Working horses and Countryside Ring at Essex Country Show, Barleylands.

  Now in its 24th year, over 37000 visitors attended the Essex Country Show at Barleylands near Billericay Essex on 12th and 13th September where the emphasis is on agriculture and rural crafts.   Many of the visitors made their way to the working horse area to see demonstrations of ploughing, harrowing, seed drilling, timber logging, braiding and farriery carried on throughout the weekend. Not only were our 3 native breeds- Shires, Clydesdales and Suffolk Punches - on view but also Percherons and Ardennes which were all well turned out by their owners who had come from Norfolk, Sussex, Kent, Suffolk and Essex.   Twice a day, heavy horse turnouts were paraded in the Countryside ring including John Goodwin and his immaculately turned out Capespan Shires- John informed spectators that he had been busy this year with his horses filming on location this year look out for them in a new Sherlock Holmes film out soon !   The Collins family from nearby Rochford harnessed their Shires to a wagon originally built at the Maldon Ironworks and Margaret Langley from Kent had one of her Shires in the shafts of a tip cart that had also been made at Maldon Ironworks. John Mancini, a tree surgeon and forester from Faversham Kent showed Bob, one of his two Clydesdales, timber logging. His two horses Bob and Jed are in full-time employment pulling timber and trees where Johns tractor is unsuitable.   Bruce Smith from the Suffolk Punch Trust had Colony Gigi and her filly foal Colony Vee together with Colony Laurel and Colony Oaken. The latter pair were originally to parade with the Trusts millers wagon but after some practice on the evening before the Show and a stringent risk assessment, they horsed a 1908 Shand Mason horse drawn steam fire engine Thorney, owned by the Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, was taken to the Show by a volunteer crew of serving and retired firefighters and steam enthusiasts but with no horses. The fire engine can raise steam from cold in less than 9 minutes and can deliver water at 250 gallons per minute.      Judging by the very favourable comments from heavy horse exhibitors and visitors alike, many have already pencilled in next years Show on 11th and 12th September.     Photo attached: Bruce Smith with Colony Oaken and Colony Laurel with the Shand-Mason steam fire engine in the Countryside ring