World’s largest gathering of Shire horses returns to Staffordshire for third year

Photo courtesy of Carol Stevens.

The organisers of the world’s largest gathering of Shire horses have announced that the show will once again be staged in Staffordshire.

The 2018 National Shire Horse Show will be held at Staffordshire Showground from 16^th to 18^th March – and is expected to attract more than 250 pedigree Shire horses.

Organised by the Shire Horse Society, which will be celebrating its 140^th anniversary in 2018, the event is a great day out for fans of the magnificent gentle giants of the horse world.

Visitors can watch the iconic breed being put through its paces in-hand, ridden and in harness – with the chance to find out more about Shire horses and their role throughout history.

New for 2018 is the ridden quadrille – a choreographed ride to music which is often compared to an equestrian ballet.

“This will be the third year that we have held the National Shire Horse Show at Staffordshire Showground and we look forward to welcoming visitors and competitors to the event, which is regarded as the largest gathering of Shires anywhere in the world,” said Shire Horse Society secretary Victoria Clayton.

“The show has been held at a limited number of venues in England over its long history, 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 is a special one for us as a charity because it marks our 140^th anniversary, and we hope that hundreds of spectators will join us in Staffordshire to celebrate, along with our members who do such a great job of preserving this wonderful breed, which is still regarded as endangered and needs our continuing support.”

Trade stand opportunities are available for traders who would like to have stalls at the event, which attracts thousands of competitors and spectators over three days of competition. A range of sponsorship opportunities is also available.

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 2018 show have remained at 2017 prices and have just gone on sale via the Shire Horse Society’s website www.shire-horse.org.uk

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 are £10. 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 https://www.facebook.com/shirehorsesociety/

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

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 

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 

New home for Shire Horse Society National Show for 2016

Image © of Shire Horse Society and the photographer.

The world’s largest gathering of Shire horses will move to a new venue for 2016, it has been announced.

Next year the Shire Horse Society National Show will be held at Bingley Hall in the centre of Staffordshire County Showground.
The move is being made 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.

The National Show, which will be staged on 18^th, 19^th and 20^th March 2016, is expected to attract more than 200 horses from across Europe, as well as visitors from around the globe, and is billed as the largest gathering of Shires seen anywhere in the world.

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’re very excited to announce our new indoor venue, and are looking forward to welcoming many new visitors, as well as our loyal followers and our members, to the showground next year.”

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.

It is the flagship event for the Shire Horse Society, which is the only charity dedicated to the protection, promotion and improvement of the Shire horse. Since 1878 the organisation has been working to protect the breed.

“The Shire Horse Society’s National Show is quite a spectacle, and the ideal opportunity for members of the public to see these gentle giants of the horse world in all their glory,” said David Ralley-Davies. “It also gives us the chance to raise awareness of a breed that has a unique and fascinating history and heritage.

“At the same time, it provides us with the opportunity to promote the efforts that are being made to safeguard the breed’s future. We have been running a Save Our Shires campaign to raise awareness about Shires and numbers have steadily increased, thanks to the dedication of a band of enthusiasts, but fewer than 500 new foals are registered every year by the Shire Horse Society, and Shire horses remain an endangered species.”

The show will include a new Friday evening ridden performance, along with a ringside show dinner, which will be followed by two days of competition and classes.It will be the first qualifier of 2016 for the Horse of the Year Show and will feature a range of classes, with horses shown in-hand, ridden and in harness.

Tickets will go on sale later this year 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

Press release issued by Nottingham-based PR company Perfect10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Image © of the Shire Horse society and the photographer. Not to be used or reproduced without prior written permission.