (which were charged entry of 1s), two
additional classes were added, one for 1, 2 and 3 year-old cob colts and the other for
mountain pony stallions or colts. The judges were Mr J. J. Borthwick andMr R. T. Evans
and the stewards were Mr D. O. Morgan, Mr A. L. Williams and Dr Arwyn Williams.
On 3rd April 1962, a local committee of Mr D. O. Morgan (chairman), Mr A. L.
Williams (secretary), Mr W. Davies, Mr W. J. Thomas, Mr Daff Davies, Mr Sam
Morgan, Mr John Edwards and Mr W. Thomas organised the show on behalf of the
WPCS and this was the first of the now world-famous Lampeter Stallion Show. The
classes had increased to seven (with the addition of Welsh cob fillies and Welsh ponies
of cob-type). There was a total entry of 25 and admission had increased to 2s 6d.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 
The Lampeter Stallion Show Committee would like to thank Dr. Wynne Davies of Ceulan Stud or all the details supplied in our history section.