CARDIGAN Show broke all attendance records last week, making the 150th anniversary event a bumper success.

Threatening rainclouds happily passed over, but they were enough to deter visitors from making for the beach, so Cardigan's 150th Anniversary County Agricultural Show reaped enormous benefits on Wednesday as huge crowds kept those on gate duty very busy.

Show officials were delighted at the outcome.

"Given the historical significance of this year's show it is especially pleasing that our 150th has broken all attendance records.

"We can't put a firm figure on it but we are content in the knowledge that the 'gate' was the best ever," was how show secretary Mrs Gill Jones put it and her comments were endorsed by her husband, Sulwyn, chair of the show committee.

Coming generations will also have good cause for remembering the 2004 spectacle staged again at Briscwn Fields by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Ron Evans under the patronage of town mayor Cllr Linda Grace, because all schoolchildren under the age of 11 had free admission tickets in celebration of the special anniversary milestone.

Said Mr Jones: "Entries were up in all sections and it was pleasing to see so many youngsters attending and competing.

"Likewise, our show day luncheon had been extended so as to enable us to invite past presidents and their partners.

"And a 150th anniversary plaque was issued to all exhibitors to mark the occasion and this too was warmly received. I am very pleased with the overall outcome and thank everyone who participated and helped make our anniversary celebration all the more memorable."

Another supreme championship took the familiar route from Cardigan Show to Tregibby Farm on Wednesday evening but it was not a black and white that did the business but a Jersey.

Shaded all summer by the Holsteins shown by his brother, Hefyn Wilson, 18-year-old Arwyn Wilson very impressively made amends when the pride of his 25-strong Channel Isles herd, nine-year-old cow in milk Glanmor Xerxes Roxy took the supreme dairy championship.

The jersey herd of 15 milking cows has been developed at Tregibby since 1997 and Arwyn is happy to have charge of caring for them.

"They are a much friendlier breed to work with than the black and whites from my experience, Mind you, Hefyn wouldn't agree with what I am saying," said Arwyn who has won the breed championship at the Royal Welsh Show four times.

He had to rest content with the reserve best of breed at Llanelwedd this year.

Stock shown by Arwyn and Hefyn dominated the dairy section, a sector having to graft hard amid the ravages of TB so soon after the foot and mouth crisis.

The supreme challenge trophy was one donated by Hefyn's grandparents Mrs Betty Wilson and the late Mr Evan Wilson.