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
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