There are agricultural shows… and then there’s Moreton Show.
For generations, the one-day event held on the edge of Moreton-in-Marsh has drawn farming families, countryside businesses, competitors and visitors from across the country. In recent years, it’s also captured the attention of a much wider audience, helped by one of the Cotswolds’ most recognisable residents.
What Jeremy Clarkson said about Moreton Show
Writing in The Sunday Times Magazine on 9 October 2022, Jeremy Clarkson described Moreton Show as:
“The Greatest Show on Earth? Most of all, though, I prefer the Moreton-in-Marsh Agricultural and Horse Show, which is held every year on the first Saturday of September.”
For those who know the Show well, it’s hard to argue otherwise.
Tradition meets modern farming
There IS something about Moreton Show that feels unmistakably real. From livestock lines and machinery displays to equestrian classes, rural crafts, local food and countryside traditions, it remains firmly rooted in the farming community that created it back in 1949. Yet it also continues to evolve alongside modern agriculture.
Moreton Show Society Chairman Steve Parkes believes that balance is part of what makes the Show so important.
“Moreton Show has always been more than just a date on the calendar,” he said. “It’s where tradition meets the realities of modern farming, and that balance has never been more important.”
Held on the same Batsford Estate site for more than 75 years, the Show was originally established to improve farming standards locally and create opportunities for farmers to share knowledge after the hardships of the war years. Today, it remains a place where farming, food, countryside life and community come together in a way few events manage.
From Clarkson’s Farm to the Moreton Show saying
The growing popularity of programmes like Clarkson’s Farm has also sparked wider public interest in agriculture and rural life. Clarkson himself referenced Moreton Show again during Season 3 of Amazon Prime Video’s well-loved original series, repeating the long-held farming saying:
“If you haven’t got your rape planted by the time of the Moreton Show… don’t plant it because you’re too late.”
For many local farmers, that line says everything about the role the Show continues to play within the agricultural calendar.
What to expect on the day
Visitors can expect livestock competitions, showjumping, vintage machinery, countryside demonstrations, shopping, food, family entertainment and the kind of atmosphere that only a traditional agricultural show can create. It’s also powered by a dedicated team of local farmers and volunteers, many of whom put in months of work behind the scenes each year.
“There is a real sense of community around Moreton Show,” added Steve. “People return year after year because it means something to them. Farming may be changing, but the importance of bringing people together to celebrate rural life hasn’t changed at all.”
Probably the greatest show on earth
So, is Moreton Show the greatest show on earth? Probably.
There’s only one way to find out for yourself. One day. Every reason to go.