Excitement is building for the Countryside Alliance Hampshire Country Sports Day taking place at Tichborne Park, near Alresford, on Sunday 9 September. The best that the countryside has to offer will be on show, with a range of exhibitions and displays, as well as ‘have a go’ activities and competitions.
Main arena attractions include Mink, Beagle, Teckle and Fox hounds displays, the inter-hunt mounted relay and clay pigeon shooting. There’s also a Fun Dog Show at 11am, for anyone to enter, plus terrier racing in the main arena.
New for 2018: a terrier and lurcher show run by The Coursing Crew which is a qualifier for The Midland Game Fair Champion of Champions 2018, plus an extended fishing area.
There will also be more trade stands than ever before for shopping and browsing, offering everything from equestrian and countryside clothing, handbags and jewellery, to country paintings and craft gifts, plus hunting, shooting and fishing equipment. There will also be lots of food and drink vendors.
Gates open at 9.30am and the main ring events start at 10 am, with the programme running until 17.30. Entry costs: £12 for adults; under 14s go free. Visit www.hampshirecountrysportsday.co.uk
Event Highlights:
Horse riding falconer and star of Game of Thrones, Jonathan Marshall, returns with a brand new show featuring his fairytale dancing Spanish and Lusitano horses, with falcons chasing a swung lure at over 100 mph while he performs high schooled dressage moves to music.
Chris Green the Cornish Countryman, will give entertaining and amusing displays of country skills.
Gun dog trainer and Crufts winner, Sarah Miles, will be running a series of fun gun dog competitions (Pick Up, Scurry and Steeplechase) that anyone can enter, offering great prizes.
The Fly fishing area will be providing fly casting lessons throughout the day, from beginners to more advanced techniques. Experts Gilly Bate and Beaky Allesch-Taylor will demonstrate fly casting in the main arena, particularly aimed at women taking up fly fishing.