Cattle show join forces to make a Triple Crown trophy

Moreton-in-Marsh Show has linked up with Hanbury Countryside Show in Worcestershire and Burwarton Show in Shropshire to form a new Triple Crown competition.

Exhibitors will accumulate points by showing their cattle at all three shows and the running total will be kept a secret until the finale at Moreton Show.

Lynne Parkes, Moreton Show’s livestock secretary said: "It’ll be a bit like revealing the results of the X Factor for cattle.

"Our treble, involving all three shows, is aiming to attract some of the best cattle from across the country and we’d like to encourage handlers to compete for what will be the equivalent of a premier league title in cattle showing."

The Three Shires cattle trophy will be awarded to the exhibitor who gains the most points across all three shows.

The winner will receive a £1,000 cash prise, with the runner up and third place receiving £350 and £150 respectively.

The Moreton Show takes place on Saturday September 2, with The Hanbury Show taking place on Saturday July 1 and the Burwarton Show in Shropshire on Thursday August 3.

Peter Kirton, chief cattle steward at Burwarton Show said: "We wanted to create a new, prestigious and exciting competition for cattle exhibitors.

"This is extra to the traditional classes for all breeds of cattle and we hope that exhibitors will enjoy and support this new venture.

"We’re looking forward to seeing exhibitors at all three shows."

Richard Heath, secretary at Hanbury Countryside Show said: "We think it’s a great idea to form a partnership in cattle showing and I’m looking forward to seeing how the cattle progress through the classes at each show.

"It’s going to be pretty exciting by the time we get to Moreton Show in September, to see who’s our first Three Shires cattle trophy Triple Crown winner."

Information about how to compete and the scoring system for the cattle showing Triple Crown will be available shortly on the shows’ websites.