Lamb shearing competition cancelled

Wet start to summer means farmers are busy making up for lost time - and the Met Office cannot guarantee the current hot spell will last.

The impact a wet summer has had on the farming sector has led to the cancellation of Devon County Show’s annual ewe and lamb shearing and dog trials.

The event was due to be held on August 12 at Sidbury.

In a statement, the Devon County Show’s shearing committee said farmers are busy making up for lost time following weeks of heavy rain.

Ollie Allen, show secretary, said: “With the weather we have experienced, and not being able to trust it to give us a continuous dry spell, once the good weather does arrive shearers will be busy shearing sheep for a living and farmers will be busy cutting crops.”

Gavin Stevens, chairman of the shearing committee, added: “It’s a great shame having to cancel this year’s competition but, hopefully, the weather will be kinder to everything next year.”

Planning is already under way for next year’s event, which has been scheduled for Sunday, August 11, 2013.

Meanwhile, some one day shows in Devon have also been cancelled or postponed. Ollie added: “These decisions are never taken lightly and are always made with the best interests of visitors, exhibitors and trade stands holders at heart.

“If the ground is too wet to take the volume of traffic, both vehicles and people, in the lead-up to and throughout the show, it is impossible to carry on with the event.

“We have a dry spell at the moment but the Met Office cannot guarantee it will last more than a few days. It is soul destroying for the show organisers.”