IT’S AUTUMN:
THE AGRICULTURAL SHOW,
Oct 3 25
Blog by Lynne Pearl
It’s autumn already we have had summer and there wasn’t enough time to get in the sea and swim. The waves were huge this year, so there were no quiet swims but sitting in the surf as it roared around you and got you wet and filled your swimming shoes with small pebbles. It was spectacular, bright blue and lots of white foam.
AGRICULTURAL SHOW
We had the local agricultural show. There’s a showground on the edge of town, several big fields that are very nearly flat and we had nearly everything. There were the ancient tractors, a whole class in their own right. In fact, just yesterday I saw a notice for a tractor race of sorts hanging on a hedge in Somerset there was going to be a competition on a nice big flat field. It was all for charity and was this coming Sunday. All the old tractors can come out for that. In fact ,in some of the big agricultural shows they a have ploughing competitions and there are still chaps who hitch up a team of heavy horses to demonstrate how it’s done, with a team and very fine the horses look too and what a skill to be able to guide those horses and plough straight in a field. Wonderful to watch.
We also had brass bands and dancers and majorettes. There were the classes of prize bulls of the different breeds, wonderful animals, highland, small and sturdy, dark and with huge horns and the elegant white bull, a beautiful specimen. Then in the stalls outdoors waiting were the sheep, every kind of sheep you can imagine. Curly haired, smooth, black, highland, Dorset they go on and on, the breeds of sheep all specialists in their class.
Beside them are the cows, mooing loudly and waiting to be shown in the ring before going home. I did see one year a team of men attempting to coast an unwilling cow into a truck that was determined not to go. And despite best efforts of at least three men she did not. I walked away before they had found a solution.
Then there were the events for children where they could run in the ring and race one another and there was the final parade of all the best animals in their class, row upon row of the finest breeds that were the pride of their owners.
Behind them were ranks and ranks of the largest equipment you have ever seen, tractors and assorted piece of hardware that may not even fit on our roads with wheels higher than the tallest person. And the food well there’s always the food, the cake and the special brews, a beer tent, open all hours. The artisan desserts for sale.
There was even a tent dedicated just to the bee keepers of which there were many and so many types of honey, fed on the best of a variety of crops available and cakes available to be raffled or auctioned off to the highest bidder.
As well there was every kind of related business you could think of, for whatever reason. And one of the best events were the stunt riders, who rode bareback and stood on the backs of their horses, turned somersaults and even harnessed a team of three to five horses and rode them standing bare back. It was thrilling.
And the dogs there are always the special breeds of dogs here, everywhere and children of every age and size watching the main arena from the benches at the side.
We took sandwiches and did our best see everything but it was miles and miles. There was a separate section just for the horse events, wonderfully turned out horses and riders, beautiful to watch and the most lovely manes and tails white and then chestnut ones too.
We boarded the coach home back into town that was provided free by the Show organisers and what a jolly crowd was on that bus, all homeward bound some with gifts, some with dresses and some with fine food, all treasures till next year.
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Art: haytor rocks by cath whitehead