Entries looking good as County Show returns to Wick venue
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ENTRIES are looking good for this year's Caithness County Show, a highlight of the local agricultural and social calendar, taking place at the Riverside and Westerseat grounds in Wick on Friday and Saturday.
The show is widely regarded as one of the best in the north and is set to be another resounding success thanks to the efforts of the hard-working committee.
This year's president is Elaine Miller, just the second female to take on the prestigious role. Show stalwart Nan Budge held the title in 2000 after 30 years' service.
Elaine, who works with Highland Council as a registrar and customer service officer, explained that her family has had a long association with the show, with her father Clair Harper taking on the president's role in 1996, while her husband Iain Miller's family from Buckies Farm were more frequently seen in the sheep and cattle sections.
She said: "It's an honour being chosen for the role this year. Attending the show is a family tradition and I’ve been actively involved from an early age competing in the equestrian competitions.
It's an honour being chosen for the role this year. I’ve been actively involved from an early age.
"It’s a great meeting place and I enjoy chatting to folk I only ever seem to meet at the show. It's great seeing town and country meet up and appreciate the talent we have in our industrial sections and the quality of our livestock here in the north."
This year's president is welcoming everyone along to the show and hopes the sun will shine. Her vice-president is John Murray, while the junior-vice is James Barnetson.
Caithness Agricultural Society secretary Tracy Alexander reports that the livestock entries are up on last year despite another clash with the Sutherland Show. The total entry is 1006, compared with 864 in 2018, with the largest numbers in the sheep section with an impressive 444 entries – up 70 on last year.
Numbers are also up in the poultry tent with 120 entries, compared with 71 in 2018, and the cattle section stands at 65, up 12 on last year, with the horse classes attracting 305 entries. Spectators can also expect to see eight goats, five pigs and six entries in the rabbit and cavies classes, as well as one donkey.
Tracy said: "There is no main ring attraction but this year we have The Caithness Factor, which is an opportunity for teams of four to raise money for a local charity or non-profit-making group."
Entries are still being invited for this event which will be run along the lines of an It's a Knockout with qualifiers – involving archery and/or aqua zorbs – being held from 1pm within the showground. The final will take centre stage in the main ring at 4pm.
Competitors must be 16 and over, with £300 going to the winning team's chosen charity, £200 to the runners-up and £100 to third place.
Another charity event which looks set to be a hit with the spectators is the young farmers' gunge tank where eight local members of the farming community have been nominated to be dunked.
The district chairwoman for Caithness Young Farmers, Gemma Duguid, said: "It will definitely be a good thing to watch. I just hope it is not me getting gunged!"
The names of the nominees will be revealed two at a time on social media this week and visitors to the show will be able to have a say in who they want gunged by putting money in the collecting buckets which can be found at the YFC tent.
Throughout the day, tallies on the amount in each bucket will be kept and the two nominees with the most against their name will become the main attraction in the ring at 4.30pm.
The unlucky candidates will have to sit below the gunge tank and wait for a trigger to release the contents on them. All money raised will go to Crohn's and Colitis UK.
As usual the district Young Farmers will be taking part in the Kennedy Cup with five teams coming forward and visitors to the show will be able to see this year's graduation ball display theme.
Also taking place in the YFC tent will be a "guess how many balloons are in a tractor" competition and "a guess the lamb's birthday" contest, as well as colouring-in activities for children.
The Northern Quality Produce marquee will be packed with a mix of food, drink and craft stands and is sure to have something to suit everyone. A total of 23 exhibitors will be taking part with a number of new stands coming forward, including the Dornoch Distillery.
In addition there will be the flower show and open industrial sections, as well as a variety of trade stands including Allans of Gillock, CLB, Seafield Motors and McLaren Tractors.
Among the other popular events around the show field will be the dog show and the Highland dancing competition, with musical entertainment by Caithness Junior Pipe Band.
The Fusion display team from Caithness Gymnastics Club will be putting on a performance in the main ring during the afternoon and there will also be a junior tug-of-war along with the children's races, as well as a display from David Walker’s Galcantray Clydesdales.
The show will feature the usual range of equestrian events, with the working hunter classes and showjumping on the Friday.
Saturday admission is £10 per adult and £5 for concessions and children, while under-fives get in free, while prices for Friday’s event are £5 for adults and £2 for concessions and children, with youngsters again getting in free of charge.
There is no charge for car parking again this year.
After the show, a buffet dance will be held in the Norseman in Wick, with music provided by Doon Major and Addie Harper.
Tickets are £20 and £10 for the dance only and can be bought at the secretary's bus during the show or at the door on the night.
The judges who will be appearing this weekend at the Wick showground:
Champion of champions – Mr I Morris, Newburgh.
Overall horse – Mrs J Morris, Newburgh.
Clydesdale, any other heavy horse and donkey – Morris Ronaldson, Westerseat.
Ridden – Mr A Kidd, Glencarse.
Shetland – Mr J Swan, Conon Bridge.
Highland – Miss A Mitchell, Denny.
Working hunter – Mrs L Scott, Livingston.
Cattle – Mr C Malone, Lochgelly.
Border Leicester, half bred, commercial and accredited – Mr W Manson, Skaill.
Suffolk and continental – Mr R Wilkie, Aberdeenshire.
Prime lambs and cross – Mrs K Malone, Lochgelly.
NCC – Charles Angus, Oldfield Farm.
Cheviot Hill – Mr R MacDonald, Grantown-on-Spey.
Blackface, Lleyn and native – Mr K Fraser, Inverness-shire.
Texel – Mr S Crozier, Dumfriesshire.
Overall sheep – Mr R Scott, Orkney.
Fleeces – Mr D Ewan.
Goats, rabbits and cavies – Wilma Stewart, Gills.
Pigs – Mr I MacDonald, Croy.
Poultry – Mr D Anderson, Elgin.
Vintage machinery – Mr G Macaulay, Haster.
Driving turnouts – Mr D Walker, Nairn.
Umpire – Keith Murray, Borgie House.
