South of England Show

51°3′16″N 0°5′19″W﻿ / ﻿51.05444°N 0.08861°W﻿ / 51.05444; -0.08861

South of England Show

Aerial view over the showground in 2003

Genre| County show
Dates| First Thursday in June for three days
Location(s)| Ardingly, Sussex
Years active| 1967 – present
Attendance| 84,000 (2009)[1]
Website| The South of England Show

The South of England Show is a county show held annually at its own showground in Ardingly, Sussex during June. The show was founded in 1967 and is organised by the South of England Agricultural Society. The show attracts up to about 80,000 visitors every year.

## History

[edit]

The South of England Show is held annually at its own showground in Ardingly, Sussex during June.[2] The show was founded in 1967 after the merging of the Tunbridge Wells and South-Eastern Counties, the Sussex County and the Royal Counties Agricultural Societies into the South of England Agricultural Society. The Society organises the South of England Show, which has been patronised by Queen Elizabeth II and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, respectively.[3] The show covers the areas of Berkshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex.[4] The show, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2017, attracts up to about 80,000 visitors every year.[5][6][1][4]

## Features

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The show still contains its central agricultural theme, with livestock including dairy and beef cattle, sheep and pigs,[7][8] with thousands of animals on display.[9] The show has grown from its agricultural roots to include a large equestrian contingent, including showjumping, showing and heavy horse displays.[10]

The show also includes a large number of trade stands as well as a food hall, flower marquee and crafts. The main arena at the showground hosts a variety of displays from all the disciplines on show, including equestrian, livestock and musical, as well as special display items such as motorcycle displays and a parade of foxhounds from the local fox hunts.[9][11][12]

## References

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1. ^ a b "Busy final day as South of England Show closes at Ardingly". Sussex Express. 12 June 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
2. ^ Sadiq, Attiq (31 May 2008). "Top Five Events:The South of England Show". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
3. ^ Everest, Lee (24 October 2024). "Showground gets Royal Patron!". Ashdown Radio. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
4. ^ a b "50 years of the South of England Show". SussexWorld. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
5. ^ "Thousands flock to South of England Show". Mid Sussex Times.
6. ^ "South of England Show 2008". Worthing Herald.
7. ^ Long, Jonathan (15 June 2009). "Full South of England Show results and pictures". Farmers Weekly – Taking Stock.
8. ^ "South of England Show:Cameo's appearance secures the beef inter-breed crown". Farmers Guardian. 19 June 2009.
9. ^ a b "South of England Show". BBC Southern Counties. 12 June 2009.
10. ^ "Your lowdown to the South of England Show 2009". This is Surrey. 8 June 2009.
11. ^ Morris, Ben (8 June 2008). "Daredevil thrills at South of England Show". Mid Sussex Times.
12. ^ "South of England Show". The Argus. 1 June 2007.