This article is from page 36 of the 2007-05-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 36 JPG
THE spring has hardly had a chance to get its feet under itself but the summer show season is rearing its head over the horizon. The tradition- al first show of the year takes place in Ennistymon over the bank holiday weekend and preparations are al- ready well under way.
The North West Clare Agricultural Show, which will take place at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon on June 2 and 3, has been going from strength to strength in recent years.
‘“Ennistymon has always been re- garded very highly in the horsing circles. It comes so early in the year
that it can be a very important show to win,’ said Maurice Harvey.
“If they win at Ennistymon, it sets them up for the year. They get a good name and it can lead to them winning more and more throughout the year.
“The quality of cattle has been in- creasingly steady in recent years but the quantity hasn’t. The show has been able to attract cattle from as far away aS Mayo and the quality is ex- cellent. The flip side of this is that it tends to discourage some of the lo- cals from taking part.”
Closing date for entries in all cat- egories 1s this Thursday, May 24, and no late entries will be accepted.
“The showjumping will take place
all day on Saturday. The biggest at- traction of this will be the Amateur Derby which is sponsored by West Clare Saddlery,” continued Maurice.
“This offers prizes all the way down to sixth place and will be the real highlight of Saturday. It is a very exciting competition.”
The show is celebrating its 31st an- niversary this year and a number of interesting new additions look set to draw a large crowd, both of exhibi- tors and the general public.
“Along with the agricultural sec- tions, there are also a lot of other sections for people. The children’s art competition has been a great suc- cess 1n recent years so, for the first
time, this year we are going to open up that competition to all ages. We are very hopeful that this will prove very popular,” continued Maurice.
The show, in its current guise, has been taking place each year since 1976 but an annual agricultural show has been in existence in Ennistymon since 1960.
For more information, contact show secretary Josephine Blackwell at 7071121.