Written by John Swire
More than 250 cattle from across England, Scotland and Wales have been entered to take part in the English Winter Fair at the Staffordshire County Showground on 16 and 17 November – an increase of 10% on 2018.
The Fair’s sheep and pig numbers have also grown while entries to the National Pedigree Calf Show have surged by 25% to over 100 in response to a new one-day format.
Richard Williams, CEO of the Staffordshire & Birmingham Agricultural Society, which organises the event, said: “We are delighted to see continued growth in the number of livestock entries.
“The new Duke of Norfolk cattle class and a change in format for the National Pedigree Calf Show has driven a lot of interest. The concise format appeals to a wider range of exhibitors for whom time away from the farm needs to be kept to a minimum.
“As a result we expect the standard of livestock to be particularly high.”
The English Winter Fair’s carcase hall is always a big draw where butchers and producers compete for a variety of beef, lamb and poultry titles.
And alongside the main ring will be Sunday’s products competition where judges have the task of selecting the best bacon, pies and sausages that butchers, farm shops and small food businesses have to offer.
Entries to the products competition remain open until the morning of the show.
The strong turnout of livestock is expected to be backed up by big visitor numbers, with plenty to see and do including a bustling Christmas country shopping fair where visitors can buy gifts and sample delicious food and drink before the festive season.
An end-of-show auction will see livestock as well as beef, pork, lamb, turkey and geese carcasses sold in a live auction hosted by Bagshaws.
Pre-booked adult tickets are £8 until 15 November or £10 on the gate.
For more information and entries go to www.staffscountyshowground.co.uk/english-winter-fair
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