🌾 Five Country Shows You’ve Probably Never Heard Of in 2025
Amid the bustle of major events and high-profile venues, a quieter tradition endures—where livestock are named, neighbours become judges, and the ties between community and countryside run deep. These five country shows form the cultural backbone of their villages, celebrating agricultural heritage with authenticity and heart. For those seeking cattle, sheep, horses—and genuine character—this is where connection and countryside converge.
🐄 Borrowby Show
📍 Location: Hillside Rural Activities Park, Knayton, North Yorkshire
📅 Date: Saturday, 26 July 2025
Tucked away in the hills of North Yorkshire, Borrowby is a gentle giant of rural celebration—modest in size, mighty in spirit. With livestock, local produce, and hand-crafted charm, it’s like stepping into a living countryside postcard.
🎯 Highlights:
- Celebrating its 75th anniversary
- Cattle, sheep, horses, tent classes, flowers, crafts, and homemade wine
- Show jumping, gymkhana, fancy dress parade, evening dance
- A quiet classic with minimal media coverage
🐑 Sykehouse Show
📍 Location: Poplars Farm, Sykehouse, South Yorkshire
📅 Date: Sunday, 3 August 2025
A show with big heart and hearty livestock, Sykehouse blends tradition with Yorkshire grit in one of England’s longest-standing village gatherings. It’s where heritage meets hospitality.
🎯 Highlights:
- Shire horses, dairy cattle, Jacob sheep, and pony classes
- Gymkhana games, sheaf tossing, harness decoration
- Handicrafts, horticulture, homecrafts
- Established in 1884, run by a passionate local committee
🐎 Weeton Show
📍 Location: Weeton Showground, LS17 0AN, North Yorkshire
📅 Date: Sunday, 20 July 2025
Set in the lush folds of Lower Wharfedale, Weeton Show is a beloved local celebration packed with tradition, livestock, and a splash of whimsy. It’s as Yorkshire as a brass band on a breeze—quietly brilliant and fiercely proud.
🎯 Highlights:
- Over 30 horse and pony classes, heavy horses, working hunter
- Terrier racing, ferret racing, gundog demos, vintage tractors
- Local ale (“Weeton Wiggle”), Punch & Judy, brass bands
- Known locally as “The Greatest Little Show in Yorkshire”
🐄 Totnes & District Show
📍 Location: Great Court Farm, Berry Pomeroy, Totnes, Devon
📅 Date: Sunday, 27 July 2025
Nestled near Berry Pomeroy Castle, this century-old Devon show is a soulful blend of livestock pride and easy country celebration. It’s understated and unassuming—just the way locals like it.
🎯 Highlights:
- Cattle, sheep, poultry, horses, and side-saddle equestrian classes
- Lamb shearing, Pony Club games, dog & duck displays
- Music stage, vintage vehicles, family dog show
- Still going strong after 100+ years of quiet devotion
🐄 Yealmpton Agricultural Show
📍 Location: Kitley Lawns, Yealmpton, Devon
📅 Date: Wednesday, 30 July 2025
This gently bustling show captures the soul of Devon farming with its eclectic mix of livestock, tractor nostalgia, and rustic competitions. It’s a countryside gathering that feels as personal as it is picturesque.
🎯 Highlights:
- Cattle, sheep, goats, horses, ponies, and pets
- Supreme horse championship, terrier racing, quad bike displays
- New for 2025: “Egg Show” and revamped horticulture sections
- Hosted on historic grounds with deep farming roots
🌾 Preserving Rural Traditions
While larger shows may draw the spotlight, it’s these smaller gatherings that quietly uphold the soul of the countryside. Their commitment to livestock, heritage, and neighbourly pride speaks not through scale, but through sincerity. As 2025 unfolds, these five country shows continue to honour the rituals of agriculture, the rhythm of village life, and the enduring connection between land and community.