The beautiful weather of last summer is reflected in the Annual Report produced by the Moreton-in-Marsh and District Agricultural and Horse Show Society.
The society which organises Moreton Show saw the highest recorded gate receipts, membership at all-time high and a trading profit for the year ending October 31 of £17,235.
A rush of interest ahead of the show meant that organisers had to temporarily stop selling membership packages because they had become so popular. For this year, the prestigious Members’ Marquee will be bigger to accommodate the rising interest in what is one of Britain's biggest one-day agricultural shows.
The heatwave did create some extra expense. Organisers had to water the ground as the long, hot spell threatened to make the equestrian rings too hard. Moreton Show bought in thousands of gallons of re-cycled water to spray the ground. It was a move that was well received by the owners and riders.
One of the stars of the show was Carl Hester, the Olympic Dressage gold medallist, who judged the Supreme Horse competition alongside Rosemary, Lady Northampton. He said: ‘There’s something very special about a show like this. If you love animals and you love the countryside, this is heaven. It’s a heavenly day out. The whole atmosphere is fantastic.’
Moreton Show has been shortlisted as one of the Events of the Year in the SoGlos Gloucestershire Lifestyle Awards.
Ed Hicks, who is chairman for the 2019 and 2020 Moreton Shows said: ‘We were blessed with a glorious day but there were also challenges to make the ground good for the horses and all the other livestock.
‘Moving forward, we’re looking to continue increasing the quality of the experience for everyone coming to Moreton Show as we also build on our established agricultural roots. It’s important that we keep that link. It’s what gives us a special place in the summer events calendar.’
It was also a year of changes for the office team at Moreton Show. Liz Day, the horse and sponsorship secretary for 14 years, retired and Clare Foster, the showground director, stepped down after eight years at the show. Jess Parkes took over Liz’s roles and Melissa Harrison is the new Events Coordinator in charge of the 175-acre showground.
This year’s Moreton Show is on Saturday, September 7.
