Country Crafts, Sheep, Horses

After a very wet week in the Fylde the rain stopped on Saturday morning, just in time for the opening of Great Eccleston Agricultural Show. All the drainage and road building that has been done on the show field over the past few years certainly proved its worth. The ground coped well with the estimated 35,000 people who visited the show over the weekend and by Sunday afternoon, whatever was happening elsewhere in Lancashire, the sun was shining brightly on Great Eccleston.
This show in the heartland of the Fylde in Lancashire once more justified its reputation as the premium two-day agricultural event in the North West. The judges in all sections commented favourably on the number and quality of entries.

Following a tradition that started away back in the 19th century, the Shire horse once again took pride of place at Great Eccleston. This year, with some sixty high-class entries, the line up of these gentle giants was second to none. Judging between them proved particularly difficult but the championship was eventually awarded to a barren mare ‘Styal Devine Gift’ belonging to O.C. Whittaker and Sons, while W. Bedford’s stallion ‘Brown Royd Dark Shadow’ was selected as the one to qualify for the national ‘Shire Horse of the Year’.
There was a big turn out of quality cattle on both days - black and white Holsteins and doe-eyed Jerseys in the dairy section on Saturday, and sturdy beef animals on Sunday. Sheep were well represented with Suffolk, Texel, Charrollais, Swaledale and Zwartbles breeds on show the first day, followed by the rare and primitive sheep breeds and a goat show on Sunday. The pig section again proved a great attraction with some forty entries this year, and the poultry marquee was full with more than two hundred birds and a hundred eggs entered.

There was a particularly strong entry in the cheese section, with fifty cheeses entered by cheese makers from all over the North West. Dewlay of Garstang took both the supreme award with their ‘Tasty Lancashire’ cheese, together with the reserve place won with a blue veined cheese.

Tractors have a high profile at Great Eccleston. This year there was a great display of the latest technology in the trade stands. In another area eighty-five vintage tractors, lovingly restored by local enthusiasts, mustered for their grand parade. The Tractor Pulling competition is a unique feature of Great Eccleston Show and draws enthusiastic supporters in their thousands. This year the slopes above the tractor-pulling track were packed for the dragster contests held both afternoons. The crowds enjoyed an exciting weekend. There were competitions for everything from mini-tractors and lorries, up to 4½ ton custom-built dragsters packing nine thousand horsepower. The final heavyweight bout finished with a win for the popular local champion, Brian Armistead, driving ‘Desperate Dan’.

The light horse section was particularly strong. Moving the junior show jumping to the main ring on Saturday afternoon proved popular with riders and visitors alike, and the senior jump-off that concluded the show on Sunday held a huge crowd round the main ring to the very end.
In the marquees there were and some 4,000 entries in handicraft, horticulture, domestic science, art and photography, as well as a very well-supported children’s section. The quality of the handicrafts, like the fine woollens produced by the Fydle Heddle and Treadle group, would stand comparison anywhere.
Woodcraft, in all is aspects, has a special place in this year’s show, with everything from advice in tree planting and willow weaving to demonstrations of wood turning and logging power tools.

Altogether there was an astonishing amount to take in – even over two days.

Beef Champion

This 10 month old Cross Bred Limosin x British Blue
is the Beef Champion
belonging to Ian Townson

Goats

Supreme Champion, a British Saanan
Michsics Capricole
belonging to J.M. Hagan

Interbreed Supreme Beef Champion

This Simmental heifer is the
Interbreed Supreme Beef Champion
Popes Princess Victoria
owned by J.H. & V.G. Wood

The Supreme Champion Shire Horse

The Supreme Champion Shire Horse:
Barren mare STYNAL DEVINE GIFT
belonging to O.C. Whittaker & Sons

Sun is shining on Great Eccleston Showfield

And the great news is that the sun is shining on Great Eccleston Showfield and everything is set for the start of another great Agricultural Show in one hour's time (8:00 am). A gallant band of volunteers worked well into the night to ensure that everything was up and ready.

The Show is on a well-drained site with metalled roads and tracks and, in addition, several tons of woodchips have been laid to ensure easy access to every part of the show.
Fortunately the drizzle ceased yesterday evening and after a dry night the sun has actually broken through here, so the ground is in good shape to cope with the expected crowds.

Gt. Eccleston Show All Set to Go

The show field at Great Eccleston is all set for the two-day Agricultural Show on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July 2009.

Staged in the heartland of the Fylde in Lancashire, with some four thousand exhibits in more than 500 classes, this show attracts 30,000 - 40,000 visitors over the two days. This year’s show promises to have ‘something for everyone’- townsfolk and country dwellers alike.

On Saturday the focus is on dairy cattle, heavy horses, sheep and poultry. The Fylde area is home to some of the top breeders of dairy cattle and Shire horses, so the animals on display will be some of England’s finest. Alongside hens in the poultry section, pigeons and budgies will be preening their feathers too.

On Sunday the focus shifts to beef cattle, light horses, goats and the rare sheep breeds.
The beefy bulls provide a particularly impressive spectacle.

Light horses will be showing their paces both days, finishing with an appearance by the Vale of Lune Hunt and a Show Jumping competition in the main ring on Sunday. The pig section always attracts a crowd for the ‘One Man and his Pig’ competition.

Tractors feature prominently at Great Eccleston Show and this year there will be tractors galore. Modern tractors, great and small, are displayed on the seriously agricultural trade stands. In the lower field customised, dragster type, modified tractors will roar into life as they compete in the Tractor Pull, staged on the purpose-built track. This year there are so many of these monster type tractors entered, along with mini-modified power-pullers, and supercharged trucks, that the competition will span both days. And the parade of restored vintage tractors, including classic steam tractors, will be bigger than ever.

Great Eccleston is a showcase for the whole range of crafts and skills associated with the country … cooking, handicraft, horticulture and local arts. In the large Food Hall the emphasis is on local produce, with cooking demonstrations featuring dishes prepared from locally sourced ingredients by Margaret Anderson and Honeywell Meats. In the Ladies NFU marquee there will be a range of talks and demonstrations, including Radio Lancashire’s Bill Blackledge on gardening, Angela Whittle on Alpacas. All over the field will be demonstrations and displays, featuring the work of farmers, shepherds, horticulturilists and rural craftsmen.

This year the Lancashire Woodland Project is also featured, with foresters, tree surgeons, charcoal burners, wattle weavers, basket makers and woodworkers demonstrating their skills.

On Sunday there is championship Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling, and pets will be welcome to compete in the friendly ‘exemption’ dog show.

On Sunday afternoon the Xtreme Motorcycle Trial Team will provide thrills aplenty in the main ring.

Elsewhere on the field there’s a Victorian Funfair, complete with an authentic fairground organ, and stalls with everything from crafts and country clothing to walking sticks and wellies.

And if you need to relax in the midst of all the excitement, Pilling Silver Jubilee Band will be there on Sunday afternoon to provide the music.

With so much going on Great Eccleston Agricultural Show is indeed a show with ‘something for everyone’ - townsfolk and country dwellers alike.