The year a Princess rode at the Kent County Show
This July will see the return of the Kent County Show organised by the Kent Agricultural Society.
Last year, the public had to make do with a scaled-back ‘country fayre’ due to Covid.
Since 1964, the show has been permanently based at the County Showground at Detling, but it has not always been so.
The first event in 1923, following the amalgamation of the Mid Kent and East Kent Show Societies, was held at Wombwell Park in Gravesend.
The following year it was at Ashford, where the show also received its first Royal visitor, Prince Henry, the Duke of
Gloucester (the third son of King George V).
Subsequent events took place in Sevenoaks, Ashford, and Canterbury and from 1947 until 1963, its regular venue was at Maidstone’s Mote Park.
It was suspended during the war years and in 2012, entry on each of the three days was severely restricted after abysmal weather that turned the site into a quagmire.
The show has seen many famous visitors, including Sir Winston Churchill, who won the 1949 first prize rosette for Best Cow In Calf with an animal from his farm at Westerham.
The Queen herself attended the society’s diamond anniversary event in 1989, and other Royals to have visited include another Duke of Gloucester, Prince Richard, in 1979; the Duke of Kent, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.
But Princess Anne is the only Royal to have competed at the show.
After visiting in 1973, she returned with her new husband, Captain Mark Phillips (the couple had been married only eight months) the following year when they both competed in the showjumping.
Captain Phillips won the Spillers combined dressage and show-jumping contest, with the Princess coming third.
That year was a star-studded one at Detling for equestrian events. Also competing was David Broome, three times Olympic Medal winner and 1970 World Champion showjumper.
Mr Broom triumphed in the Whitbread Fremlin’s International Cup, and received his prize from Lord Cornwallis.
Other attractions that year included a visit to the Kent Messenger stand by the Wombles, the singing litterpickers from the children’s TV series.