Entries up and all readyfor a day of farming fun

There will be farming fun for everyone at the Central and West Fife Show on June 1.

The show promises to be a great day out for all the family as well as helping to educate everyone about agriculture and rural living.

Show chairman David Laird said that once again, the show has seen an increase in entries this year, with more than 110 cattle entered.

Meanwhile, the numbers of commercial cattle are doubled this year at 18 and there are more than 130 sheep, 62 of which are Shetland, drawing in competitors from all over Scotland and one competitor from Skye.

The Clydesdale horse section has also seen an increase in entrants, with more than 40 entered, which has been boosted by the class for driven Clydesdales.

The show holds a number of affiliated and unaffiliated classes in the light horse schedule, including the Aurora Hotel Collection Royal Highland Show Classic Champion qualifier and National Pony Society qualifiers for the finals at Blair Horse Trials.

The event has two main contested-for trophies – the Champion of Champions, presented by The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, and the Fordell Cup, a points cup presented by the late the Right Hon the Earl of Buckinghamshire.

This cup is held for a year by the exhibitor gaining the highest number of points in the cattle, sheep, goats and Clydesdale horse classes, exclusive of the open sections.

For young farmers, there is tug-o’warregional qualifier for Royal Highland Show, which has gents’ teams and ladies’ teams and will start around 1.30pm in the main ring.

There will be loads to keep children entertained, including the baby animals tent, where children will have an opportunity to see lambs, foals, baby goats, chicks, families of bees and a number of rare breeds, including Valais Blacknose lambs, as seen on the BBC2 series This Farming Life.

The Royal Highland Education Trust will also have various activities such as face-painting and goat-milking.

Demonstrations will run throughout the day including sheep-shearing, horseshoeing and milking a cow.

If you’re looking for more adventure, ZooLab will be bringing a selection of unusual creatures which may include spiders, snakes and creepy-crawlies.

The show is also running a Facebook photography competition, with the theme Farming and Countryside, which has two classes – under-18s and 18-andover. This has proved hugely popular so far, with more than 40 entries and counting, and there’s still time to enter if you go to the show’s Facebook page.

Jenny Thomson from Courses for Cooks will be running two cookery demonstrations with a Ready Steady Cook theme.

In the morning, she will demonstrate how to make a potato rosti with poached egg and tarragon butter.

For the afternoon demonstration, she will be making strawberry tart dessert and will be enlisting the help of some child volunteers to help with the decorating.

The food and craft tent will have an informative display from the Kelty Mining Association, which will focus on the local mining history of the area, along with a wide variety of stands from bee products to cupcakes and everything in between.

As well as entertainment in the main ring and food and craft tent, there’s loads more to see, such as terrier racing, vintage tractors and a variety of trade stands, featuring everything from garden furniture to toys.

There’s also a dog show, with classes ranging from pedigree puppies through to the waggiest tail. Entries will be taken from 1.30pm on the day with judging starting at 2pm.

The show is held at Hilton Farm, near Kelty, with kind permission from the Thomson Family. It runs from 9am to 5pm.

Adult tickets are £10, OAPs are £5 and children under 14 go free.

Parking is free. For more details, see westfifeshow.com