Bad weather forcing summer events across Wales to cancel

The prolonged wet weather is having an impact on summer events across Wales, with a number of shows forced to cancel because of waterlogged fields.

North Wales Show in Caernarfon is the latest victim of recent heavy rain, with the weekend event cancelled.

Organisers blamed the field's condition and the fact more rain is forecast.

Ceredigion Trotting Festival was rescheduled then abandoned. In June, Aberystwyth and Dyffryn Ogwen shows were both called off.

Tuesday's meeting at Ffos Las racecourse was abandoned because the track is waterlogged.

Bancffosfelen Show in Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, is also cancelled on Saturday because of the weather.

On Monday, organisers of a polo competition scheduled to take place at the Celtic Manor Hotel in Newport this Saturday announced parts of the field had reached saturation point and called it off.

'Glimmer of hope'

The Ceredigion Trotting Festival should have taken place last Saturday in Aberystwyth but was initially postponed owing to the conditions until next weekend and relocated to Ammanford.

However, the British Harness Racing society announced on its website that the annual festival was being cancelled after a large number of withdrawals.

Judith Owen, general secretary of the North Wales Show, said they had had over 400 entries in the horse section and some of the competitions were medal classes which carried points.

Following a committee visit to the showground on Tuesday, Mrs Owen commented: "Literally where we were standing, we could see the ground deteriorating underneath our feet.

"With just a few cars there, you could see the field becoming rutted.

"Everyone was looking for a glimmer of hope in the weather, but there was just a glimpse of sun forecast for Sunday evening and before that it was just rain, rain, rain.

The Rhiwbina Festival in Cardiff on Saturday enjoyed some blue sky but the wind posed a problem for this stall

"We didn't know where we stood with insurance, and perhaps having to tow people out."

Wales experienced its wettest June according to the Met Office, with an average of 186.3mm (7.3in) falling over the month.

With rain forecast on already sodden ground, it is possible that more events may have to take the same decision to cancel.

However, the Wakestock music and wakeboarding festival on the Llyn peninsula, which starts on Thursday, has said it is going ahead, but has advised people attending to bring wet weather gear.

Looking further ahead, the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells, Powys is three weeks away and the National Eisteddfod is a month away and the field in the Vale of Glamorgan is being prepared, with the pavilion due to go up this week.

Sam Davies from the Royal Welsh said the show was definitely going ahead.

A spokeswoman for the eisteddfod said, at this stage, it was impossible to predict what effect the weather could have.

She added: "We're well used to working with the elements, but we, like everyone else, are hoping the sun will come out."