The ‘Country’ is set to come to the ‘Town’ of Antrim on Saturday 22nd July 2023 when Randox Antrim Show will take place in the beautiful setting of the Shanes Castle Estate.

Sponsors, members, supporters and local YFC members gathered recently at Shanes Castle to officially launch the 2023 event and officially open entries to its competitions. The reception was kindly supported by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council and Antrim’s Yew Tree Butchery and Deli, who provided the catering. The Council’s Festival Fund also remains a continued sponsor of the Show.

Speaking at the launch of Randox Antrim Show, Chairman George Robson, said “As a not-for-profit organisation, sponsorship and funding is extremely important to the Society and we are indebted to each and every sponsor, big or small, new or long-standing. Their valuable support is what makes it possible to offer prize money to attract the best to enter our many competitions and run the Show. I want to add a particular note of thanks to Randox, our title sponsor, whose ongoing support allows us to improve our event’s offering and help attract even more people.

“Our committee of Directors work hard to put on a Show that aims to welcome more and more people each year to come and experience the delights of our country way of life. It is also thanks to the many show volunteers as stewards and the local Young Farmers’ Clubs who help us in the run up to the event and on the day itself that the event is annually brought to fruition.”

Finals and New Classes
New this year in the Equestrian section, is the Pony Club Games event which will be sure to be a spectacle to behold. There will be In Hand and Ridden Classes running in conjunction with the National Pony Society, Area 32 Summer Show. In the Show Jumping section the Ulster Region Wilsons Auctions Grand Prix Series has a prize pot of £2,600.

Fane Valley has reconfirmed its commitment to the Show as Principal sponsor for Livestock, that includes a £1,000 prize fund for the Dairy Interbreed Exhibitor of the Show and sponsorship of the Champion and Reserve across breed sections of Beef and Sheep.

The sheep section has introduced new classes for the North Country Cheviot breed. Antrim will host the Final of the Danske Bank NISA Sheep Championship that seeks the best ewe, any breed, any age, having reared a lamb in 2023. The Show will also host the Bluefaced Leicester’s Progeny Show, sponsored by the Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders Association, and the national show of The Northern Ireland Rouge Club.

This year, Antrim’s dairy section will host the Final of the Thompson’s NISA Pedigree Dairy Cow Championship, showcasing the Province’s very best of dairy cattle.

In the beef section, Antrim will host the national shows and championships of the Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders, NI Limousin Cattle Society, and the native breed Irish Moiled Cattle Society. Antrim is also a qualifier for the Bank of Ireland NISA Pedigree Junior Bull championship. The beef section welcomes RTU Concrete as a new sponsor.

In Horticulture, The James Crawford Memorial Cup will be presented to the exhibitor of the best exhibit in the flower and pot plant section.

In the Home Industries section, new classes have been introduced to the Needlework section for residents of nursing and residential homes, and there are now 3 different classes for Crocheted Blankets. A new YFC Craft class has been added for an Ipad pillow or stand, and, in honour of the 45th Anniversary of Antrim Flower Arranging Club, the Floral Art section theme is ‘Celebration’. In the baking section there are new classes for Ginger Cake, Flapjacks, Raspberry & White Choc scones and a fat free sponge, while the Women’s’ Institute Team competition is titled ‘Baby Shower’.

County Antrim YFC Games
The show is also host to The YFC County Antrim Competitions Day where a spectacle of games is put on, ranging from Tug-of-war and Tractor Handling, to a Gator Challenge and Slippery Football. Young Farmers’ Clubs members who are over 18, can enter the event for the reduced fee of £5 on production of a valid YFCU membership card at the entrance gate.

Some Family Fun Highlights
Popular family highlights that will return include the Artisan Food marquee, a petting farm for kids, alpacas, live music, many trade stands and stalls to browse; and a range of family attractions and side shows to keep kids of all ages amused.

Also, anyone can enter the Children’s Pet Show, the free kids’ Treasure Hunt with goody bag on completion, and the varied competitions for floral art, photography, jams, eggs, baking, fruit, vegetables, handicraft, horticulture, and baking.

You can also watch the against-the-clock spectacle of the crowd-pleasing NI Sheep Shearers Association’s shearing competition from its seated area, which has the added bonus of giving you a chance to rest the legs.

