We had a site at Sheencroft Farm, Blewbury thanks to the Allen family, now we needed a
committee to organise the County Show on behalf of Abingdon club. So I was persuaded
to book Milton Hall as a meeting place in June 2024 only to find myself having booked the hall now leading the meeting. And so we were under way. A few of us attended the Bicester brush up meeting having held the rally in 2024 and got lots of useful tips
and guidance as a result. We are very fortunate at Abingdon that we have past members
who have been helping at County shows since the first one held at Besselsleigh in 1976 and have been kind enough to give up their time each time the show comes round, which
these days is a shorter and shorter gap between.
Over the time we have lost and gained volunteers and still this year had new committed recruits all of whom were willing to invest an enormous amount of time and experience in making a successful day. So my job was easy. The only worry is the ever increasing legislation and regulations that are involved with running such a day. Luckily through the
contact of a committee member we had someone well versed in these fields, who was able to guide us through risk assessments for competitions and the day, required signage and safety issues on site and so we were as confident as we could be that all boxes were ticked and were extremely grateful for the guidance.
The site with access to buildings, grass fields and plenty of parking would have been hard to beat plus the many many hours put in by Anthony and staff to spruce up and prepare the venue made it a great place to hold such a Young Farmers show.
The committee in all their roles of organising YFC competitions, scoring, collecting and sorting cups, finding judges and stewards, booking trade stands, publicity and
advertising, booking craft stands and catering, finding sponsorship, parking several thousand cars, organising activities for the main ring, finding other attractions for the visitors including vintage tractors, military vehicles, steam engines and steam ploughing, motor bike displays, a dog show, and then commentators, a site manager, pulling everything together and sorting out the layout, setting up and running the bar during the day and evening and then finishing with evening entertainment meant everyone did a fantastic job and their input was invaluable.
The current members were just as involved whether deciding on classes, having input with the evening entertainment, preparing the rally site and clearing up afterwards, as well as
preparing and producing the winning float and preparing their own items for the classes they had entered. Everyone showed true commitment to the cause of raising funds to
keep Oxfordshire Young Farmers as a County running.
Before the main day in May the Mini rally for members had happened in April with stock judging classes, tug of war and auctioneering taking place at York Farm, West Hagbourne, ably run and organised by Jane Drewe and Judy Mallet with their experience of offering this ideal venue in the past. After the initial stress of the classes in the morning this culminated in a relaxed party atmosphere for all, while supporting their tug of war teams and a lovely finish to the day. And so incredibly one year and only seven main committee meetings later (although many sub ones between) we were ready for the main show day in May, the sun shone, the day was long, a few hiccups as ever to iron out as we went through, the crowds
turned out and everyone whether visitor, trader or competitor seemed to have a wonderful day. The added bonus from a club that nearly folded four years before Abingdon are now thriving
and been able to recruit even more members to put them back on the road to success.
So that leaves me to thank the landowners, the committee members, the YFC members and everyone who gave time to help on the day making it such a huge success not only as
a day out to show case farming and what Young Farmers is about but also financially for the County.
The Results:
1st Faringdon YFC
2nd Witney YFC
3rd Abingdon YFC
4th Henley YFC
5th Enstone YFC
6th Bicester YFC
