16,500 visitors came to ‘have a
go’ at the 2013 Autumn Show & Game Fair held at the South of England
Showground, Ardingly, over the weekend (October 5 & 6), an increase of
nearly 1,000 people from last year and 2,000 from the year before.
Traditional country sports were
in abundance across the showground throughout the sunny weekend and people of
all ages and genders could be seen having a go at something, whether it was
clay pigeon shooting, gundog training, ferreting, terrier racing, dog agility, fly
fishing or falconry.
Said Michelle Nudds, Vice
Chairman of the Autumn Show & Game Fair Committee, “There was such a buzz
across the showground and it was wonderful to see so many people trying things
that they perhaps have never thought of attempting before. The game cookery
demonstrations gathered quite a crowd and confirmed just how versatile cooking with
game can be. Shoppers seemed very keen
to learn more about the health benefits of and why we should all be looking to
eat more seasonal and local food and producers such as Balcombe Fine Game had a
very busy two days.”
Lord Egremont from the Petworth
Estate, in West Sussex presented the annual Student Assignment Awards as his
first ceremonial duty as newly-appointed President of the South of England
Agricultural Society. The winning students from land-based colleges in Sussex
and Hampshire were 18-year-old Jennifer White from Level 2 at Hadlow College,
with her study on dairy farming, and 18-year-old Natasha Stonestreet from
Plumpton College in East Sussex, for her study on roosting starlings. Runners up included Wesley Ubsdale and
Richard Easterbrook from Chichester College, David Casebow from Sparsholt
College and Natasha Trickett from Plumpton College.
Said Derek Cleaver, Chair of the
Society’s Education Committee, “This competition is an important part of the
society’s educational charity work and the quality was excellent this year,
coming from the young people of the future who will be working in countryside
careers.”
With the demand for country
sports increasing each year in this region, competition was also fierce in the clay
pigeon shooting, run by Dan Kerwood and his daughter Charlotte Kerwood who is triple
Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and member of Team GB in both London and for Rio
in 2016.
Charlotte won the ladies’ High Gun trophy on Sunday and other cash
prizes were taken home by Steve Scott from
Battle, East Sussex winning the men’s High Gun and Guy Franklin from Haywards
Heath who was part of the winning group who won 1st prize in the
Team Shoot Challenge. Hundreds of beginners also tried their hand at this
increasingly popular sport.
The newest attraction to the
show was the Lamb Grand National and large crowds gathered around the main ring
to take a look at the endearing Herdwick sheep as they raced with great aplomb around
the track, clearing fence after fence, to the cheers of visitors.
Another crowd pleaser was the
Kent & Surrey bloodhounds on Saturday and the cavalcade of hounds on Sunday,
which drew many people into the ring for a closer look. Dogs of every breed and type were much in
evidence throughout the show and formed a huge part of the weekend.
“I think my little puppy might
have been one of the youngest visitors to the show,” commented Michelle Nudds, “but
we were delighted to see so many of our supporters both young and old out in
force with their faithful four-legged friends for our last major show in the
2013 calendar. The whole weekend really has
been a true celebration of our glorious countryside.”
Many young visitors were
captivated by the donkey show on Sunday, the pumpkin trail offered a gentle
journey around the showground and smiling young faces were found at the traditional
fairground and in the Fur & Feather area offering them a hands-on approach
with the rabbits, chickens, ducks and geese as well as many other farmyard
animals on display in the Abergavenny Building.
Bumper crops of entries were taken in the
vegetable growing competition this year from giant leeks to perfect onions and the
impressive vegetable displays from the National Vegetable Society and the
National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) floral displays made
a popular pit stop for all green-fingered enthusiasts.
Food played an important role in the WI’s
competition, which this year took the theme of Autumn Extravaganza and formed
an integral part of the show with creative craft displays and demonstrations.
Transport to and from the clay pigeon shoot area was provided by
Vintage Trailer Tours and more fascinating vintage agricultural machinery was
on display at the show - all painstakingly restored from a bygone era of
farming by members of the South Eastern Vintage Agricultural Club.
Musical accompaniment was
courtesy of Mike Hayes and his steel band and the First Cinque Ports Rifle
Volunteers Corps of Drums who provided stirring military music for the
crowds. The annual Harvest service on Sunday was well supported in the
misty sunshine and provided a welcome moment to reflect on the importance of
this time of year in the countryside.
Visitors to the Autumn Show & Game
Fair also took time to see about the advantages of becoming a member of the
South of England Agricultural Society, which offers a host of concessions
including free entry to the major shows at the Showground.
