The Royal Welsh Show is currently buzzing with a surprising trend: the mullet hairstyle, famously associated with rock stars of the 1970s and 80s, is making a spirited comeback among farmers in Wales.
Gwion Hughes, a sheep farmer from Ceredigion, though not fully embracing the mullet craze himself, acknowledges its rising popularity: “It’s just a craze now, really,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, at the sheep showground, five-year-old Griff’s long blond mullet is turning heads. His mother Sophie from Builth Wells revealed that after his sister’s endorsement last year, Griff has been proudly sporting the style and thoroughly enjoying it.
Seventeen-year-old Hayden Clarkson from Abergavenny confidently declared the mullet’s resurgence as complete, proudly showcasing his own for the past three years. His girlfriend Bethan Francis expressed her admiration, describing his curly locks as a highlight.
When asked what he calls a person with a mullet, Hayden jokingly offered “Mulletonian,” adding that he himself identifies as a “mulletarian.”
Not everyone at the show admitted to having a mullet, despite obvious similarities. Matthew Iceton, a cattle farmer from County Durham, denied sporting one outright but acknowledged his hairstyle may draw inspiration from it.
Sarah Gibbons, a sheep farmer from Hay-on-Wye, humorously referred to herself as a “mullet mama,” envisioning her future identity. She shared her pragmatic approach to hairstyling amid farming chores: “I use sheep shears for a mullet, but we farmers don’t often look in mirrors, so I’m not exactly sure what I’ve got.”
The Royal Welsh Show thus finds itself not only celebrating agricultural excellence but also unexpectedly embracing a retro hairstyle revival that’s catching on among its participants.