For the first time in three years, Ayr Show is opening its gates to the public for its annual show with an event that promises to be bigger and better than ever.

The event, on Saturday, May 14, at Ayr Racecourse, had to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021, due to the Covid pandemic, with the result being, this year's event will be the 177th show of the Association's 186 years.

It will of course again include the usual top class show of livestock, trade stands, crafts, vintage tractor display, sticks and crooks; SWI and YFC competitions and a huge range of family entertainment.

A strong livestock section will feature no fewer than 115 head of beef cattle; 320 sheep; 32 Clydesdale horses and six stud carts and 250 light horse entries pre-entered with others taken on the day.

At present 50 stalls have been booked for dairy cattle and entries can still be taken. Other sections include 50 goats – judged on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15, in a back to back show with the Ayrshire Goat Club at Craig Wilson Livestock Auction Mart – 428 head of poultry and 107 plates of eggs

Judging kicks off at 8.00am for light horses and ponies with the British show jumping classes commencing at 8.45am and Clydesdale horses at 10.00am.

Highlight of the day, as always is the selection of the The Rowan Crystal supreme champion of champions with the winner presented with the £1000 prize and each of the runners-ups receiving £200 kindly sponsored by Jim Craig of Ayr Market in memory of his late wife Rowan.

Add in more than 100 trade stands ranging from agricultural dealerships, machinery, services and specialists, food, crafts, bespoke goods, clothing and gifts, equine and livestock products, and Ayr Racecourse is the place to be on May, 12.

Other star attractions include the local Ayrshire Young Farmers District which has organised a Tug of War competition, which kicks off in the Main Ring at 9.30am. This will be followed by the Ayrshire Tug of War Club's STOWA’s competition, with two eight aside weights – a ladies 560kg and a men’s 640kg.

In the Children’s Marquee, youngsters can visit Hannahston Alpacas, Chester the Shetland pony, Ayrshire Valais Blacknose sheep, the Wearable Art Company Face Painters, Rainbow Twisters – Balloon Twisters and Airbrush Tattoo’s Artists, Daffy Dill Entertainment and Bubble Show, Ayr Beekeepers, Craigievern Poultry and Pigs display.

There is also a sheep shearing demonstration and merchant stand from Sheep Game's Cammy Wilson; Owl Magic, music from Irvine Pipe Band, TT Ayr (Truck and Tractors), The Scottish Old Skool Retro Car Club, Vintage Fire Engine from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Heritage Trust.

And the Main Ring attraction alongside the parade of livestock will be the On The Edge Motorcycle Stunt Show, where individuals demonstrate their high level of skill, balance and technical control on their bikes with 15ft jumps up vertical walls, drop offs and interactive stunts.

The Show opens at 9.00am and closes at 5.00pm

Admission charges:

Adults – £15

Children (aged 14 & under accompanied by an adult) – FREE

Car park – £4 per car

Dogs: Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome except in the poultry marquee

Judges

Dairy cattle

Inter-breed – John Gilmour snr, Maybole

Ayrshire/Red and White cattle – P Mattinson, Cumbria

Holstein/Jersey – Glyn Lucas, Carlisle

Calf and showmanship for all dairy breeds – Will Horsley, Cumbria

Beef cattle

Inter-breed – Colin Wight, Biggar

Aberdeen Angus – Robin Dunlop, Dalry

Belted Galloway/any other native breed/Hereford – George Harvey, Glasgow

Beef Shorthorn – John Dick, Annan

British Simmental/British Blue – Adrian Ivory, Perthshire

Any other continental breed – Sandy Hunter, Huntly

Commercial cattle – Robert Simpson, Co. Tyrone

Young stockpersons beef and YFC classes – Mrs Laura Simpson, Co. Tyrone

Sheep

Inter-breed – Graham Burke, Angus

Suffolk – Ms Fiona Wight, Biggar

Charollais sheep – Wallace Kennedy, Maybole

Border Leicester and Beltex – Allan Taylor, Biggar

Any other commercial, any other native, commercial – Raymond Irvine, Tomintoul, Moray

Bluefaced Leicester traditional and crossing types – Iain Minto, West Linton

Texel and Blackface sheep – David Morrison, Barr, Girvan

Zwartbles – Ms Fiona Brown, Co. Durham

Hampshire Down – Matthew Pink, York

Ryeland – David Taylor, Cumbria

Young Stockpersons sheep competition – David Alexander, Mauchline

Clydesdale horses – John Henderson, 18 Islandboy Road, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim