Reeth Show: Return of Swaledale tradition - and fell race - that 'keeps the dale alive'

“This will be our 108th show. It has always been a good day out where all of the community comes together and although everybody seems to know what everybody is up to these days, through better communications, it still has its place as the one proper meeting up time in the year for everybody.

“I grew up on the family farm at Low Row just four miles out of Reeth, where my brother Norman now runs the hill farm with sheep and suckler cows. Norman is show president this year.

“I still have an involvement with farming from time to time, but my building business took off better than anyone would have expected.

“I’ve not missed a show in my lifetime and started helping out setting up the showfield in my 20s like a lot of people who I’ve grown up with. We are all volunteers together and it’s now good to see the next generations coming into the show team as we did.

“Our last show was in 2019. I’ve been chairman for three years and I’m nearly the first never to have had a show while I’ve been in the position, but we’ve now changed the tenure so that whoever takes on the role is there for three shows."

Tony said that last year’s decision not to hold a show was made through a specially convened meeting on the showfield in July 2021.

“We left it as late as we could but then we were at the stage where money would have to go out and we couldn’t be certain of what the rules would be. I stood on the back of my pickup with all the committee around and we looked at all pros and cons and voted unanimously not to go ahead.

“We are now looking forward to this year’s show so much and we have a great show planned that includes our fabulous classes for sheep, cattle and horses, a really wonderful display of vintage tractors, cars, motorbikes and pushbikes, tremendous Dales produce, amazing handmade walking sticks and a prestigious drystone walling competition that attracts the very best in the UK with appearance money for every competitor and a £300 first prize."

Tony said that Reeth Show has changed over the years, but that the biggest change he has seen was the move from their traditional Wednesday date to Bank Holiday Monday.

“That’s when we really started attracting more visitors. We also have a fantastic main ring attraction every year and this year is certainly no exception as we have Riders of the Storm, an equestrian stunt display team from Scotland, and after they have appeared it is then that we all look up the hill to watch the fell runners."

The Great Fremington Edge Fell Race comes at an important time in the BOFRA calendar and brings an opportunity for the Yorkshire-based fell runners to make up ground as the lion’s share of races so far have been in the North West.

Leading Yorkshire fell runner Ted Mason of Appletreewick is vying once again with eight times national champion Simon Bailey who has won seven races this season to Ted’s one, however latest form, at the last race before The Great Fremington, saw Ted push Simon into second place and so it could be an exciting time on the fell.

Tony said the show provides a unique perspective on rural life and that this is never more exemplified than how the show begins.

“All of the show committee and all of the judges meet up in the centre of Reeth on the village green at 9am on show day and the Reeth Brass Band gets us in order by setting off walking and playing towards the showground with us all walking along behind. It’s another real spectacle and so if anyone wants to see it I’d suggest they get to the village green by around 8.45am or they are at the entrance to the showground, at the other end by around 9.15am to see us coming in for the opening of the show by 9.30am.

“Reeth Brass Band is brilliant. It includes many from the village and other villages and hamlets in Swaledale and they play throughout the day with such a variety of music that people love from years ago and some that may surprise people.

“Swaledale has changed tremendously during the past 40 years. That’s a good thing because it keeps the dale alive. What we try to do with Reeth Show is reflect the life and great community spirit that exists just as much today.