THERE was mud, rain and wind aplenty at the 113th Camelford Agricultural Show last Wednesday — but that didn’t deter the crowds flocking through the gates to be involved in one of the area’s most popular local shows.

The bleak weather was evident throughout the day, with drizzle, high winds and showers creating an increasingly sludgey show ground at Trevilla, Marshgate. However, this was nothing that a pair of wellies, a raincoat and a whole load of community spirit couldn’t fix, as show-goers from Camelford and further afield continued to pour into the field.

The Post caught up with show secretary, Beth Kitto, in the morning. She said: “It’s going well — everything has been going smoothly, it’s just the weather, it’s very wet. But it should be clearing up this afternoon so hopefully all will be well. Everyone seems to be in good spirits!”

Unfortunately, due to the weather, many of the horse exhibitors did not attend, but cattle and sheep exhibitors seemed to be keeping positive throughout the day as they made their way to the show ring for judging.

As well as this, there was a fun dog show, with plenty of well behaved pooches coming away with rosettes and a bag of food. Entries in the poultry tent were up this year, with a huge variety of birds, as well as a small selection of guinea pigs and rabbits, on show for people to see. Similarly, in the horticulture tent, entries were up, providing a huge spectacle of vibrant colour from flowers, creativity in the arts and crafts classes and the lovely displays in the children’s classes.

Trade stands allowed local businesses and organisations to engage with the public, drawing in more members and customers or simply spreading the message about what they are doing in the community on a daily basis. The town council were present to promote their work, as well as the much-anticipated arrival of the Camelford bypass, which will lead traffic away from the town centre to improve air quality and public safety. The council also ran the annual show bus from Camelford to the show ground throughout the day, providing a much-appreciated service to the community.

The Camelford Young Farmers’ Club had plenty of activities and exhibits on display in the YFC tent, offering a ‘guess the cow pat’ competition and the chance to make a delicious fresh smoothie.

Show goers could grab themselves a hot cup of tea to ease the chill from the rain, or a quick bite to eat from the variety of food stalls and vans on offer. There was always a pint or two, or something to that effect, in the bar marquee if one preferred.

But as the show came to an end, the true extent of the Cornish weather was evident as many cars and vehicles had to be towed out of the car park by tractors.

Beth was delighted with the turnout of the show despite the disappointing weather conditions, adding: “We had a great day despite the weather! Everything went well and I express my personal thanks to the exhibitors, general public and traders who turned up to support us.

“I thoroughly enjoyed watching the dog and duck display in the entertainment ring and I managed to watch some of the young handler judging of cattle and sheep, which was also good.

“I further want to express my thanks to the committee, volunteers, helpers and stewards that have helped with the set up of the show, the show day itself and the take down of the show.”

Beth will be standing down as show secretary due to other commitments, so now the search is on for the 2020 show secretary. Do you think you’ve got what it takes? To apply, contact 07483 964125 or [email protected]