Bumper turnout at summer show
AT least 10,000 people flocked to Great Harwood on Bank Holiday Monday for one of the highlight events of the borough’s calendar.
Organisers of the Great Harwood Agricultural Show said this year’s event was one of the best ever after they delivered a feast of new attractions at the annual show.
Alongside the traditional livestock competitions and races, visitors enjoyed a range of fun events – including a number of brand new attractions in the main showground.
Riders from the Xtreme Stunt Team performed a series of dare-devil stunts on bikes and motorbikes, including jumping from ramp to ramp on just one wheel – and over the head of the nervous compere.
But alongside the new events, this year’s show saw the return of classic events including the tugof-war and the infamous egg catching competition.
Light horses and shire horses also competed in their traditional contests, and the Bowley Hill Trail race – a circular 9km run – returned for another year.
A day of fair weather saw visitors able to enter their dog into classes run throughout the day in the Companion Dog – Best In Show event with a chance to compete for the top prize.
Other attractions included SMJ Falconry with a range of birds of prey, Blackburn Archery and a stirring perfor- mance from the Accrington Pipe Band.
Cindy Rhodes, Great Harwood Agricultural Society Treasurer (GHAS), has helped organise the show for 14 years.
She said: “We are all running round doing things constantly, we have got a massive team of volunteers. Everybody thinks it always rains but we are actually really lucky with the weather.”
GHAS committee member Stephen Horrocks, said the day had been “truly excellent.”
He added: “We have been incredibly blessed with the weather and that’s really got people to come and enjoy themselves.
“This year has the potential to be a record, we’ve had at least 7,000 people through the gates – and with competitors that could be well over 10,000 people.
“We had the lambs Grand National where they race with toy bears tied to their backs, that’s always incredibly popular.
“This year we had motorcycles doing extreme stunts, that was very good and as well we had our events like the tug-of-war and show jumping.”
Stephen said the show takes the best part of a year to organise.
He added: “It’s a massive job organising the show, we have been here since last Monday and we spend all year from September planning for the following year. But it’s always worth it. I always wonder if it’s ever going to take off but some how ever year the community do a magnificent job and it all comes off.”