Melton Show goes ahead

Some of the country’s best rare livestock breeds will be on show at the 5th National Show and Sale of Traditional Native Breeds, which is being staged at Melton Mowbray Livestock Market on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th September 2007.

But the final format of the two-day event has yet to be confirmed, as organisers still have not received final clarification from DEFRA of the rules that might apply to the event in the wake of the recent foot and mouth disease outbreak in Surrey.

Confirmation that the event could go ahead at all was only received on Thursday 29th August, and organisers still do not know whether the event needs to be concluded within a 24-hour period to meet current livestock trading/movement rules.If the event does have to meet those rules then the livestock showing – originally planned for Friday afternoon – will move to Friday evening with livestock arriving on site from 4pm, and the sale continuing as planned on Saturday so all stock can be removed from the site by 4pm on Saturday.

The event itself will feature some 150 cattle from eight of Britain’s rarest breeds, and approaching 1000 sheep from 23 breeds, among them some of the most picturesque and rare breeds in existence.

Complete show catalogues can be viewed on the market website with printed versions available from Melton Mowbray Market Auctioneers, Melton Mowbray Market, Scalford Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 1JY. Tel: 01664 562971; fax: 01664 561153 or e-mail: info@meltonmowbraymarket.co.uk