Excitement in building in the North-east of Scotland as the World Clydesdale Show heads to the P and J arena later in the month.

The Scottish Farmer caught up with famous veteran Clydesdale breeder, George Skinner, of Strathorn Farm, to find out how preparations for the event are coming along.

The show ring champion said: “I am looking forward to the event. It is going to be very good for the breed having it held in Aberdeenshire. There are people coming from across the world to the event and horses from across the UK and abroad.

"There will be a tremendous selection for everybody to come and see over the four days. A big selection of activities from line showing to decorative harness," he told us.

Read more: World Clydesdale Show – only one place to be from October 20-23 – Aberdeen

"There are even 12 teams taking part in the farrier competition from the Thursday until the Sunday coming from as far away as Norway. There are a lot of people coming to compete in the driving horses coming, even specialists from across in the United States and Canada will be here to drive Scottish horses. I’ve also heard there may be one horse from America in the dressage class.”

Horses are coming from many different countries to the event as Mr Skinner explained: “There are some horses coming from Southern Ireland and a lot planning to come from Northern Ireland if they can sort out the Brexit paperwork.

"There are folk in Europe hoping to come across with horses as far as I know, but they have a lot of paper work to sort out first. To get horses into the UK there are a lot of documents to fill and the vet has to be involved. Ourselves, we hope to take eight horses to the event, but we are only 20 miles away.”

All the horses have to be in place by the Wednesday before the show opens at 8 am on the Thursday morning. For accommodation there will be more than 300 boxes being made up in the underground car park, which is a five minute walk to the main arena.

The arena is being laid with a special surface made of rubber and chopped carpet which is coming all they way up from Birmingham and installed by a specialist team. It will all need taken up again on the Monday, though, as the arena needs handed back for a caravan show on Tuesday morning.

Mr Skinner pointed out there have been plenty locals willing to help out, with local contractor Magnus Sinclair helping to disposal of the horse manure and waste produced over the six days.

Mr Skinner said: “Since I am reasonably close to the P and J arena, I have been drafted in with helping on the nuts and bolts of setting up the event. I have been helping with some of the smaller jobs to keep things running.

"And also, alongside Benny Duncan, of Fife, we have organised a show of the old horse implements. The five organisers who have over seen the event have been working hard to get it right.”

The World Clydesdale Show is usually in North America, with the trip to Aberdeen its first venture into Europe.

Mr Skinner visited the three previous world shows in the US and Canada. He said of the experience: “They were great events. Usually, they are held every four years but due to covid there is a bit of a catch up with an event planned for Canada next year.

"There are a lot of horses in that part of North America. There are more Clydesdales from Ontario down to Chicago than anywhere else in the world.

"The Canadian show next year is in July, which isn’t a good month for me getting away. Plus the final day of the show is my 84th birthday, so I am not sure I fancy sitting on a plane for hours at that age ... but I am not ruling it out.”