March the first month of the show season (From Smallholder)

March the first month of the show season

8:29pm Tuesday 8th March 2011 in Editor's Blog

March is the month when the show scene up and down the country starts to get going until, by mid summer, the agricultural, country, and vintage shows are in full swing until October.

Compiling the extensive Smallholder Show Diary is always exciting for me as I’ve been to so many of the events that we list that I can picture them as I type and smell that evocative summer scent of crushed grass. Most of the events are run by volunteers or rely very heavily on willing stewards and sometimes I am one of those hard working, largely unsung people that keep the wheels of the event whether it be a big agricultural show, a smallholder club exhibition or a gymkhana, turning smoothly.

Many show secretaries are voluntary too and deserve recognition for their work prior to the show, on the day and tidying up quite literally often, afterwards. This is a plea really – if anyone is new to showing whether it be ponies, pigs or poultry, and wants to go on a rapid learning curve, then volunteer at your local show. By stewarding and observing you will learn so much and be with people who are only too happy to share their years of experience with you. Just make a phone call to the show secretary and offer your services and you will find a whole new world opening up to you.

Some organisations, such as Ponies Association (UK) provide courses and training for their stewards and most shows will pay reasonable travel expenses, provide refreshments and sometimes a ticket for a friend as well. If you can only do a few hours, that’s a few hours someone else doesn’t have to do and it really is true in the world of shows, that many hands make light(er) work!