By Alan Rees

Alan Rees with young Fendawood Ecclestone at Delfryd, winner of the Tyne,
Tees and Tweed All Aged Stake at Whitfield Estate, Cumbria. Congratulations
and good luck for the coming season.

By Terena Plowright

Well 2017 was the year we had been waiting for! Despite the devastating winds during show set-up, Saturday delighted everyone with sunshine and only a few minor showers and then everyone’s patience and determination was finally rewarded on Sunday with a beautiful day on all levels!

Traders reported record sales, we had record food takings, record number of visitors and, all in all, smiles seemed to beam across the showground.

A huge thank you must go to all the sponsors ). Without the support from local companies, we could not afford to allow the number of charities and educational stands on the showground. Again, this section of the show was extremely successful with many charities raising plenty of money – to give two examples: The SEED raised over £500 and the South Hants Hearing Dogs £700. A local lady also has a stand (she refuses to be named) and every year she singlehandedly raises money and then pays for operations and medication for animals in local shelters.

Also, a huge ‘thank you’ to all the volunteers who were truly inspirational, and such a joy to have as part of the event. We had over 50 volunteers help with the show, using their different skills and personalities to keep everyone smiling and to keep the ‘show on the road’. They really did push themselves to the limit, and the show could not operate without them. We look forward to them returning next year.

Nearly all feedback has been positive with some really constructive ideas coming from traders and staff alike in preparation for next year.

I would also like to thank you to the following people that stepped up beyond the call of duty:

• Tony Kilby from Spica Solutions who worked into the night to make sure the electricity was in place.
• Kay Linders from Hamble and Hound Gun Dogs who worked to advertise and organise the gun dog events which are a fantastic and very much loved part of the show.
• Brenda Mizen who organised her team of humans and dogs to perform in the main arena, but also put on the have-a-go agility and the well-loved Dog Show.
• John Adams who cooked all week to feed the army of volunteers throughout each day.
• Rebecca Probert from EHDC for supporting the event with the loan of equipment
• Curtis Bone from the Bordon and Whitehill Town Partnership for the loan of equipment.

Finally, thanks to Queen Elizabeth Country Park for the use of a fantastic venue and for all the support they give us during the year.

2017 Sponsors

Thank you to all our sponsors, many of whom support us year on year. It would be impossible to run the show without them and so we do appreciate the time, money and support they give to us.

Thank you

Read the full report here: South Downs Show 2017 Report

Comments from Traders after 2017 event

Best show yet and getting better. Saturday evening entertainment is brilliant setting us up for the final push on Sunday. Your security team are also well worth a mention, vigilant and very helpful.

The Pompey Pluckers

Well done and well done to your team of workers for another year.

Hope you are well and taking a rest after organising such a fantastic show! We would like to say thank you for giving us the opportunity to take part in such a lovely Show. From entering the show early on Saturday morning until leaving early Sunday evening the whole process was a lovely experience and very well organised. We thought that the idea to have a food court in one area is spot on and then to have a large area of tables and chairs running in front of the food court was just perfect.

Really enjoyed the show esp as the family were able to camp. Friendly organisers/marshalls/security.

Bar prices were very reasonable at £3 per pint for cider and ale. Some shows we attend are extortionate and leave a bad taste. There didnt seen much duplication of stalls which is a real bonus.

The food range was excellent – some I have never seen at a show before so a really good choice. I would like to congratulate you on a great two days! We could see that the show was greatly improved on last years, although the weather did not help on that occasion, but you had clearly taken on board a lot of the feedback given which showed.

Just to let you……..and the organisers, know that I thought the South Downs Show was just lovely. I hope Meon Valley will be invited again. I will go next year anyway.

Great show again Our dog show and Have a go Agility made £500 for Canine Partners ! Our lady who had the accident dislocated her shoulder and broke her collar bone but she is ok. . Please can you say a big thankyou to the volunteer staff on the ground They were a tremendous help with the apparatus. and really friendly too Have a good rest now.

I thought I’d just write and say thank you for a great show this year.

Thank you for allowing us to have a pitch at The South Down Show, we had a very successful day.

Thank you for having us – we had a lovely weekend and enjoyed our long walk up to the top of the hill!!

The signage on the approach roads seemed better this year – did you add more?

The loos were, as ever, exemplary – something which can make a real difference to people’s experience of a show!

Wonderful variety of displays and stalls. Great selection of food stalls and loved the evening entertainment in the Beer Tent. Good, good, good – what an amazing team of Wonder Women you have on your side. All pulled together and helped out wherever needed.

What a lovely positive email, so refreshing to even hear from an event Organiser after the event, so top marks for that 🙂

I also found everybody so helpful and welcoming. Having now been doing this for three years ourselves and doing a lot of events we can honestly say you pretty much have it perfect. Anyway Terena we were very happy to be at your Southdowns Show and throughly enjoyed it. It has been our busiest event takings wise to date so our biggest pay out 🙂 Thanks for inviting us back and hopefully we can be a regular for you.

Many thanks for our place at the show this year, it was great to see all. The show from what we witness was very well organised in all aspects. excellent attention to toilets etc., great volunteers around show

A very enjoyable show this year and i liked my position. Please can you book the same weather for next year !!!!!!

Fabulous show, spending wasn’t amazing, but we had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed the whole weekend. We would certainly love to come again next year please.

Again such a wonderful show and our main observation was that all the staff were so friendly, helpful and lots of them.

Everything for us in the arena worked perfectly thank you with microphones etc and assistance from helpers. The show seemed perfect to us and if you thought it needed improvement the only thing we can think of is for it to grow? There were definitely more signs we saw around locally this year and if you have fliers and want to send us some we can put them around locally in Bognor Regis and Chichester areas. The toilets were very clean and plenty of them and when our family came they loved all the animals for children to see and amusements for children Really though everyone was very positive and loved the show and all it had to offer so well done you and here’s to next year with more great weather!

We had a great time at the Southdowns Show this year, loved the position you put us in, it all worked really well.

Just WOW! What a fantastic weekend! Thank you so much for inviting us along and thank you for all your efforts and hard work in making it such a super event. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and getting a little camping adventure in such a beautiful location was an added bonus. We absolutely loved it and do hope we can join you next year too!!

Just a short note to say thanks to you and all for putting on another fun and friendly show. I very much enjoyed being pitched next to the gate – great views of hillside, dog agility to keep me amused and handy for folks buying sharp pointy things as they could easily take them to

their car rather than parade them around the showground like barbarians! As usual, a great friendly crowd, staff and security team.

Many thanks for a lovely weekend, we didn’t want to go home after the show as we were so relaxed, hopefully it was a successful weekend for yourself.

And a sample of emails from the General Public

I visited your lovely country show this weekend whilst visiting family locally, I live in Lincolnshire. My father had suggested visiting the show as I had my spaniels and Labs with me, I was chuffed to bits to gain 2 x 2nd places and a 3rd in the scurries and will be coming back next year.

Just thought I’d say,loved the show, come such a long way since the first one………………….not that there was anything wrong with that one but you can see so much polish on it now

In particular – loved the climbing wall,even though {my son} couldn’t do it and the guy running it was so friendly and let them have 10 mins so quite good value, Also loved the novelty slush puppy stall, Loved the dog and duck act,just brilliant. Loved the pallet seats. Well done,great idea,just need a few more. Liked the way everything was more tight packed. Liked the way the Miller ark animals were laid out and how you could get around them