SURREY COUNTY SHOW 2010

MAY 31 BANK HOLIDAY

Just a hop and a skip from Guildford’s bustling High Street and you enter another world - where cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses, donkeys, dogs, hens and ducks reign supreme – the largest one-day agricultural show in the country.

The livestock here represent the very best animals selected from herds and flocks across the South East, each one immaculately presented, as the championships are fiercely contested and the showing ring is the shop window for the farming community. New Livestock classes this year include – the Murray Grey beef breed championship and any other dairy breed classes.

The action-packed Main Arena programme for 2010 includes:

• The daring aerial stunts of the Bolddog Lings Freestyle Team. Top motocross and extreme sport enthusiasts use high-tech mobile ramps to make spectacular freestyle aerobatics including the ‘superman seat grab’, ‘Indian air’, ‘heel-clicker’, ‘rock solid’, ‘double-nac’, ‘switch blade’, ‘kiss of death’, ‘lazy boy’ and many more. Many of these moves result in the rider exiting their seat, taking their hands off the handlebars and rotating their body around the bike!

• Pony Club Games where young riders fling themselves on and off their ponies at high speed in nail-biting gymkhana races. All a matter of precision and a well-glued seat! Brilliant fun to watch

• Fast and furious is also the name of the game for our against-the-clock pony scurry. The popular Osborne Refrigerator Scurry Driving Classes return again this year with teams of ponies galloping round a challenging obstacle course. Two wheels or one – the sharp corners make a cone-toppling spectacle.

• NEW for 2010 is the Pig Racing Championships, complementing Surrey’s increasingly popular Pig showing classes, now in their third year.

• Watch fur and feather working together with the Gamegoer Working Dog and Hawk Display. Graham Watkins focuses on how to train dogs to work with a Harris Hawk, and will show how the animals work in unison.

• The sky hunters of the Huxley Experience Falconry display, when members of the audience get a chance to fly these magnificent free spirits.

• Meet the friendly fox hounds of the Surrey Union Hunt and discover the work they undertake for farmers in the countryside.

• The great Cattle Parade. A magnificent roll-call of our native and European breeds – look out for the Aussie connection…

• The show jumps stand around 5ft high but the top ranking horse and rider teams who enter the Surrey competitions make them look like little practice fences. Which jump will catch them out and determine this year’s winner?

• Swirling kilts and skirling pipes of the Gatwick Caledonian Pipe Band will make dramatic musical interludes and provide accompaniment for the grand finale. The Pipe Major is James Sutherland McCombie, who began his career with the 1^st Battalion Scots Guards Pipes and Drums and has played with several bands during his civilian career in the airline business.

• The spectacular Hot Air Balloon Challenge (weather permitting) will lift off at the end of the finale in the grand arena.

The Countryside Arena will feature the Huxley Experience Falconry Display, and fly-fishing as well as working dogs and hawks and pig racing followed by the Battersea Dogs Home Companion Dog Show

Something fishy at the Food Festival

At the Food Theatre and Surrey Food Festival, visitors can not only find out about growing their own vegetables but also explore the harvest of the deep! Billingsgate, the famous London fish market, is promoting better understanding of fish and the programme will include a talk on endangered fish, a competition to identify live fish and cookery demonstrations. James and Ali from BBC2’s Plate Expectations will also be showing the best way to cook fish and the Chelsea Fishmonger will be giving a guided tour of the sea harvest.

The Donkey Championships are becoming a popular event at Surrey, featuring in-hand, ridden and driven donkey classes as well as competitions for miniature donkeys and young handlers. Funny, gentle, wilful and naughty, donkeys are delightful to watch and are very popular.

Surrey’s Unique FUN Pig Show

Pigs of all shapes and sizes are enjoying an exciting comeback at Surrey for the Smallholder Pig Event. The Pig Championship has been devised with a range of classes that are unique to the whole of the UK. As well as serious showing classes, there are classes for pig lovers to enter their favourite pets or the best of their herd for ‘the pig the judge would most like to take home’, ‘the pig with the curliest tail’ and ‘the pig most like its owner’. There are classes for young handlers aged 11 and under and 12-16s too.

Steward Richard Lutwyche has written a book on pig keeping and he will be talking about his experiences and signing copies in the Food Theatre.

Other attractions include:

The Sheep Show – a fun but educational look at breeds of sheep with an emphasis on wool. Meet Nobby the Norfolk Horn and Dolly  the dancing sheep.

Merrist Wood College display and Tractor Driving Competition – try your skill at tractor driving and enter on the day

Listen to The Casablanca Steps who will be performing authentic songs from the 20s, 30s and 40s on the bandstand during the day

The Pilgrim Morris Men – our traditional dancers will be dancing around the showground

Learn about vegetable growing with the special display garden grown by the National Allotment Society

Book signings: Meet Richard Lutwyche who will be talking about Rare Breeds and signing his book on Pig Keeping and Jane Garrett who will introduce her new book on the Surrey Hills.

Surrey Farmer’s Market – the best of our local produce, a chance to meet the producers and buy their quality food

See our website for the latest attractions to join the 2010 Show!

First and foremost, however, Surrey County Show celebrates farming.  So come and see the pick of the crop, the cream of the herd, the pride of the flock, beautifully presented and in hot competition for rosettes and trophies. Some of our farmers have been competing at Surrey County Show for more than half a century – a magnificent tradition of pride in quality animal husbandry. Come to the show and become a part of the Surrey farming experience.

Book early on-line for huge savings on ticket prices by going to www.surreycountyshow.co.uk or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Alternatively, call us on 01483 890810 and we will be happy to help.