The AGM was held in the Pilton Village Hall Monday 25th February. The chairman, Roger Eddy gave a full report on the 2007 show and presented an outline of the programme for the 2008 show,   link to Chairman's Report ......>

Roger Eddy was re-elected as chairman but he did inform the meeting that this would be his last year as chairman. Messrs Ian Harvey and Graham Walton were elected as joint vice-chairmen, Miss Lisette Smith as honorary secretary and Mrs Denise Bailey as treasurer. Mr Neil Parish, MEP was elected to be President for the year and Michael Eavis agreed to be nominated and was elected as President-elect for the coming year.

The chairman informed the meeting that Haskins Furniture and Gaymers Cider had both agreed to be Diamond Sponsors again for 2008. It was also announced that the 2008 show would again be free to pedestrians.

The Wurzels have agreed to play at the Mid-Somerset Show in Shepton Mallet on Sunday August 19 th. As in recent years entry to the show for pedestrians will be free and the car park will be £7-00. The chairman, Roger Eddy thanks the Society President, Mr Michael Eavis who persuaded the Wurzels to attend.

The Gaymer Cider Company, J H Haskins Ltd and Mr Mark Franklin have agreed to be major sponsors for the show this year which has all the makings of another successful event with Somerset cider featuring very strongly.

We are delighted to announce that J H Haskins Ltd will be a Diamond Sponsor for the Mid Somerset Show in 2007. Roger Eddy, chairman of the Society, says that he is pleased to welcome J H Haskins again as a major sponsor for the show. Kevin Haskins and his father before him have been strong supporters of the show for many years.

Anyone interested in being a sponsor please contact the show secretary.

Sponsorship opportunities in addition to individual class sponsorship can be viewed here  ......... Link  >

The BSJA have again awarded a qualifying round for the Top Track International Horse of the Year Grade C Championship 2007 to the Mid-Somerset Show.   This is the fifth year in succession that that this event has been held in Shepton Mallet where the course and going have been very popular with the riders.

Latest Horse Class information from this ........Link >

COMPANION DOG SHOW - NEW THIS YEAR

(held under Kennel Club Rules and Regulations)

 For Charity Number 1012634 The Midsomerset Agricultural Society

• PEDIGREE CLASSES
• NOVELTY CLASSES
• STARTING AT 1PM
• ENTRIES ON THE DAY  

Pigs, eggs and dogs return to the Mid-Somerset Show this year.  

After an absence of several years there will be a pig show at the Mid-Somerset this year. Hopefully there will be six classes split into traditional and modern breed sections. Eggs will also feature again this year with a competition which will be sited in the cheese tent. A companion dog show is also being organised with entries being taken on the day. Schedules for all three competitions will be available on the website shortly.

Hounds in “stock judging” competition

The Young Farmers are also taking part in a new twist to their stock judging competition. As well as judging cattle their skills at identifying the desirable characteristics in foxhounds will be put to the test. Mendip Hunt are kindly selecting four hounds and the YFC competitors will list the hounds in order having identified what makes a good hound. The judge, from the Mendip Hunt will compare their findings with his own selection and will be giving reasons.

Bristol Zoo will be at the 2006 Show with "hands on experience"

ZOO to YOU will give show visitors the chance to see, hear and touch live animals. You could find yourself being tickled by a hissing cockroach, holding a giant snail or watching as a snake tastes the air

Mid Somerset Agricultural Society announces The Second Lionel Edwards Travel Scholarship

full details of how to apply are given on the Travel Scholarship page .....>

Ben Sellick is winner of the Lionel Edwards Travel Scholarship 2005

Ben Sellick from Escott Farm, Williton, Taunton. Somerset. is currently on a farm study tour of farms in Australia. He is due to return in January 2006, we will post a report on this site.

Wyke Farms win the "Rocky McNeil" Seven Counties Cup awarded for the first time at the 2005 Show.

The cup was donated by Stratton Sales in memory of Rocky who founded Stratton Sales in 1981 and is to reward overall excellence for cheese production. The competition is open to manufacturers in the seven counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Hampshire and is awarded to the manufacturer who gains the most points overall in the cheese competitions:

Mini Under 12 Individual World Mounted Games Association Champion at The Mid-Somerset Show

The newest world champion is Somerset based rider Tom Clarke aged 12 years from East Harptree.

Tom is a member of the Mounted Games team Mid Glamorgan Blues Mendip Farmers Pony Club.  The pony Tom rode in the world championships is Misty owned by Kay Stark of Stanton Drew.

The competition was run over two days of heats with the final being 10 races. After the third race Tom was lying in third place, the fourth race Tom took a four point lead, after the sixth race Tom was leading two other riders by just one point. He battled on and finished the final race with a six point advantage.

The next competition Tom is keen to win is the Prince Phillip Cup games at the Pony Club Championships at Sansaw. Banwell Pony Club beat Mendip by just one point at the zone finals at Taunton Racecourse in July, April Wilson, a member of Banwell was reserve world champion. If Mendip are the best team at the championships they will take a final place to go to Horse of the Year Show at the NEC, Birmingham in September.

Team trainer for Mid Glamorgan Blues is one of our horse Stewards, Maria Gibson, from East Pennard.

The cup will be awarded to the manufacturer who gains the most points overall in the cheese competitions:

5 points for a 1st place

4 points for a 2nd place

3 points for a 3rd place

2 points for a 4th place

1 point for an entry

The Seven Counties Cup has been donated by Stratton Sales in memory of the company founder, Rocky McNeil who died in August 2004.

Roderick Michael Spencer McNeil, known by all his friends as ‘Rocky’, was born in Bristol in 1928. His father was Colin McNeil, who ran the Chemicals Division of Clare’s, and his mother was Barbara Clare – daughter of Alma James (AJ) Clare, founder of Clare’s of Wells.

As a boy, Rocky attended Wells Cathedral School; he was a sea farer at heart and when he left school he joined HMS Worcester and graduated as the Chief Cadet Captain. On completion of his training, he joined the Union Castle Shipping Line where he served as a navigating officer and where he met his South African wife Ann. He left the sea in 1955, just after he was married, and worked in Johannesburg until, in 1962 he was invited back home to Wells to help run the family business. Just 5 year’s later in 1967, he succeeded his uncle Roy Clare when he retired as Managing Director of Clare’s.

Clare’s was taken over by Black & Edginton plc in 1974. Rocky became a director on the main board and continued to run the company as the divisional Managing Director until he left in 1981. He started the company Stratton Sales that same year, building a niche market servicing the cheese industry throughout the British Isles, supplying dairy textiles, rennet and cultures to a broadening market of the dairy and cheese making industry – from the largest in the land to the smallest. Rocky’s son Colin is carrying on the family tradition and now runs this successful business as the Managing Director.

Rocky passed away on 26 th August 2004, leaving his devoted wife Ann, his son Colin and Jane his wife, his daughters Caroline and Jennie and three grandsons, Max, Ross and Jack.