Boris Johnson trims a sheep during visit to Royal Welsh Winter Fair - with video
Boris Johnson has trimmed a sheep and served beef and lamb baps as he got stuck into country life at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair.
The 30th Royal Welsh Winter Fair opened in Llanelwedd with a flying visit from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Dashing through light showers, Mr Johnson arrived by car at the showground and spent an hour meeting visitors.
First stop was a brief private meeting with invited guests at the President’s Pavilion, before he went to a meat stand in the food hall.
Watch Boris Johnson clipping a sheep:
And Mr Johnson got stuck in at Penmincae Welsh Black Beef and Lamb stall from Cwmbach near Newbridge-on-Wye. He donned a green apron and served shoppers including toddler Ralph Mallindine and his nan Kirsty from Llangammarch Wells.
Kirsty said Mr Johnson asked the youngster if he wanted lamb or beef in a roll and Ralph said lamb, to which Mr Johnson said Welsh lamb was the best lamb and at the moment it was not exported to America.
Sarah Duggan, from Howey, was trying to catch a glimpse of Mr Johnson and managed to see him as he served others at the meat stall and chatted away happily to shoppers.
Feisty
From there Mr Johnson was whisked to the cattle ring, where he was shown what the judges look for in an animal before holding the rope of a feisty cow, which tried at one point to pull away.
Giving a thumbs-up to the cattle-watching audience, Mr Johnson was given a warm applause as he left.
Then he hot-footed it to the sheep sheds where in the ring, he was shown how to trim the sheep’s fleece by Aled Growcott, from Gwent, who trims sheep all over the area.
Hands-on Mr Johnson quickly took the clippers and gently trimmed an animal to a round of applause.
Before leaving the showground to head to North Wales to launch the Conservatives’ Welsh manifesto for the General Election, Mr Johnson visited the Welsh Black Cattle Society stand where Heulwen and Sharon Davies told him that their business has had a couple of “sticky moments” because of Brexit.
Heulwen told him people were unsure how the situation would affect them. She said farmers were very concerned but smallholders and hobby farmers seemed to be more confident about investing.
