Mercury reporter Rhiannon Llewellin abandoned her editorial colleagues to their wellies and notebooks and discovered the more glamorous side of the County Show ...

HAVING been a regular visitor to Pembrokeshire County Show for as long as I can remember, I thought there was no more to see or do at the county's premier event. That was until I was chosen to be this year's Miss County Show.

In contrast to what the title might suggest, my role was not to be a beauty queen (if it was I would never have been picked!) but to be an ambassador for the show throughout the three days, visiting sponsors, stewards, judges and exhibitors to thank them for their vital support which helps the County Show become more successful every year.

So, with my sash ironed, vigorous handshaking training complete and a permanent smile etched on my face, I was ready to embark on my mission of promoting the show - and satisfying my desire for big, posh hats!

Monday My role began a day before the show with a trip into Haverfordwest town centre aboard John Parker's famous Royal Mail coach. Things were going well until I saw the rickety ladder I had to climb to get onto the top of the coach; volunteers for the job of chief ladder-holder (mostly men, incidentally) appeared out of nowhere and I realised trousers would have been a better wardrobe choice than a dress! Off we trotted into town with a clear blue sky and bright sunshine beaming down on us. However, we hadn't gone further than Withybush hospital when the sky went black and the heavens opened. There was nowhere to hide and nothing to do except keep smiling through the downpour. The rain cleared quickly and we carried on into town ignoring all the rules of roundabouts and traffic lights. A welcome tot of whisky on Castle Square soon warmed me up and the sunshine returned to dry out my hat, which by now resembled a bird that had been through the spin cycle!

Tuesday I woke bright and early on Tuesday and found myself immersed in some early morning practice at talking about the weather - an invaluable conversational tool at the show! The forecast predicted heavy showers, so brolly at the ready, I headed off for my first day as Miss County Show. I was happy to start the day as a spectator while the society's president, Mrs Shirley Johns, spoke on Radio Wales but as soon as Roy Noble spotted my sash, I was hauled onto the stage to take part in a live broadcast! My first in an endless line of cups of tea set me up for the rigours of visiting the craft marquee, food pavilion, countryside area and cattle lines. Stewards and competitors were keen to fill me in on how to carve the perfect walking stick or chop the biggest log, but the best bit of advice was to avoid the steaming straw in the cattle shed! Later in the afternoon we boarded the John Parker coach for a parade in the main ring and, after having a surprisingly dry day, were hopeful of avoiding a repeat of Monday. But as soon as we stepped up onto the coach the tell-tale black clouds appeared and we found ourselves drenched again.

Wednesday Lost sleep trying to resolve a huge dilemma - which hat to wear for the first-ever Ladies Day! In honour of Mrs Shirley Johns being the first female president in Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society's 220 year history all ladies were invited to don a hat and attend a champagne reception to celebrate. The weather forecast was less than promising but nevertheless, I still managed to visit the dairy goat marquee, caged birds and poultry before the reception had even begun! Being Miss County Show certainly takes you to places given a miss by most showgoers and throws you into the path of people you would never usually meet. I was kept entertained for over half an hour in a flooded poultry shed (the ducks were having a great time but the chickens were less than impressed) by a nice man who had endless tales of his 50 years experience showing bantams (a type of small chicken) but never actually winning - I'm sure his time will come! I arrived at the reception smelling slightly less fragrant than the other ladies and with my shoes already caked in mud, but it was nice to see such a big turnout of ladies who really made an effort and hopefully ladies day will be repeated for many years to come.

Thursday Another early morning start took me straight to the showjumping bus where my hat was almost too big for the low roof on top deck and I missed a lot of the action trying to peer through the brim! I spent the rest of the morning in the company of lots of different animals, such as angora goats, sheep and the biggest pigs I have ever seen. A chorus of barking then awaited me at the dog agility. Hundreds of dogs, from an eight- inch high Jack Russell to a huge Great Dane tackled the obstacle course and judging by the enthusiasm of the dogs and their owners everyone was really enjoying themselves. The show's main attraction was the Royal Artillery Flying Gunners motorbike display team who thrilled the crowds with their daring stunts. I was less than thrilled however when I had to join them on the back of a motorbike. For safety reasons though I did not take part in the stunts and was chauffeured around the ring at a nice, leisurely pace - thank goodness!

Being Miss County Show was a fantastic experience which I will never forget and I must thank Gaynor, Myfanwy, Anne and Malcolm in the show office for all their help, and Shirley, Robert, Brian and Jean for their friendship and support during the show.