Countryside Live, is held at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate this weekend( Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October.) Now in its seventh year, it is a traditional country show with a mix of the best of rural life alongside fun attractions. It is organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, best known for staging the annual Great Yorkshire Show.
Honorary Show Director, Bill Cowling said: “We’re well on track for a super weekend at Countryside Live. Earlier this month we were able to announce record entries across the competitive classes and to add to that, our advance ticket sales are at an all time high. Countryside Live has established itself as a great day out and appeals to both the general visitor, farmers and particularly to families.”
This year, as well as classes for cattle, sheep and equine, a new feature has been added - competitive classes for farriery. Amongst the competitors are two apprentices - Georgina Miller and Debbie Connell. They are bidding to take the honours in the first-ever British Team Farriery Championships which will be held at the event.
The farriery classes have been arranged by Steve Hewitt of Thick Penny Forge, Moor Monkton. Apprentice and experienced farriers alike will take part in a number of shoeing classes over the weekend, and it is expected that both the current and a six-time world champion will take their place in the line-up.
Mr Hewitt said: “We’ve had farriery demonstrations at Countryside Live before, but realised that there is currently no British Team Championship – so we decided to arrange one ourselves. You don’t get that many female farriers so to be able to field two from my own base at Moor Monkton is quite unusual. And we’re hoping to have Steve Bean, the current world champion, and Grant Moon, a six-time world champion, in the line-up on the Saturday.
The team events will be held on the Sunday, with classes for both four-and two-person mixed teams. Competitors have to make and fit a set of four shoes to a horse in Round 1, and make a set of four shoes to the judges’ specification in Round 2.
Elsewhere around Countryside Live, visitors will find mouth-watering demonstrations in the Yorkshire Life Cookery Theatre, showjumping, dog agility shows, sheep dog displays and hundreds of animals in the livestock classes, including equine, cattle, sheep, poultry and pigeons. There’ll also be the opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping at the fantastic range of trade and food stands.
