Andrew Arbuckle: Time to ring the changes and bring livestock to centre stage

Published on Saturday 3 July 2010 00:11

LATER this month, interviews will take place to choose the next chief executive of the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland following the decision of Ray Jones to stand down. He does so with the ringing endorsement of having helped organise one of the most successful Highland Shows in its history.

So far, I have yet to be asked to be on the interviewing panel. But if I was there, among the questions I would like to ask the candidates is: "How do you stop the Highland Show becoming the Highland Horse Show?"

I am not prejudiced against horses. On the contrary, horses have some very good features - on a recent visit to Brussels I really enjoyed a juicy horse steak tartare. (No, I say that only to wind up my horse-loving friends!)

Where I am coming from - and I am sure the spirit of previous occupant of this slot, Dan Buglass, horse-loving man that he was, would agree - is that horses now dominate the main show ring.

From shortly after the sun rises till late in the evening, the main ring seems to be full of horses of differing sizes cantering about. Meanwhile, the main cattle and sheep competitions are held out of sight of most of the general public. This is possibly excusable during the various breed competitions but surely not when it comes to the interbreed championships.

At this year's show, I watched the cattle interbreed team competition. I did so initially behind a rather tall Australian and was more guided by Jack Clark's excellent commentary than anything I could actually see.

It was still early in the competition so I wandered up to the main show ring and there it was with three rings of horses being judged. Not an interbreed competition, just various individual breed awards.

There were a number of spectators sitting at ease in the grandstand or lolling on the grass around the clock tower. But those observing the horses being judged were only a fraction of those peering over someone's shoulder trying to see the cattle judging.

The situation was even worse when I meandered across to the sheep interbreed. I was one of those who knew where it was hidden, but 99 per cent of the general public were not in on the secret location.

Once there, I listened as Jim Warnock on the microphone built up the atmosphere with his knowledge of the general breeds and the specific champions. But the whole event was squashed into two small rings and again viewing was limited.

The two-ring situation must also be questioned considering the opportunity for cross-infection at other times and locations during the show.

(A small diversion: While at the sheep judging, I watched as the directors who were stewarding the event helped the exhibitors to catch their sheep. I thought that as long as the Highland Show directors are prepared to roll up their sleeves as they were doing then the show is in good hands.)

One of the initial aims of the Highland Society is to promote all aspects of rural life and it seems to me that it is currently failing to do so in both the cattle and sheep sectors.

I believe it should not be difficult to have perhaps one hour in the main ring schedule on each weekend day to showcase the best of Scottish livestock.

Drum up the publicity on this. Let the public see the interbreed judging. Let them listen to the informed commentary. Encourage them to be like all the ringside experts and make their own choices.

I am fully aware of the spectacle of the grand parade of livestock, but that is a passive event and does not really involve the public other than the sheer sight of all the stock being paraded.

The point is that the best of every breed could be highlighted at the show.

Thanks to the attentions of a few television programmes, there is a different and more positive attitude to farming than there was even a decade ago. Apart from a small percentage of the population who do not agree with livestock farming at all, the vast majority of those seeing the competition would perhaps go home and think of the efforts that go into producing a champion and they might understand better as to why it is done at all.

Over to you, new chief executive, and RHASS directors.