What's New

Countdown to Dorset County Show

Weymouth

The countdown has begun for this year’s greatly anticipated Dorset County Show, taking place from Saturday September 2 to Sunday September 3, at the Dorchester Showground.

Organised by Dorchester Agricultural Society, the two-day annual show attracts more than 60,000 people each year, since it began in 1840. The main focus of the show is to promote agriculture through competitive classes, trade, and demonstrations. Year-on-year the show promotes excellence within agriculture and aims to engage with the public by celebrating the best of rural life. New for 2017 is a live milking demonstration will be carried out, where show-goers will get the opportunity see how the modern day dairy farmer produces milk.
The jam-packed two-day show programme promises to offer something for everyone from agricultural enthusiasts, to families wishing to entertain their children. This year’s Main Ring attraction will include Jonathan Marshall with a falconry display on horseback, as well as show jumping, fast paced scurry racing and a Grand Parade of livestock each day, showcasing the finest cattle in the south-west. The Symonds and Sampson Countryside Ring also offers a programme crammed full of rural entrainment, including terrier racing and the Dog and Duck Show.
Competitive classes will be taking place for more than 20 different types of cattle, over 30 different types of sheep, goats and pigs, as well as in homecraft, horticulture and sheep shearing. Displays will also be put on show throughout the weekend of poultry, rabbits and alpacas. Overall there has been an increase in entrees for the show this year; in particular horticulture has seen a 23 per cent increase in entrees and homecraft has just fewer than 2,000 entries making it the largest homecraft competitive class in the south-west.
Dorset foodies can look forward to having their taste buds tickled by the range of hand-picked local catering concessions available, including extensive food courts and the ‘Dorset Food Hall’ showcasing local food producers. Local breweries will also be attending the show, providing refreshments and live entertainment for show-goers.
If you fancy a spot of shopping, more than 450 trade stands will be at the show over the course of the weekend, ranging from The House of Tweed, Usborne Books and Mercedes-Benz of Dorchester. Returning for this year, high-end country items will also be found in the specialist ‘Shopping@theAvenue’ marquee. The show is catered to all interests,  we really have something for everyone and we feel that it is important to bring together locals and those from further afield to celebrate the best of rural life in Dorset. There are hands on activities for children to get stuck into with various competitions running, including creating a superhero from vegetables and plant materials. There is of course the fun fair which is a firm favourite with children and those that are young at heart.