We all love Barley Saturday. An event that attracts all the locals as well as others not so local; from kids to grown-ups to dogs, its an occasion for everyone.
Since 1871, it has been held on the last Saturday in April to celebrate the end of the crop sowing season, with barley being the last cereal to be sown after the wheat and oats, this year it falls on the 29th of April. Originally it was a day when farmers from the surrounding area came to town to hire workers, it also gave stallion owners the opportunity to display their beautiful Welsh Cobs, advertising the stallions for stud. These days it is the horses that are at the centre of attention and it's not just cobs on show, there are horses and ponies of all shapes and sizes, from Shetlands to Shires.
After the 11.30am judging of various horse competitions, the crowds gather to watch the horses parade around Cardigan and down the High Street at around 2pm. The best bit is when the horses are trotting out in all their glory, manes flowing and nostrils flaring, quite a spectacle. Horses are followed by vintage cars, motorbikes, tractors, carriages, milk floats and gypsy wagons, plus plenty of flat caps! It’s a special day of the year in Cardigan town.
