A tractor helps vehicles through the muddied car park

As another eventful show draws to a close, tribute should be paid to the 200,000 or so visitors who donned their waterproofs, queued for what must have seemed an eternity and took the trouble to turn up.

It's testament to the event's popularity that people made the effort.

I've genuinely enjoyed the last four days, and there are a few highlights to mention.

The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) reception on Wednesday evening gave me the opportunity to catch up with a few old contacts and friends.

Watching the Mid Wales Axe Racing Team at work was enthralling. It's amazing how expert those guys are - and not a splash of blood in sight.

Finally, I'd like to congratulate the Western Mail's country and farming editor Steve Dube, who has been recognised for his skills as a reporter by the FUW.

He was awarded the union's famous shepherd's crook for his services to the industry. Di iawn, Steve.

I took a walk on the wild side last night and ventured into Builth Wells.

Builth Wells in show week: Not so much wild west, as mild and wet

I'd been told, unfairly in my opinion, that Builth switched from a one-horse town to the wild west during show week.

The claim was some residents even take holidays, while shopkeepers board up their windows at night with rickety pieces of wood as revellers fight and drink the night away in the streets.

My newshound instincts told me there was a scoop in the offing. All I needed was a Clint Eastwood lookalike and I'd no doubt be in line for a well-deserved pay rise.

I headed across the bridge from Llanelwedd to Builth full of anticipation, humming the tune from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

It was 10.30pm and on the mean streets of Builth Wells there was quite a strong police presence. Well, strong for Powys, which meant a couple of police vans and a handful of bobbies.

People were indeed drinking in the streets, but there wasn't a rickety piece of wood or a fight in sight, and definitely no-one resembling Clint, aka The Man With No Name.

I made my way down the main drag and luckily spotted a friend of mine who was drinking wine out of a bottle - they're classy, my mates.

I had thought my get-up of mustard-coloured corduroy trousers, blue shirt and tie, walking boots and moisture-resistant gaiters was quite tasteful

He told me there had been a few fights during the week, and even boasted that he'd been involved in the odd scuffle himself, but there had been no major incidents.

He joked that the most shocking thing he'd seen was me walking down the street "dressed like a young Conservative".

And I had thought my get-up of mustard-coloured corduroy trousers, blue shirt and tie, walking boots and moisture-resistant gaiters was quite tasteful.

Meanwhile, on the showground the bad weather has returned, but I'm reliably informed by BBC weather guru Derek Brockway that things will improve later in the day.

The two youths fined on Tuesday for concocting a story about someone plunging into the swollen River Wye are among a number of idiots the show could well do without.

Police and rescue services were rightly annoyed by yesterday's waste of time. They've got enough to do without that.

The �80 fines handed out will hardly cover the costs of the near 10-hour large-scale search involving 15 members of Brecon mountain rescue, firefighters, a brigade boat and a police helicopter, either.

Not only that, the youths' story that someone had fallen into the Wye, not far from where 19-year-old Gareth Jones, from Llansannan, Conwy, drowned during last year's show, was in extremely poor taste - but don't expect them to understand or even relate to that.

It's possible they may have had a few too many beers, and I don't want to appear prudish about this, but the show seems beset by difficulties in this area.

Senior police officers have admitted in the past that the affects of drinking excessively are a headache in Llanelwedd and nearby Builth Wells during show week.

The search in and around the Wye turned out to be a waste of time

But what can the police do to solve this problem? Very little, I suggest. Drink is an issue at many major gatherings, but it's always the minority who spoil it for the majority.

Many visitors enjoy a couple of what I refer to as "sociables" as part and parcel of the convivial atmosphere here at the show.

Even I'm guilty of it, although only after working hours. Can you believe that after this sanctimonious rant?

Meanwhile, on the showground it's Welsh cob day today. The gallant horses and owners are braving the mud and the rain in the main show field.

The traffic is still a bit of an issue, though.

As the old Dinah Washington song goes: "What a difference a day makes".

