Show History
The Moreton Show has involved the local community from the outset and only survives from the support of people from all walks of life willing to sacrifice their time to serve the Show.
Today's Show has become so large, diverse and entertaining and so commercially successful with its myriad trade stands that one can easily overlook its serious underlying purpose which is - and always has been - to improve the standard of farming and farm crafts locally. The Moreton Show does however hold various farm and crop competitions that go on almost continuously throughout the year - the Moreton Show is by no means a one day a year phenomenon.
First Show in 1949
First staged in 1949 on the same site - part of the Batsford Estate - it has occupied ever since, though much extended, the Moreton Show has been faithful to its founding fathers in that it has not neglected its educational mission which was the prime reason why the Moreton-in-Marsh and District Agricultural and Horse Show Society was formed in the first place. Its effect on farming standards and on public appreciation of farming has been considerable.
This zeal for improvement was at the core of the three societies which merged to form the present Moreton Show - the Cotswold Agricultural Society, The Moreton Shire Horse Society and the Moreton-in-Marsh and District Agricultural Society.
Growth of The Moreton Show
The Moreton Show has now grown so large that it attracts visitors from all over the country.
The objectives of the Show Society were to improve the breeding and rearing of livestock, hunters and heavy horses and the standard of farming and farm crafts, with a show to be held each year in September.
It was decided that the Moreton Show would include Shire, Hunter and Pony classes and 20 jumping events and classes for Dairy Shorthorns, Ayrshires, Friesians, Jerseys, Guernseys and Red Polls, beef bulls, sheep and pigs. Farm and craft competitions would be run during the summer with prizes for the best farmed farm over 200 acres and best farmed farm under 200 acres; the best fields of barley, wheat, oats and beans; the best crops of potatoes, mangolds or swedes and kale, and the best three-year grazing ley. Competitions for agricultural workers would include ploughing, hedging and thatching. The date of the first show was fixed for Saturday September 3rd and the show has been held in early September ever since.
The highest cash prizes were £6 for the horse and cattle champions (compared with £50 in 1988) and £2 for the champion crops (£25 in 1998) though it has always been the winning and not the reward that has been the spur at the Moreton Show.
The initial Moreton Show was held in 1949 and proved the biggest event ever to have been held in the North Cotswolds, drawing an attendance of 2,000 people.
1952 was the first year that the Moreton Show was ever called off and this was due to a foot and mouth outbreak in nearby Upper Slaughter.
Another major milestone for the Moreton Show was in 1967 when the Poll Hereford Breeders' Association decided to hold their annual Show at the Moreton Show.
An Attractions Committee was appointed in 1970 to organise a programme for those members of the public not primarily interested in farming and at the 1971 Moreton Show countryside events as gun dog trials, donkey and terrier racing, a clay pigeon shoot and a display of vintage steam engines and threshing machines were introduced.
Since 1976, a plaque has been awarded for the best Show window display in Moreton during show week which has helped to further involve the local business community with the Moreton Show.
The Show Society's work goes on all round the year but obviously builds up during the final weeks before the annual show on the first Saturday in September. In 1986 the Society took the most important step in its history by buying a house in Oxford Street, Moreton-in-Marsh, to serve as its headquarters.
Also in 1986 Miss Georgina Attwood's services to the Moreton Show were nationally recognised in the 1986 New Year's Honours when she was awarded an MBE, and in 1989 the Society elected a woman Chairman for the first time, Mrs. Betty Woolliams.
The Moreton Show was held on a Sunday for the first (and only) time in 1997 due to the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, being held on Saturday 6th September.
In 1998 Matt "The Kangaroo Kid" Coulter soared 35.06 metres over a line of twelve 4-wheel drive vehicles to set up a stunt leap world record at the Moreton Show!
More recently Foot and Mouth disease affected the Moreton Show in 2001, and consequently a food fair was held to enhance the Show. This led to the Awards for National Small Food Producers being hosted by the Moreton Show in 2002 and from this the establishment of the Food Retail Marquee.
In 2008, livestock presence at the Moreton Show was threatened due to blue tongue and then the Show was unfortunately cancelled in 2008 following extremely heavy rain which led to unmanageable ground conditions. The majority of the Home & Garden classes were judged in the Redesdale Hall but the Show Society lost £200,000 in revenue from the cancelled Show.
Unfortunately for the President of the 2008 Show, Richard Sipthorp, he and his wife had travelled over 11,500 miles from New Zealand to attend the Moreton Show.
