AgriLIVE may be gone, but the spirit of Smithfield lives on

Just a week ago the winter primestock show scene was rocked by the cancellation of AgriLIVE Smithfield, which had been due to host the Royal Smithfield Club’s primestock classes.

And now, just a week later, a temporary home for the championships has been found at November’s East of England Winter Stock Festival, Peterborough.

The arrangement will see the Club’s championships competed for at the East of England Winter Stock Festival on 12 and 13 November, including the overall cattle and suckled calf championships and the sheep championships.

Explaining the development interim chief executive at East of England Agricultural Society Catherine Pusey said the Society contacted the Royal Smithfield Club after hearing of AgriLIVE’s demise.

Speaking on behalf of the Royal Smithfield Club chairman John Campbell said that at an initial meeting last Friday it became clear it would be possible to hold the Club’s championships at the event. “This is an arrangement for 2010 which will give all those exhibitors who were planning to attend the show at Stoneleigh an opportunity to compete for the Club’s trophies. We are grateful to the generous offer of assistance from the East of England team and look forward to working closely with them to ensure anyone wanting to exhibit can do so.”

Entry forms for the East of England Winter Stock Festival are being sent to all those who exhibited at RSC events in recent years and the entry deadline has been extended until Friday 8 October to assist those concerned.

UPDATE: Judges for the classes at Peterborough have been confirmed today (29 September) and they are to stay as they were originally planned to be for the East of England Winter Stock Festival, with Andrew Bishop placing the lambs and Liz Vance placing the cattle.

So, it seems something is set to rise from the ashes of AgriLIVE Smithfield and rather more quickly than some may have expected. Anyone with any desire to see Smithfield survive in future years should support the efforts of the RSC to find a home for the championships this year and where possible get your stock entered. See you there……