Stable tours staged at world’s largest gathering of Shire horses

Photo courtesy of Jayne Cross

Visitors to the world’s largest gathering of Shire horses will be able to get up close to the gentle giants of the horse world in a series of special stable tours.

The Shire Horse Society, which is staging the three-day National Shire Horse Show in March 2018 at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire Showground near Stafford, is organising the tours as part of the event.

They are designed to give visitors an insight into what’s involved in preparing and showing a champion Shire horse, as well as an understanding of this magnificent breed.

“The Shire horse has played an immense role in our history, but as a breed it is still regarded as an endangered species, with fewer than 300 pedigree Shire horse foals registered every year,” said Shire Horse Society secretary Victoria Clayton.

“The stable tours will be given by Shire horse owners, breeders and enthusiasts and will focus on everything from how to look after a Shire horse to how to prepare for a show.

“It’s a great opportunity for horse and animal lovers and those who like nostalgia to find out more about this magnificent breed, and to support the work we do, as a charity, to ensure that the Shire horse has a future.”

The show, which attracts around 250 pedigree Shires from across Europe, runs from 16^th to 18^th March, with stable tours being held on Saturday 17^th March and Sunday 18^th March.

Tickets are now on sale for the event, which is an ideal day out for all the family, featuring classes in the ring, trade stands, demonstrations and a children’s animal petting area. New for 2018 is the ridden quadrille – a choreographed ride to music which is often compared to an equestrian ballet.

Visitors will have the chance to buy tickets for the stable tours on arrival at the show on the Saturday and the Sunday.

Next year is a special one for the Shire Horse Society, as it marks the charity’s 140^th anniversary.

“This will be the third year we have held our national show – the world’s largest gathering of Shire horses – at Staffordshire Showground, and we hope that hundreds of people will join us to help with the celebrations,” added Victoria.

Adult tickets are £10 in advance or £12 on the gate, while tickets for children aged five to 13 years are £8 in advance or £10 on the gate. Children aged 14 years and over are charged at the adult price, while under fives enter free.

Gates open on Friday 16^th March at 8.30am and at 7am on Saturday 17^th and Sunday 18^th March.

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

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

Trot along to the Shire Horse pub to find out about Staffordshire’s spectacular Shire horse show

Photo courtesy of Paul Milgate-Scarrott

The world’s largest gathering of Shire horses will be welcomed to Staffordshire in a pre-event ‘meet and greet’ at the appropriately named Shire Horse pub in Stafford on 4^th March.

The Shire Horse Society will be staging its national show at Staffordshire Showground from 17^th to 19^th March, when around 250 pedigree Shires will be shown in all their glory. Open to the public, the event is widely regarded as the largest gathering anywhere in the world of these magnificent animals.

But on Saturday 4^th March at the Shire Horse pub in Hurricane Close, the charity will be staging a ‘meet and greet’ for the public, giving them the chance to find out more about Shire horses and the up-coming three-day show.

It will be attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Stafford, Councillor Geoff and Mrs Cathy Collier, and runs from 11.30am to 1.30pm.

On display will be Shire horse Queenie, who is owned by Mick Anson, who lives near Uttoxeter, and who is partial to a pint of ale.

“Shire horses traditionally love beer, and I’m sure that Queenie will enjoy her time at the Shire Horse pub meeting people and helping to raise awareness about our big show,” said Victoria Clayton, Shire Horse Society secretary. 

“Last year was the first time we held the world’s largest gathering of Shires in Staffordshire and it went really well, so we are delighted to be returning to the county and look forward to welcoming lots of visitors. Ticket sales are flying, and it looks like it will be a great event where we can raise the profile of these beautiful horses, which are still regarded as an ‘at risk’ breed.

“We’re expecting around 250 horses and we have almost double the number of trade stands than last year, as well as some entertainment for children, so it should be a good day out.”

During the ‘meet and greet’ Shire Horse Society members Chris and Jayne Malkin, from near Market Drayton in Shropshire, will be chatting about the gentle giants of the horse world and handing out flyers about the big show.

The national show is the flagship event of the Shire Horse Society - the only charity dedicated to the protection, promotion and improvement of the Shire horse.

This year the charity has secured Great British Bake Off star Val Stones as the after-dinner speaker at the show dinner, which is held at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire Showground, on 17^th March. Tickets for the dinner cost £30 and are available by contacting the Shire Horse Society on 01536 771611.

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. Entry for Shire Horse Society members is 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

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

History to be made at world’s largest gathering of Shire horses in Staffordshire in March

Courtesy of Jane Muntz-Torres

History will be made at this year’s Shire Horse Society National Show when, for the first time, British heavy horses will be able to qualify for a golden ticket to a ridden class at the prestigious Horse of the Year Show.

Riding heavy horses has become increasingly popular, and now HOYS is adding a British Ridden Heavy Horse championship to its event, which takes place at Birmingham’s NEC from Wednesday 5th to Sunday 9th October 2016.

