24-639: The Royal Show , also known as the Royal Agricultural Show , was an annual agricultural show held by the Royal Agricultural Society of England every year from 1839 to 2009. The event encompassed all aspects of farming, food and rural life - from the best of British livestock to the latest business and technological innovations in the farming industry. Over 1,000 stands, world-class livestock and equine classes attracted visitors from over 100 countries. The Royal Show gave
48-571: A rare collection of medals documenting the history of agricultural shows and rural industries across Australia. The 111 medals range in date from the mid-19th to the early 20th century and many are associated with significant individuals and organizations. Related to a show is the "field day", with elements of a trade show for machinery, equipment and skills required for broadacre farming. Field days typically do not involve livestock, show bags or sideshows , but may include events such as ploughing competitions not usually associated with shows due to
72-953: A talk on insect control by an entomologist at a recent field day at LSU AgCenter's Pecan Research/Extension Station in Shreveport, La. A Landcare survey conducted in 1992/93 revealed that field days in Australia have a high value among local farmers. New Zealand's National Agricultural Fieldays is held annually in June at Mystery Creek , near Hamilton, New Zealand , and attracts 1,000 exhibitors and over 115,000 visitors through its gates. Smaller shows, held annually in New Zealand's towns and communities, are generally called agricultural and pastoral shows ( A&P shows ). Agricultural shows can be sources of swine influenza transmission in both animal and human populations. Swine influenza
96-483: A variety of safety precautions that should be taken at agricultural fairs to prevent the spread of swine influenza. Vulnerable communities including children, people aged 65 years and older, pregnant women, and those suffering from long-term health conditions are groups who should avoid swine exposure due to their high-risk status. The CDC specifically recommends that high-risk individuals with known medical complications avoid interaction with swine at agricultural fairs. It
120-581: Is a communicable disease caused by one of several different strains of influenza A virus . Currently, the subtypes of influenza A virus which have been identified in pig populations within the United States are referred to as H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2, all named for their specific genetic makeups. These viruses are extremely common in pigs across various industries, including pig showmanship at agricultural fairs, and are easily passed between pigs when proper hygiene and safety measures are not carried out. It
144-502: Is advised that anyone who develops flu symptoms after swine exposure at agricultural fairs contact their physician for appropriate medical consultation. There are other recommended prevention strategies to reduce the spread of swine influenza at agricultural fairs. It is suggested that people do not bring food into pig areas, do not take any items such as toys, pacifiers or similar items near the pig areas, avoid close contact with any pigs, and wash hands before and after handling pigs. Given
168-469: Is exhibited), a trade fair , competitions, and entertainment. The work and practices of farmers , animal fanciers , cowboys , and zoologists may be displayed. The terms agricultural show and livestock show are synonymous with the North American terms county fair and state fair . The first known agricultural show was held by Salford Agricultural Society, Lancashire , in 1768. Since
192-435: Is rare for the virus to spread to humans; however, genetic reassortment can lead to susceptibility among humans. Due to direct contact with infected animals or a contaminated environment, swine influenza strains can be transmitted to human populations. In cases such as the 2009 flu pandemic , the virus was transmitted from swine to humans and caused a global pandemic which led to the deaths of approximately 12,000 people in
216-830: The 1903 show were disappointing, and even worse at the shows in the two following years. By then it was decided that the idea of a permanent show had been a mistake, and that the travelling show should resume. The show grounds were sold for industrial use in 1907. From 1963, the Royal Show was held in Stoneleigh Park (previously known as the National Agricultural Centre or NAC) near Stoneleigh in Warwickshire , England . The first show at Stoneleigh lasted four days and attracted 111,916 visitors. More than 140,000 visitors were expected to attend
240-667: The 19th century, agricultural shows have provided local people with an opportunity to celebrate achievements and enjoy a break from day-to-day routine. With a combination of serious competition and light entertainment, annual shows acknowledged and rewarded the hard work and skill of primary producers and provided a venue for rural families to socialise. City shows also provide city people with an opportunity to engage directly with rural life and food production. Agriculture shows are often enlivened with competitive events, including sheaf tossing , show jumping , food competitions, and tent pegging . Demolition derbies and rodeos are popular in
264-515: The 2007 show; however, bad weather forced the show to close early for the first time in its history. Torrential rains left the showground saturated and police and show organisers took the decision to close the show a day ahead of schedule "to ensure the safety and welfare of the public, traders and exhibitors". Two of the showground's car parks were closed on Monday evening after drivers had to be towed free. A further 30 acres (12 ha) of barley and hay fields were mown to provide additional parking on
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#1732773179569288-405: The 2009 show would be the last. The Agricultural Buildings Show has taken over in part from the Royal Show at Stoneleigh Park. Agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry . The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock
312-548: The Royal Agricultural Society made the decision to look for a permanent showground, in order to reduce costs and make additional income from letting the site for other events. Eventually a 102 acres (41 ha) site was leased near Twyford Abbey in West London, and given the name Park Royal by the society, a name it continues to bear. The first show was held on the site in 1903. The attendances at
336-721: The Scottish highland games although technically it is not itself a heavy athletics event. The sheaf toss is also a traditional sport in the Basque Country . It is a feature of the annual Sykehouse Show in South Yorkshire, England. Sheaf tossing is also contested in Ireland and Australia particularly at agricultural shows and at fairs ; Irish sheaf tossing differs from sheaf tossing in Scotland and France in that
360-519: The Tuesday. The decision was described as "heartbreaking" by the Royal Agricultural Society of England. John Moverley, RASE Chief Executive, said the financial implications of the wet weather and closing the show early were being assessed. "We haven’t got exact figures, but it looks as though we are down by about 10% for the first two days on last year," he said. The Royal Show was again run at Stoneleigh in 2008. However, on 3 April 2009, organisers said
384-781: The US and campdrafting and wood chopping are often held in Australia. Studs are generally available for a fee. A livestock show is an event where livestock are exhibited and judged on certain phenotypical breed traits as specified by their respective breed standard . Species of livestock that may be shown include pigs , cattle , sheep , goats , horses , rabbits , llamas , and alpacas . Poultry such as chickens , geese , ducks , turkeys , and pigeons are also shown competitively. There are also competitive shows for dogs , sheepdogs , and cats . Prize-winners at agricultural shows are generally awarded inscribed medals, cups, rosettes or ribbons. The National Museum of Australia has
408-504: The United States alone. For this reason, people who work or spend any time in close proximity with pigs are at risk for infection and must follow specific precautions to prevent the spread of swine influenza. Certain populations at agricultural fairs are at increased risk of developing serious complications after swine influenza exposure. For instance, pregnant women are more susceptible to swine influenza and have been shown to have increased rates of swine influenza mortality relative to
432-709: The United States associated with contact with pigs at agricultural fairs. The three main Influenza A viruses responsible for these outbreaks are variants of the Influenza A viruses H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2. Recent swine influenza variant outbreaks associated with agriculture fairs in the United States: In the United States, agricultural fairs are a significant exposure source for swine influenza. Certain strains of swine influenza can be transmitted from pig to pig, pig to human, and human to human; swine influenza infection does not always show signs of illness. There are
456-402: The competitor's head. Typical weight for the bag is 16 or 20 pounds (7.3 or 9.1 kg). Three chances are given to each competitor to cleanly go over the bar. After all challengers have made their attempts, the bar is raised and all successful competitors move on to the new height. This continues until all but one athlete is eliminated. The Sheaf toss has been incorporated as an event at many of
480-603: The general population. Similarly, adolescents , infants , and those with serious medical comorbid conditions have disproportionately high rates of mortality with swine influenza. This is concerning as over 3.5 million children in the United States participate in youth agricultural programs every year. Agricultural fairs can readily lead to swine influenza infection in vulnerable populations because agricultural fairs are frequently visited by entire families, including children and pregnant women. Swine influenza variant viruses have been responsible for several recent outbreaks in
504-478: The larger space required. In some communities in northern England Field Days (or Club Days ) have lost their agricultural character and have become community celebrations. The events are good sources of agricultural information, as organizers can arrange for guest speakers to talk on a range of topics, such as the talk on the yellow-flowering alfalfa at the South Dakota field day. Pecan growers were given
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#1732773179569528-492: The name Park Royal to the part of west London which once hosted the show. The Royal Agricultural Society of England had planned to make the site a permanent home for the Royal Show. It was not a success and the Society sold the land in 1907. Between 1839 and 1902 the Royal Show was held at various locations across the country: Following the 1879 event at Queen's Park, which incurred a large financial loss due to bad weather,
552-474: The severity of the disease, it is prudent to adopt safety precautions to limit the spread of the swine flu. Incomplete list of shows in Australia: Sheaf toss The sheaf toss ( Scottish Gaelic : sguab ) is a traditional Scottish agricultural sport event originally contested at country fairs. A pitchfork is used to hurl a hessian bag stuffed with straw over a horizontal bar above
576-399: The sheaf is made of rushes which are bound tightly with baling twine and are not placed in a bag. The rules are the same as the Scottish version and a pitchfork is used. The same pitchfork is usually used for all competitors so as not to give anybody an unfair advantage by allowing them use their own customised pitchfork. A variation of this rule is that if one brings a custom pitchfork to
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