Christopher Riddle, Royal Cornwall Show Secretary highlights what is on offer as the show marks its 220th year.

Welcome to the 2013 Royal Cornwall Show. These are simple words to write but a moment’s pondering reveals a thought-provoking truth - this is our 220th year.

That’s quite an achievement in itself and the fact that our show grows in stature and scope year by year is a continuing measure of our success.

As secretary to the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association I am pleased to be helping to maintain a tradition which means so much to Cornwall, to its agricultural industry, to businesses large and small and to thousands of local people (and many who are not so local) for whom these three days in June are something special and which are marked on the calendar 12 months in advance.

One of the constants which means so much to the association - and to the annual show - is the support we receive from our royal family.

Our patron is His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, who is also a vice-president, as are HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, HRH The Princess Royal, HRH The Duke of Gloucester and HRH Princess Alexandra.

We were very happy to announce that HRH The Countess of Wessex was appointed President-Elect at the annual general meeting, a milestone that I come back to later on.

So we were delighted when we learned that in 2013, HRH The Princess Royal would be making her fourth visit to the show.

Her last visit was not so long ago, in 2008, when she performed the official opening of the then new Pavilion Centre, which has been such a success in the intervening five years, gaining business from all around Cornwall and beyond.

Her Royal Highness will attend on the first day of the show and she will no doubt have a busy schedule of people to meet, awards to present and events to witness.

A show such as ours is, by its very nature, something special. It’s very size, the number of competitors and visitors, the opportunity for trade, the variety, the agriculture and the entertainment combine to produce three days of great fun and serious business.

There are not many events that can play host to such a large-scale entertainment spectacle the like of which we experience in the main arena and beyond.

We like to see confirmed favourites and we all enjoy something new. This year is a fine combination of both, exemplified by the return of the Kangaroo Kid.

Matt Coulter is an old friend of the show. This year he will perform alongside his son Sam, and together The Kangaroo Kids will have some skilful and unquestionably brave daredevil stunts to thrill us all with.

We are pleased to welcome a brand new act this year. The Stampede Stunt Company is dedicated “to raising the bar of equine entertainment...to inspire, delight and entertain.”

They are performing in the guise of Gulliver’s Carnival, which they describe as “a fast-paced, all-action, trick-riding show presented by a quizzically eccentric, stilt-walking ringmaster.”

The RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team needs no introduction from me. It is easy to see something like this as a pure piece of entertainment.

This year we welcome the Central Band of the Royal Air Force on the second and third days of the show.

These are just some of the wide range of events happening in the main arena – others include showjumping and the always exciting and fun inter-hunt relay.

On the agricultural front, our greatest innovation this year is a physical one, in the form of a new exhibition hall.

Every year, we look at existing competitive classes and how well they are supported as well as considering the introduction of new ones. And this year there is an interesting new addition, namely a class for retired and re-trained racehorses.

Enjoy the three days of the 2013 Royal Cornwall Show.