Well. WHAT a County Show. We arrived early, as always, and made our first stop the pigs – partly because Dorset Life was sponsoring the section this year, and partly because, well, pigs.
The breeders were busy with their morning preparations, but they were delighted with their move into a much bigger marquee, with larger rings and a far more prominent spot on the showground. They just hoped people would find them and stop to watch.
More on that later.
From there it was on to the sheep and cattle lines to catch some of the judging. We never fail to be slightly awed by the sheer glamour of a show cow – glitter, polish and enormous backcombed, hairsprayed tails. There is clearly a level of bovine beauty preparation going on here that puts our own morning routine firmly to shame.
Then there was the Main Ring. This year’s big act was Big Pete and the Grim Reaper monster trucks – and they were SPECTACULAR. It felt as though the entire showground just stopped. The crowd around the ring must have been 20 deep, and Michael Murty had everyone completely gripped as the two enormous trucks crushed cars, flew through the air and generally did things that vehicles of that size really shouldn’t be able to do. The crowd ROARED.
Scurry racing was another inevitable highlight. It’s always ridiculously exciting, but there was something rather special about watching Geoff Osborne – the man who started scurry racing in the UK – still driving at 90 years old.
The OG Display Horses stepped into the programme at short notice, after the showjumping had to be cancelled because of the hard ground, bringing stunt riding and liberty work to the Main Ring instead.
Away from the arena, we did the traditional full upping-and-downing of the shopping avenues. Dorset County Show may actually be rural Dorset’s best high street – hundreds of independent traders selling everything you might need, plus quite a lot you absolutely didn’t know you needed until you walked past it.
Food required similarly serious attention. The two huge food marquees worked brilliantly this year: one dedicated entirely to Dorset producers, with the other bringing together visiting producers and bigger names. We emerged with cheese, sausage rolls, gin, curd and a couple of excellent savoury tarts. A restrained and sensible selection, obviously.
Outside, you could eat your way around the world – curry, Greek souvlaki, hog roast, Thai, Afro-Caribbean and seemingly everything in between. Or simply bring a picnic. One of the nicest things about the County Show is seeing people sprawled on the grass with lunch while live music drifts across the showground.
We didn’t make it to the funfair this year, having unaccountably failed to bring any teenagers demanding that we stand and watch them repeatedly spin upside down, but judging by the noise coming from that corner, plenty of other people were having an excellent time.
We DID make it to the Horticulture marquee. Obviously. The children’s classes did not disappoint. Prize dahlias and immaculate vegetables are lovely, of course – but we were busy admiring fruit dinosaurs, vegetable vehicles and courgette whales and wondering why competitive vegetable construction isn’t taken more seriously as an art form.
There was also time for a double-scoop Purbeck ice cream. Important show business. And then, mid-afternoon, we wandered back to see how our pigs were getting on. Remember those breeders hoping their new location might persuade a few more visitors to stop? The marquee was PACKED. Not just busy. There was a queue to get in.
And yes, as pig-section sponsors we may be slightly biased, but we were genuinely thrilled for them. Pigs don’t always get quite the attention lavished on the cattle, sheep and magnificent heavy horses at an agricultural show. Today they got their share of the spotlight – and thoroughly deserved it.
Dorset County Show manages a difficult trick. It can put on monster trucks that stop an entire showground, fill acres with shopping, food, music and entertainment and give families a huge day out – while still feeling, unmistakably, like an agricultural show.
And that’s exactly why we love it.
If you missed today, you’ve still got tomorrow. Go. And make sure you stop and see the pigs. 🐷
