The 49th Oughterard show will take place at the end of next week and prospective entrants are encouraged to move fast as today marks the deadline for applications. The committee have yet again put together a sterling line up which is sure to attract patrons from all over the country.
Saturday August 27 will see the 10th Connemara Pony Performance Championships which have been taking place in Oughterard for nine years but which had their beginnings at Mountbellew Show in 2002. Last year’s championships were the most successful to date, with entries well up and some 80 ponies competing. A similar number of ponies is expected this time around, including riders from the UK and Northern Ireland.
Sunday’s schedule of events will get under way at 9am following the arrival of boxes, lorries, trailers and containers of all sorts carrying, ponies, foals, sheep, cattle, donkeys, dogs, cats, pets, poultry and horses ready to take their places for scrutinising by the judges. Anyone with a penchant for vintage machinery or cars or for seeing a tractor being assembled in less than 10 minutes will not be disappointed. For the past few years the working sheep dog demonstrations and competitions have been a major attraction and these are taking place again.
Once again a full pedigree section, organised by the Western Simmental Club, is part of the cattle section as well as two qualifiers for the Western Simmental Corby Calf finals at Ballinrobe on September 4. Two great events not to be missed will be the Power’s Quarry
Ridden Connemara
Pony Performance Championship and the Western Region Irish Draught Foal Championship which is once more sponsored by the Boat Inn.
At the Domestic Arts Section in the community centre, visitors will find a wide array of produce from the farm and garden as well as fruit, flowers, flower arrangements, bread, cakes, tarts, jams, sandwiches, desserts, biscuits, and butter, together with homecrafts, artwork, and photographs.
A Maid of the Show will be selected at a special function in the Boat Inn on the night of Friday August 26 where there will be an opportunity to win some great raffle prizes and dance the night away at a lively disco.
A Best Dressed Lady competition will take place at the show on Sunday and participants are encouraged to dress up and go along for a chance to win prizes ranging from an overnight stay at Ballynahinch Castle to a full body massage at the Pillo Hotel in Galway. There will be an opportunity for everybody to enjoy traditional music or to have a go at sean-nós dancing while there will also be the usual Bonny Baby and Little Miss and Little Master Oughterard competitions.
For further information why not visit the show web-site: Oughterardshow.com, check us out on Facebook, contact Joan at the show office, Camp Street, Oughterard, or speak with show secretary, Gerry Geoghegan by telephone (0861517289 ), email: [email protected]
