Countryfile deal with Newbury Show falls through

A deal with BBC’s Countryfile programme to host next year’s Newbury Agricultural Show has fallen through.

Trustees of the Newbury and District Agricultural Society said they were not comfortable with the financial terms demanded by the corporation.

But the show will still go on and is currently scheduled for the weekend of September 16 and 17 next year.

“It is a shame,” said board member Steve Ackrill. “But the BBC wanted too much, and we felt we could not take the financial risk it would have involved.

“The show is still happening though, but it will be scaled back from the ambition of the show with Countryfile.

“There will be less live stock – but all the livestock will go into the large shed, so we will be able to save money on marquees.”

He said that the livestock element of the show is one of the biggest expenses.

“It is what the public wants, so we are committed to it,” he added.

Other scaled back elements are likely to be on the equestrian side, with the competition show jumping a potential victim, again because of cost implications.

But organisers are still hoping to put on the scurry racing and the heavy horses.

“We need to scale things down so we don’t lose money,” said Mr Ackrill.

“There is going to be a heavy focus on local traders, produce and food and getting back to promoting agriculture to the public.”

He added there will be a grand parade of livestock and a procession of tractors and combine harvesters of varying ages – from vintage to the modern day – to see how machinery has evolved.

“More detail will emerge in due course,” he said. “But we had to make a decision to crack on. It had to be something the trustees were comfortable with.”