Attracting spectators from both farming and non-farming communities, the Home Industries and Horticulture marquees is where you’ll find everything from crafts to cakes and photography to potatoes. There are also arts and crafts projects from Primary Schools and Young Farmers’ Clubs to peruse.

Entries Are Now Open

Click this link if you you want to Enter competitions

A digital copy of the Show Schedule can be downloaded from HERE.

If you’d like to book a stand, email secretary@antrimshow.com.

Times & Admission price info is HERE

 

Antrim Agricultural Society held its Annual General Meeting at Shanes Castle in March; the venue of its annual Randox Antrim Show that will take place on Saturday 22^nd July 2023.

During the AGM’s formal proceedings two Templepatrick locals, Wilbert Rankin and Marlene Watt, were respectively appointed President and Patron. The positions had become vacant after the passing of the former president, Fred Duncan, and patron, Jimmy Crawford, two long standing and dedicated members of the Society to whom tributes were paid.

Willis Mackey, from Antrim, was then appointed Treasurer, filling the post vacated by director Brian Hunter.

Wilbert, is a retired dairy farmer who is passionate about the Holstein cattle breed and the animals associated judging at agricultural shows, and is a former Treasurer of the Society.

Marlene’s late husband, James, was a well known and long time director of the Society. Over the years at the Show she would have competed in competitions like floral art and those of the Women’s Institute.

Willis, who is now retired and keeps himself busy as a part-time sheep farmer, made a career in agriculture mainly with the O’Kane Poultry group, including 25 years with McLarnon Feeds, holding positions up to director level. In the past, he and his son Stewart would have also showed Texel sheep at the Show.

All Directors and other positions which were up for re-election at the meeting were re-elected, and John Herron retired from being a Director of the Society.

The reports by the secretary and treasurer on the success of last years returning show, since the Covid break, left everyone in a positive mood and chairman George Robson added; “It was great to get the show back on the road last year after the Covid hiatus. We must remain optimistic that we can team together and secure pre-pandemic levels of sponsorship so we can ensure the show returns as big as ever this year. We are indebted to all of our sponsors for their support and to our volunteers without whom the show could not go on. I’m delighted that our title Sponsor, Randox and Fane Valley our Principal Livestock sponsor have both already re-committed their support, and we, of course, welcome all other annual supporters and and new sponsors to join them.”

After the formal proceedings, attendees got a chance to hear some poems from the evening’s guest AGM chairperson, Hazel Campbell from Crumlin WI.

The Horticulture and Home Industries section of Randox Antrim Show hosted a 2022 gathering for its volunteers and sponsors in Kells recently.

About the section, David Crawford, a director of Antrim Agricultural Society said, “We are indebted to our supportive returning sponsors and stewards, are equally grateful to welcome on board Apperley’s Butchers, McKervill Neilly Solicitors and SE McKay & Son Ltd, oil and fuel products, as new sponsors this year.”

During the evening, tribute was paid to the late Jimmy Crawford, Patron of Antrim Agricultural Society’s Patron, who passed away recently. Jimmy had been involved with the Show for a lifetime and, in addition to being Patron, most recently was the Director responsible for Horticulture and Home Industries. At the last Show in 2019, Jimmy won the Gardener of the Year Trophy at the age of 89.  Tributes were also paid to committee members, helpers and exhibitors, who had passed away since the last Show.

As examples of what’s new in the Home Industries and Horticulture section:

• a new special £5 prize will be awarded to each ‘Best in Section,
• new craft classes have been introduced (a quilted mug bag, a rag rug and a decorated hard boiled egg),
• the YFC Floral Art section was split into two age groups (12-18 and 19-30 years)
• a new YFC Horticultural section has been added, and
• the show is on the hunt for contenders for a Special Award for the Allotment holder with the most points in the Horticultural Section.

David added; “The theme for the Floral art classes is ‘Let’s get this Show on the Road’ and the home industries and horticulture section often sees

 good interest in the hotly contested Women’s Institute Team competition where the theme this year is ‘Tea in the Field.’

“You can get a copy of the full schedule of classes on the website here. Don’t forget, after general entries close (11.59pm, Sunday 17^th July), entries for the Horticulture section can be taken up until Friday 22 July by calling our section on 075 2609 9966“.