The first ever qualifying round for the championship will be held at the Shire Horse Society’s National Show, which runs 18^th to 20^th March 2016 at the Staffordshire Showground.

Wendy Toomer-Harlow, a founder member of the British Ridden Heavy Horse Society and a council member of the Shire Horse Society, said: "The BRHHS have been in talks with Hoys for some time regarding a British Ridden Heavy Horse Championship and we are very grateful to Grandstand Media for agreeing to hosting this new HOYS ridden qualifier. 

“This championship will give heavy horse riders the opportunity to showcase our four magnificent indigenous British heavy horse breeds, the Shire, Clydesdale, Percheron and Suffolk to both a national and international audience and display to people just what these versatile heavy horse breeds are capable of under saddle alongside their established draught uses.

“The Shire Horse Society National Show will host the first ever Horse of the Year Show Ridden Heavy Horse qualifying round and in doing so the society will take its place in the history of ridden showing. This is a very exciting time for all those enthusiasts who are involved in the world of heavy horses and passionate about the furtherance and promotion of our British breeds of Shire, Clydesdale, Percherons and Suffolk going forward into the 21^st Century.”

The Shire Horse Society National Show is the world’s largest gathering of Shires, with around 200 due to be put through their paces - shown in-hand, ridden and in harness.

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.

This year it returns with a new venue and a new format – running over three days instead of two and being held for the first time at the Staffordshire Showground, to cater for a growing interest in the event. The ridden classes, including the qualifying class for the HOYS championship, are being held on Friday 18^th March and will also feature dressage and concours d’elegance to highlight the grace and elegance of the gentle giants of the horse world.

Shires will be shown in all their glory on Saturday and Sunday in the in-hand and harness classes.

Thousands of visitors are expected to attend the show, which is the flagship event of the Shire Horse Society - the only charity dedicated to the protection, promotion and improvement of the Shire horse.

The iconic 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 show, which also includes stalls and exhibitor stands for the public to browse, are now on sale via the Shire Horse Society’s website www.shire-horse.org.uk Follow the charity on Facebook or Twitter - https://www.facebook.com/shirehorsesociety and @saveourshires

The event takes place from noon to 6pm on Friday 18^th March, from 8am to 6pm on Saturday 19^th March and from 8am to 4pm on Sunday 20^th March 2016.

Tickets cost £4 in advance and £5 on the gate for Friday 18^th March. Tickets in advance are £8 for adults and £6 for under 12s and seniors, and £12 for adults and £10 for under 12s and seniors on the gate, on Saturday 19^th and Sunday 20^th March.

Entry is free for Shire Horse Society members.

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

New venue, new format for Shire Horse Society National Show 2016

Picture by James Bedford

The world’s largest gathering of Shire horses returns for 2016 with a new venue and a new format.

The Shire Horse Society’s National Show 2016 will be run over three days, instead of two, and will be staged at Staffordshire County Showground from 18^th to 20^th March.

Expected to attract around 200 horses from across Europe and visitors from around the globe, the show has moved its ridden classes to the Friday afternoon due to the growing popularity of this section of the event.

The Friday classes will feature dressage and concours d’elegance to highlight the grace and elegance of the gentle giants of the horse world. These will be the opening classes of the show, which is the flagship event of the year for the Shire Horse Society - the only charity dedicated to the protection, promotion and improvement of the Shire horse.

The show is also moving to a new home this year – Bingley Hall in the centre of Staffordshire County Showground - to cater for increasing visitor numbers to the show, who are keen to support the iconic breed which a few decades ago was in danger of dying out.

Shire Horse Society secretary David Ralley-Davies said: “Our National Show has been steadily gaining in popularity again recently and we wanted to ensure that everyone who wants to go gets the chance to attend, hence the decision to move to a bigger and more central venue for 2016.

“Bingley Hall will also provide additional facilities for exhibitors and their horses, such as indoor stabling for the majority of horses being shown. We are looking forward to welcoming many new visitors, as well as our loyal followers and our members, to the showground.”

The Shire Horse Society, which is based at Rockingham Castle on the Leicestershire/Northamptonshire border, has signed a five-year deal to stage its National Show at Bingley Hall – starting in 2016.

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.

The first qualifier of 2016 for the Horse of the Year Show, the event features three days of competition and classes, with horses shown in-hand, ridden and in harness. It will also include stalls and exhibitor stands for the public to browse.

Tickets are now on sale via the Shire Horse Society’s website www.shire-horse.org.uk Follow the charity on Facebook or Twitter - https://www.facebook.com/shirehorsesocietyhttps://www.facebook.com/shirehorsesociety and @saveourshires

The event takes place from noon to 6pm on Friday 18^th March, from 8am to 6pm on Saturday 19^th March and from 8am to 4pm on Sunday 20^th March 2016.

Tickets cost £4 in advance and £5 on the gate for Friday 18^th March. Tickets in advance are £8 for adults and £6 for under 12s and seniors, and £12 for adults and £10 for under 12s and seniors on the gate, on Saturday 19^th and Sunday 20^th March.

Entry is free for Shire Horse Society members.

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