Charlotte Elizabeth from Cardigan and Betsan Williams from Newcastle Emlyn, battle their way through the mud.. Pictures by Peter Flemmich

Attendance for the first day of the Royal Welsh Show was almost 2,000 up on last year, organisers said today.

Yesterday saw 53,738 people pass through the turnstiles compared with 51,830 last year.

The figure falls 1,744 short of the 2006 record attendance but exceeds the five-year average of 49,936.

Show treasurer David Powell said the first day at the show at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, had “exceeded” expectations.

He said entrance stands had taken a record £50,000 in new membership money.

But he warned that some people had been stealing membership badges.

He said: “We’re warning people not to purchase any membership badges if approached outside the showground.”

He said that between £50,000 and £60,000 had been withdrawn from the four cash machines in the showground – a good sign that people were spending. “It would be foolish to say that we are recession proof because everyone has been affected by the credit crunch. But we have benefited in the sense that more people are choosing to stay at home,” he added.

Harry Fetherstonhaugh, show administrator, said the traffic situation yesterday had not gone as smoothly as planned but they were hoping to improve things today.

Haydn Jones, publicity officer, said today’s flypast by the only remaining Lancaster bomber in airworthy condition in Britain had had to be cancelled because of the weather.