Move sparks furore over winter fair

The rumpus follows a busy and successful show last November where a new a pedigree beef calf show, funded by the breeding company Cogent and inspired by it's Stafford-based young specialist beef advisor Boomer Birch, was introduced.

It was held in the main ring and attracted 150 entries and along with a new young handlers competition was a resounding success. The show attendance increased and a new buzz around the main ring could be felt.

Despite the success of this, there has been a great deal of heat, strong words and disagreement between the 42-strong sub-committee of the council of the society over how to progress the event.

The county officers felt decision-making in that unwieldy committee was getting nowhere. Most of the long-standing committee members want to allow the new calf show to bed in and keep the style of the show, the main ring and the trade stand positions as before, accepting the fact that the show might make a loss. Those involved with the new arrangements of last year want to take advantage of new trade interest, make changes, and seek to make a profit.

At the last show council meeting on April 26, it was agreed to sack the sub-committee by a vote of no confidence. Then, 26 of those members were re-instated, the rest, including nationally-renowned breeders such as Shropshire Limousin breeder Christine Williams, and David Wadland, the winner of triple sheep championships last November, were informed by letter their assistance was no longer required.

Stuart Clatworthy, the outgoing show chairman, was re-instated, but along with vice-chairman Frank Page, resigned in solidarity with those who were ousted.

"It was the night of the long knives," Stuart said, "the society has quite unnecessarily pressed the panic button."

One of the ousted, Bryan Wilson, a long-standing committee member and exhibitor, expressed his despair: "We are personally insulted and our reputation has been tarnished as hardworking people in the industry and we would like answers as to the real reasons why we have been kicked off the committee, whether as individuals or collectively."

The agricultural society chairman, farmer Robert Cartmail, said it is all very disappointing but the sub-committee was in danger of fragmenting.

"Hopefully things will now die down," he said.

"The English Winter Fair is on course and Cogent is continuing its sponsorship of the pedigree calf show."

Last year's main sponsor Jonathan Guy has pulled out of this year's event.