East Sussex businesses shine at the South of England Show despite the soggy weather

The Show opened to torrential rain, but that soon cleared giving exhibitors and visitors a day in the open air where the Sussex countryside displayed its finest profile.

Hounds, including couples shown by Southdown and Eridge huntsman Jonathan Withers, were judged while watchers admired diminutive hairy canines Fauves de Bretagne and their more imposing cousins, the Bloodhounds.

In the main arena, heavy horse turnouts this year included a team of Belgian Percherons, a breed remembered for their dutiful service towing heavy guns to the Western Front. Few returned. Top level showjumping vied for attention with the Shetland Pony Grand National and the exciting Inter-Hunt relay where a slippery surface added to the jeopardy. All horses and riders came home safely.

Trenchermen and women were well served in the food and drink marquees where local producers offered tasting samples to hundreds of enthusiasts sheltering from the rain. The popular Countryside Area featured axemen, ferrets, falconry and even search and rescue dog demos.

This year's medieval re-enactment theme was warrior training followed by a timetable of combat displays. 'Behind the Stable Door' near the Norfolk Pavilion showed the inside story of farriery, shoeing, heavy horses, hounds and show-jumping. And Plumpton College was to the fore in the Discover the Countryside display where some students demonstrated how creepy crawlies are friends rather than foes.

New to the show was the Wildlife and Food Production area offering visitors the chance to learn about the vital connections between farming, food and wildlife.

There was plenty for children too with free kids' cookery workshops in the Cookery Barn plus a series of sky-scraping fairground rides where riders almost disappeared into the cloud cover. Primary schoolchildren had been invited to enter a Growing in Containers competition. And there was the usual high standard of exhibits from Young Farmers competing in livestock handling, auctioneering, bakery and artworks.

A garden design competition on the theme of 'New House, New Garden' inspired viewers who were impressed at the ways competitors created imaginative design and planting schemes.

Beekeeping, fly-fishing, horseshoe making, international level show-jumping and, most importantly, a focus on the importance of provenance in what we choose to put on our plates - the South of England Show this year blended spectacle, interest and education - not forgetting the shopping!

More pictures from the South of England Show can be seen online at www.sussexexpress.co.uk

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