Enthusiastic crowds greeted Sophie, Countess of Wessex, when she arrived on the first day of her two-day visit to the Royal Cornwall Show. Sunshine and light breezes created the ideal atmosphere as the show got under way yesterday and secretary Chris Riddle was confident 2014 would be another successful year for Cornwall's premier event. The Countess, wearing a blue skirt and white jacket, was greeted by Col Edward Bolitho, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall and deputy president, who introduced her to show guests. The Countess immediately entered into a busy programme touring the showground in her capacity as this year's show president, walking from the President's Suite down through the crowds to the cattle lines where she watched the judging in progress and chatted to exhibitors and spectators. She was due to visit many of the stands and exhibits including the WI tent where she was to present the Royal Cornwall Cup to the winning institute. At the forestry section she was presented with a Cornish plum tree, named 'Manaccan', to mark her year's presidency. The Countess also visitedx the Cornwall Food and Farming Pavilion and presented the first day's trophies in the main ring where she witnessed the massed parade of hounds before joining other guests for a traditional cream tea. Among the first winners at the show were regulars Mervyn and Richard Rowe from Tregondale, Menheniot, whose South Devon cow Tregondale Ninon 50 and her calf Tregondale Hector took first place in the class for cows born before January 1, 2011, with a calf born after January this year.