Ollie Allen, Show Secretary of the Devon County Show, starts the massive job of marking out the 93 acre showground. Picture credit: Richard Austin

Devon County Show starts to take shape

Preparation has started on the build for this year's Devon County Show on 16-18 May.

A team of eight contractors are making the showground home for the next month as they build marquees equivalent in size to approximately four football pitches.

Show Secretary Ollie Allen said the early days of the build were a testing time for the team.

“This is a really big task!” she said. “In marquee-building terms, it’s equivalent to scaling Mount Everest!

“Each year, Danco, the marquee contractors, put in some new recruits with the more established staff members and within weeks, sometimes days, it is pretty obvious as to who, or how many, make the grade and stay on the team for the rest of the summer season.”

The marquees will house more than 1,400 sheep, 300 alpacas and numerous bees, pigeons, poultry, rabbits and guinea pigs.

Trade space at the showground has sold out: “Bearing in mind the tough time our trade exhibitors have had over the last couple of years, we have done extremely well. We have managed to fill the showground and still the enquiries are coming in.”

Now in its 118th year, the County Show boasts livestock, food and drink, a flower and garden marquee, traditional crafts such as shoeing and metalwork and lots of family entertainment on the 93-acre site.

Ollie added that the organisers hope to see more than 90,000 visitors at the event over the three days where there will be more than 7,000 animals, well over 400 volunteer stewards and practically non-stop entertainment in six Show arenas and rings.

There will be hundreds of marquees accommodating passionate and committed people showcasing everything from mobile phones to Manitou telehandlers.

Family favourite the Diggerland JCB Stunt Team are heading the bill in the Mole Valley Farmers Main Arena while alongside the Woodland feature, ‘Savage Skills’ the champion team of BMX riders will perform various stunts and offer coaching between performances.

In the livestock section top breeders from around the country will be showing their South Devons and Dexters in two prestigious national cattle shows alongside the various other cattle breeds who have booked their beds!

Advance tickets offering savings are on sale now from the showground, tourist information centres and online. New this year are downloadable online tickets and an online cut off time of midnight on Wednesday, May 15.

Once again up to three children (aged 5 to 15) get free admission on Saturday when accompanied by a paying adult and senior citizens are eligible for the buy-one-get-one-free offer on all three days of the Show as long as they buy their tickets in advance.