Forgive me, but this is so apt today. The meteorological U-turn has brought out the shades and the brollies have been banished.

But beware, BBC weather presenter Derek Brockway warns that heavy rain is likely on Thursday. Tomorrow he predicts a wet start, but drier later on.

As for the roads, the horrendous traffic problems that marred yesterday's show don't seem to have improved a great deal.

I'm receiving reports that people are still experiencing huge delays - some people taking more than two hours to travel just a few miles.

Some car parks are still incredibly muddy and difficult to navigate too. And it's not just the muddy conditions that are causing problems - drivers seem to be overheating.

While driving in this morning I noticed a tussle parking stewards were having with one stubborn motorist.

He was refused entry into one car park near the showground, but he decided to manoeuvre his car around the stewards and drive in anyway.

A lot of bawling and shouting followed and fellow stewards descended on the man's car. They stopped him.

Mud and rain, but cob day is always special at the show

A special mention also has to go to pensioner and piano accordion player Donald Jones from Llandrindod Wells.

For more than a decade he has entertained guests at the town's Glen Usk Hotel on Monday evenings after the show.

His repertoire of Doin' the Lambeth Walk, the White Cliffs of Dover, Run Rabbit Run, It's a Long Way to Tipperary and Colonel Bogey's March - the tune from Bridge Over the River Kwai - may be a tad dated for my tastes, but he has a loyal following who sing along, and he apparently goes down a storm with senior citizens.

It has been a day like no other at the show. Ten-mile tailbacks, muddy car parks, frustrated motorists, anxious show officials and, of course, the persistent rain.

But as show director Harry Featherston-Haugh told the media at a press briefing earlier, the show goes on.

Mr Featherston-Haugh is obviously well respected by his colleagues at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS).

I think he approaches the show as a general would approach a mission. He certainly appears to have a military style of delivery when speaking to the media. Some might say he's terse, but that's unfair.

He has a job to do and I think he finds dealing with the press a little tedious. He's not the first and he certainly won't be the last.

But he is one of a number of people at the RWAS who work hard to ensure this event gets off the ground each year, so I can imagine how officials at the RWAS felt in the days leading up to the show when rain was, as secretary Barri Jones put it, "extreme".

In addition, they had to repeatedly deny the rumours that the show had been cancelled this year.

With that, the weather and the traffic it's been an eventful Royal Welsh already.

The umbrellas are up and welly sales teams must be making a fortune.

Last year now seems a very distant memory, when temperatures reached the mid-30sC (mid-90sF in old money).

Although brollies were used at last year's show, it was to shelter visitors from the intense sun. Now they're in action for more conventional means.

The rain started here just after 0700 BST when I arrived at the showground and it hasn't stopped since. To be fair, though, the showground itself isn't too bad.

Cars and vans stuck in the mud, including two of our BBC vehicles, had to be towed clear by a tractor in one car park

The roads throughout are clear apart from the odd puddle, but in contrast the car parks are slippery and getting worse.

Cars and vans stuck in the mud, including two of our BBC vehicles, had to be towed clear by a tractor in one car park.

Meanwhile, visitors and people working at the show are experiencing tailbacks on the roads. It has taken some of my colleagues two hours to travel just a few miles.

These sorts of delays are to be expected on the first day of the show, but the traffic is considerably worse this year.

Even the judging of the horses was delayed for 30 minutes when an official in the palomino section was caught in traffic.

I feel quite smug because I didn't experience any problems at all. Wonder if that will last...

Cattle carers

On Sunday, I had a quick look around the cattle sheds. The people who show these animals really care for them. I mean, they really care.

They wash them with the sort of care and attention taken when looking after a baby. They brush their shiny coats, make sure they're comfortable and have enough food and water.

But I thought I'd seen it all when I spotted one man using a vacuum cleaner on one beast. Fortunately, the Welsh Black cow in question seemed to be enjoying the experience.

Hopefully, all this bovine buffing will be appreciated by two VIPs here today: EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel and Wales's new Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones.