ROYAL HIGHLAND Show organisers have been forced to limit individual stall bookings for beef and dairy cattle in a bid to enable as many exhibitors as possible to show at the already hugely popular 2010 event – with around 5000 animals expected to be on display at the flagship agricultural show for Scotland.

Thousands of entry schedules for the 2010 event, which takes place from June 24 to 27 this year, were posted out this week to potential exhibitors of cattle, sheep, horses, ponies, donkeys and goats.

“For cattle, we have stalling for 960 head,” explained show manager David Dunsmuir. “In the last few years we have had far more applications for stalls than we could accommodate and in 2007 and 2009 we had to apply a formula to cut back numbers.

“This year we are addressing any potential problems in advance by restricting the number of stalls that can be booked to five per exhibitor per breed, including calves, with the total available for each breed being based on a four year average.

“Our sheep numbers at around 1600 head can also present a space problem, but at this stage we have no plans to limit entries.

“In some ways it is a nice problem to have and proves that appearing and possibly winning at the Royal Highland is a priority for pedigree breeders. My advice is to get entries in as quickly as possible.”

Any cattle exhibitors from outwith Scotland will have to produce evidence of a negative TB result in the previous 60 days to the show for all animals brought to Ingliston.

The show’s livestock office will send a form to be completed by a private veterinary surgeon prior to travel to the show.

There will also be an international dimension to the show for 2010 as it will be hosting delegates in Scotland for the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth’s Conference and Tour plus the World Shorthorn Conference and the Hereford breed’s European Conference.