This is a worrying time indeed'

Katie Jerram-Hunnable on the plight of our county shows and equine flu

- Edited by Bethan Simons

WHILE it seems to be business as usual for many of us producers, I feel it’s not the case for others as numbers in some classes seem worryingly low, even at our traditional county shows.

I always feel very torn when it comes to our local county shows. I used to religiously ensure that I took horses to them. But, they fall early in summer and I found if I prioritised these fixtures, I missed a handful of the early Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers at other prestigious county shows and I ran the risk of missing out on early tickets.

As a producer, it’s therefore not a viable choice; I have to consider the wishes of my owners who naturally hope to see their horses at Hickstead and HOYS and must plan my season accordingly.

Also, we run a different risk by not supporting the county shows that are granted qualifiers. HOYS have a strict handle on the numbers entered and an affiliation fee, so if we don’t support them, they will be both out of pocket and without qualifiers.