Visitors raring to attend the world’s largest gathering of Shire horses

Photo courtesy of Tracy Muir Photography www.tracymuirphotography.co.uk 

Ticket sales for the world’s largest gathering of Shire horses are booming as the event returns to Staffordshire for a second year.

A record number of advance tickets for the show at Staffordshire County Showground on 17^th to 19^th March have so far been sold, reports the Shire Horse Society, which organises the event.

Around 300 pedigree Shire horses from across Europe are expected to take part, being put through their paces in hand, in harness and during ridden classes.

Open to the public, the event is a colourful day out for all the family and the chance to support the campaign to save this magnificent breed of horse, which only a few decades ago was in danger of dying out and is still regarded as ‘at risk’.

Secretary of the Shire Horse Society Victoria Clayton said: “Shire horses have played a huge role in the history of this country, and our show, which is the world’s largest gathering of Shires, is the perfect opportunity to see them in action.

“Last month we sold more than twice as many advance tickets to our annual show as we did during the same month the previous year. We’re delighted to see such interest in the event, which is our flagship event of the year and the ideal chance for us to put the gentle giants of the horse world into the spotlight.”

The show, which has been held at a limited number of venues in England over its long history, is believed to be one of the oldest, almost continuous, horse shows in the world, having been held for the first time at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London, in 1880, when the charity was named the English Cart Horse Society.

It moved to Staffordshire County Showground in 2016, and returns there for three days of competition in March.

The event features stalls and children’s entertainment, as well as the all-important showing classes – the first qualifier of 2017 for the heavy horse classes of the prestigious Horse of the Year Show, which attracts the very best of the breed and is held in October at Birmingham’s NEC.

The Shire Horse Society campaigns to save the iconic Shire breed – a breed that was in danger of dying out just a few decades ago. Even now, fewer than 500 new foals are registered every year.

Tickets for the show are on sale via www.shire-horse.org.uk – discounted if bought in advance. Adult tickets on the gate are £12, or £10 online in advance, while tickets for children aged five to 13 years on the gate are £10, and £8 online in advance.

Children aged 14 years and over are charged at the adult price, while under fives enter free.

Gates open on Friday 17^th March at 8.30am and at 7am on Saturday 18^th and Sunday 19^th March.

For more details and ticket information about the show, visit www.shire-horse.org.uk or follow @saveourshires on Twitter or at www.facebook.com/shirehorsesociety

New Secretary takes the reins at the Shire Horse Society

Victoria Clayton

The Shire Horse Society has announced the appointment of Victoria Clayton as its new Secretary.

Victoria, who has been involved in the Shire world for more than 25 years, takes up the reins from 7^th November 2016.

A qualified surveyor and agricultural valuer, and a Harper Adams University graduate, she is a keen horse rider who predominantly competes in ridden hunter classes and has enjoyed success at the Horse of the Year Show in the recent past. Victoria’s family has the Westfield Shire Stud, based in Yorkshire.

Victoria said: “I am delighted to accept the role of Secretary at the Shire Horse Society, and I am looking forward to getting started.

“The society has carried out some great work in the past, however, it is key that we look to bring about new initiatives to cement the future of the breed. One of my main aims is to improve the society’s communication with the membership and in doing so we must always strive to continue to promote, protect and preserve the Shire horse breed.”

Victoria has previously been a member of the council at the Shire Horse Society and this year co-ordinated the organisation’s appearance at the first ever BBC Countryfile Live event, gaining significant national TV and newspaper exposure for the society and demonstrating the breed to over 125,000 visitors to the event at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.

The Shire Horse Society, which is based at Shire Farm, Rockingham Castle on the border of Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, is the only national charity dedicated to the protection, promotion and improvement of the Shire horse. The iconic Shire breed was in danger of dying out just a few decades ago, and even now fewer than 500 new foals are registered every year by the Shire Horse Society.

Its annual national show is the world’s largest gathering of Shires and is believed to be one of the oldest, almost continuous, horse shows in the world, having been held for the first time at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London, in 1880, when the charity was named the English Cart Horse Society.

Next year it will take place from 17^th to 19^th March 2017 at Staffordshire Showground in the West Midlands.

Visit www.shire-horse.org.uk for more information.

Press release issued by Nottingham based pr company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

World’s largest gathering of Shire horses announces dates for next year’s show in Staffordshire

Photo courtesy of Tracy Muir Photography

Organisers of the world’s largest gathering of Shire horses have confirmed that the show will return to Staffordshire Showground next year after making a successful debut in the county earlier this year.

2016 was the first time that the Shire Horse Society had staged its national show in the West Midlands, but now the charity, which is dedicated to the protection, promotion and improvement of the Shire horse, has announced the dates for next year’s show.

It will take place from 17^th to 19^th March 2017.

The show, which has been held at a limited number of venues in England over its long history, is believed to be one of the oldest, almost continuous, horse shows in the world, having been held for the first time at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London, in 1880, when the charity was named the English Cart Horse Society.

It attracts around 200 pedigree Shire horses, which are put through their paces in hand, in harness and ridden, and is widely regarded as the largest gathering of Shires anywhere in the world. The show attracts horses from across Europe and spectators from around the globe, and is the flagship event for the Shire Horse Society. 

Show chairman John Peacock said: “We had some great feedback from both spectators and entrants at the 2016 Shire Horse Society National Show, which was held at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire Showground, for the first time, and we’re delighted to be able to announce the dates for next year’s event so that people can plan ahead.

“Tickets are due to go on sale in early November and will be available via our website.”

The 2016 show attracted some excellent examples of the breed. The winner of the King George V trophy, taking the highest honour in the society, went to the Champion stallion Leverton Leon. Leon is owned by Jonathan Worthington, from Nether Alderley, near Macclesfield, in Cheshire. The female Champion went to Cotebrook Loch Anna, owned by Alistair and Matthew King, based at Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre, Cheshire. Both of these horses qualified for the prestigious Horse of the Year show in taking their respective championships. 

Ridden champion was Stacy Fletcher, on Catwg Black Velvet owned by her family’s Gentle Giant Shires business, based at Moylegrove near Cardigan. She also won a golden ticket qualifier to the famous Horse of the Year Show to take part in the first ever British Ridden Heavy Horse championship being staged by HOYS. Other Shire horse owners are currently taking part in a range of competitions at agricultural shows and other events across the country in the hope of qualifying for the prestigious Horse of the Year Show. 

The iconic Shire breed was in danger of dying out just a few decades ago, and even now fewer than 500 new foals are registered every year by the Shire Horse Society. The charity has been running a Save Our Shires campaign to raise awareness about these gentle giants and numbers have steadily increased, thanks to the dedication of a band of enthusiasts.

Tickets for the 2017 show will soon be available from the society’s website www.shire-horse.org.uk Adult tickets on the gate are £12, or £10 online in advance, while tickets for children aged five to 13 years on the gate are £10, and £8 online in advance.

Children aged 14 years and over are charged at the adult price, while under fives enter free.

The Shire Horse Society is also offering early bird prices to traders who would like to take stands at the event. Details are on the charity’s website.

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk