President Elaine pays tribute to team effort after County Show success
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COUNTY Show president Elaine Miller hailed the team effort that ensured the success of this year's event in Wick, attracting up to 6500 spectators.
The weather cleared nicely on Saturday as crowds from across Caithness and beyond enjoyed the displays of livestock and a host of other attractions at the Riverside and Westerseat grounds.
Mrs Miller praised the whole team at Caithness Agricultural Society and singled out the work undertaken by secretary Tracy Alexander.
“There’s a whole committee behind me and they all pulled together," Mrs Miller said. "It has been amazing, between them and local businesses that pick up the phone and you tell them what you want and they’re there with it.
“Our secretary Tracy is amazing with the paperwork, with bureaucracy and red tape the way it is now – everything from licensing for the bars to passports for cattle coming in and out of the show field. It’s mind-boggling and she just does it all quietly there in the background. We are indebted to her big-time for what she does.”
Mrs Miller also praised the commitment of all the stewards and exhibitors, and thanked the people of Caithness for turning out in such big numbers.
“I’ve only really been involved in livestock before, but this time as president I’ve been in the handicrafts, the industrial, the flower show… You walk around it and you’re just amazed by the standard.”
Everybody is having a great time – what more could we want?
The fine weather on Saturday, once the early rain had cleared away, came as a relief to Mrs Miller.
“I was worried,” she said. “Friday was a great day. I woke on Saturday morning to lashing rain and despite that folk were coming in and there were queues everywhere.
“Everybody is having a great time – what more could we want?”
Reflecting on her experience as president, she added: “It’s brilliant. It’s a one-off. Family and friends have stood behind me and got it all done.”
Sassy Lady, a Limousin cross-bred March-born calf from Kris Sutherland, of Dunbeath Farms, continued her run of success by taking the supreme overall champion title.
On the Friday evening the crowds were kept on the edge of their seats with the showjumping classes, specially the puissance that set new show records in the horse section with the spread and wall measuring just under 1.40m (4'6"). Both jumps counted in the competition.
Joint winners were announced after the final two riders Vivian Campbell, riding Cegonda, and Jean Gunn on Diamond Gypsy Jo both knocked one down in the last round and decided to share the prize. Vivian cleared the wall but knocked down the spread, while Jean left the spread standing and took a few bricks off the wall.
On the Saturday afternoon spectators were treated to a display from Galcantray Clydesdales which included a couple of local Clydesdale riders, Isla Miller and Jacqueline Munro.
Teams from local clubs also battled it out in the main ring for their share of the money in the charity event Caithness Factor. Halkirk Hillbillies won the top prize of £330 for the village playgroup, while Caithness Pony Club were runners-up, receiving £200, and Nearly All Mackays secured £100 for the Watten Improvements Group.
In the tossing the sheaf competition the prize was shared by the show president's husband Iain Miller, Buckies, and rugby coach George Sutherland, Wick.
The final event in the main ring was the young farmers' gunge tank which proved popular and raised nearly £900 for Crohn's and Colitis UK. Eight local members of the farming community were nominated to be gunged and throughout the day visitors to the show were invited to make donations towards who they wanted to take the hot seat.
The tallies varied throughout the day with some nominees managing to sway the balance by putting money on their rivals. Topping the leader board at the end of the afternoon was James Gunn, Whitefield, with £363 and John Anderson, Brynach, with £340. Ranald Angus, Barrogill Mains, narrowly missed out on a dunking with a tally of £285.75.
Commenting on the day as a whole, secretary Tracy Alexander said: "It brightened up just in time for the members of the public to come in and support the show."
