2020 Marks 125th Show for Devon County Show!

Guest Blog Post - Devon County Show (28th, 29th and 30th August 2020)

2020 marks the 125^th show in the Devon County Show’s history! 

To mark this momentous occasion the team are in full swing, preparing for a genuine spectacular. 

Positioned in the centre of the showground, visitors to the Main Arena will be treated to a 360 degree view of the Show’s star attraction – The Dancing Diggers – a collection of JCB Diggers and Robot Skidsters performing a series of daredevil antics, formation dancing, as well as a load of laughs during their twice daily performances.

Around the showground, visitors can get up close and personal with thousands of animals looking to compete at Devon County Show in the first round of nail-biting competitions on the show circuit including the South Devon Herd Book Society’s National Show. Alpacas, cows (including a hundred of South Devon’s), sheep, pigs and goats to name but a few, will undoubtedly welcome a gentle stroke and some words of encouragement before they take to the ring. 

The Show is curating its most ambitious Food & Drink line-up ever to enable foodies to indulge their tastebuds in the most tempting food and drink available in the West Country. Whether you’re looking for a quick snack on the hoof, a Devon Cream Tea drenched in delicious Devon Clotted Cream and fruit jam, or a sea food platter, Devon County Show 2020 is gearing up to cater to your every whim. 

As gardens start to come to life after a long hard winter, we’ll be fulfilling the dreams of hundreds of hopeful horticulturalists with ideas for planting perfection. Look out too for the Gardening Roadshow, hosted by gardening writer and broadcaster Martin Fish and which will offer instructional seminars and Q and As daily in the crafts and garden tent – the largest (it’s the size of a full size football pitch) and most frequented marquee on the showground.

Add to this top-class show-jumping, a Premier Dog Show which brings together the Cream of Devon and the rest of the UK’s dogs under one roof, our award-winning Children’s Farm, Heavy Horses and Shetland Pony displays as well as a bee tent which is always buzzing with activity from dawn till dusk and the Devon County Show is on course to be the most compelling date for your diary next May.

To book tickets to this year’s show and take advantage of advance ticket prices, visit www.devoncountyshow.co.uk

Join us in creating the World’s Longest Knitted Bunting

As part of the celebrations, the Show organisers are planning to beat the Guinness World Record for the Longest Knitted Bunting.

Deborah Custance Baker, Chief Steward of Crafts & Gardens at the Devon County Show, the Show Committee member behind the challenge, is confident of achieving the target of 31,200 flags, the amount required to smash the existing record and giving the Devon County Show its first ever Guinness World Record.

The completed bunting will be displayed in the Crafts & Gardens Marquee. The record-beating display will be 8kms long and will go around the 3,000m2 marquee 26 times!

‘You don’t need to be a knitting pro to have a go’ says Deborah. ‘Even if you’ve never knitted in your life you can create a flag very easily by following the simple step by step patterns provided by the Knutty Knitters which is on our website at www.devoncountyshow.co.uk/bunting.

Do you have a history that dates back to the first Devon County Show?

To mark the occasion of the 125^th Show, The Devon County Show Committee is on the hunt for anyone who has a link to the first ever Devon County Show.

Was one of your ancestors a member of the newly formed Devon County Agricultural Association?  Was he or she a stock, poultry or horse steward? 

Did any of your distant relatives show at the Devon County Show and do you know if any of your livestock descend directly from one of the original show winners?

Do you have a show trophy at home that was awarded at one of the original Devon County Shows?

We’d love to invite those who have a history in local farming and agriculture as long as Devon County’s to share in our 125^th Show Celebrations so  please do make yourselves known to us by e mailing press@dcshow.org. You will receive a pair of free tickets to join us for a champagne reception on the 1^st day of the 2020 show.

The 1873 stock catalogue and members booklet, the earliest we have in our archives, have been uploaded to the Devon County Show website at https://www.devoncountyshow.co.uk/125th-show-celebrations where you can cross reference names of members and livestock from the show. 

Save money on ticket prices by booking in advance at https://devoncountyshow.ticketsrv.co.uk/tickets/

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