‘Healthy’ numbers ahead of this year’s Sutherland County Show
Organisers of this year’s Sutherland County Agricultural Show are preparing to showcase the vitality and productivity of the county at Dornoch show field tomorrow, after an “encouraging” amount of entries.
Ewan Cameron, president of the Sutherland Agricultural Society, hailed the hard work of the show’s volunteers ahead of what promises to be one of the event’s smoothest running years — thanks to some “heavy investment” in the show field’s infrastructure.
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Mr Cameron said: “Preparation has been excellent. We’ve had a great squad of volunteers working all through last weekend to get the show field up and running, which is a massive boost.
“I’m very grateful to all of our volunteers who work very hard and help to make sure the show is a success.
“We’ve invested quite heavily again in infrastructure for this year’s show with extra Heras fencing panels to ensure that whole Showground is enclosed and secure.
“We’ve also bought a new stock of folding chairs, so we will have seating all the way round the main ring for spectators.
“We’ve improved a couple of access points as well and the fact now it’s a fully enclosed show field it allows everybody to park first and then come to the gate to pay in. This should eliminate a huge amount of the tailbacks we’ve experienced previously, with people having to queue in cars and wait to park.”
Numbers for this year’s event have been promising, with Mr Cameron reserving special mention for this year’s Shetland entries.
“Entries for trade stands and livestock have been very encouraging,” he said. “On the whole, both have been very healthy. We also have some new exhibitors in the cattle and the sheep.
“We have a record attendance of entries of Shetland class, some coming as far afield as south of Edinburgh. Exhibitors have told us that they see us as the premier Shetland sheep show in the UK, and like how the event has been happening.
“Last year, we welcomed in the region of around 5000 people to the show, and we will certainly be hoping for similar this year again.
“As we know, a lot of that is subject to the weather, so there’s an element of luck to come with that.”
Saturday’s show will be opened by a performance from the Ardross pipe band before a range of attractions take place, with some favourites set to return and something new for spectators to look forward to.
The usual livestock sheep and cattle classes, horses and food and craft sections will be judged throughout the day before the champions are paraded in the centre ring.
Main ring entertainment will include a cycling stunt show team, a working sheepdog display, parade of vintage vehicles and tractors, and a new feature — involving the vintage tractors — the hotly anticipated "slowest tractor race".
As ever, there will be kids sports and terrier racing to look forward as well, complemented by the funfair and the farming education tent.
For those looking to make a whole day of it, an evening dance is to follow from 9pm, with music capably provided by the City Limits dance band.
More information can be found on the show’s website at sutherlandshow.com.
