Out & About Autumn 2018

FARMING & MACHINERY PAGEANT The organisers of the Royal County of Berkshire Show are proud to be commemorating the end of the First World War with a magnificent showcase of farming equipment and machinery spanning 100 years. JO PAPWORTH takes a look at what’s on offer and selects some other highlights

D uring the First World War, horses were sent to the front line in France to help the many soldiers that fought for our freedom. However, sad as it is, many did not return. Following the war, their absence was ever more noticeable in the farming community, so it was time to effect change – from horses to mechanical agriculture. Steam engines had been used during the war, but they were slow, heavy and couldn’t complete the job to the standard needed. Then the tractor was introduced, which was quicker and more agile, and so agriculture was born into a new age of farming. One of the main arena attractions this year will take you on a journey through the decades since the end of the First World War, displaying a range of farming equipment and machinery – from ploughs, seed drills and hay-making equipment, to the latest technology, such as precision seeding, GPS crop application and yield mapping. You can also witness some extreme motobike action with the Bolddog Lings stunt team. They have the largest, most high-tech landing ramp in the world, which has been ridden by the world’s best freestyle professionals, including world number one Nate Adams and world record holder Robbie Madison, the present-day Evil Knievel. The ramp allows the riders to jump gaps more than 75 feet wide and reach heights of over 35ft, which gives them enough

‘air-time’ to perform an array of death-defying tricks, usually only seen on TV. The 2018 freestyle team boasts the Best of British riding and includes top talent in the way of the UK’s first rider to backflip a four-stroke motocross bike and one of the UK’s top FMX riders, Dan Whitby, who will also be managing the team this year. The team also includes one of the UK’s highly-rated FMX riders, the super stylish Samson Eaton, along with young talent tipped for the top, Arran Powley. Not only have the team appeared in some of the largest shows in the world, but they have also graced the big screen, featuring in Hollywood blockbusters such as Captain America . The Royal County of Berkshire Show is very much looking forward to welcoming all dogs, and with the introduction of a Dog Zone, your furry friends will be in doggy heaven. There will be certain areas where dogs will not be allowed, such as the livestock areas and food hall, but with their very own zone, why would they want to go anywhere else? They can join in with scurry and agility classes and if you feel they have the waggiest tail or are the cutest puppy or an all-rounder golden oldie, then enter them into the family-fun competitions. But please remember to bring your poo bags and water, and all dogs must be kept on a non-retractable lead at all times. www.berkshireshow.co.uk

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