Dunster Show Society is a registered charity whose objectives are to improve, promote and encourage agriculture for the public benefit.
Supporting the young people that represent the future of farming and rural life is at the heart of what we do and each year. The Dunster Show Society grants bursaries to local students in the area who are studying land based subjects.
Any further surplus funds after covering costs are used in the local community to help organisations such as; Devon Air Ambulance, Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance, West Group Young Farmers Clubs, Exmoor Hill Farming Network, FWAG and many others serving our rural community.
The society greatly appreciates the support from its members, volunteers, sponsors, competitors, traders and general public that help to make these bursaries and donations possible whilst helping make Dunster Show such a special day in the calendar.
The History of Dunster Show
From a small wintertime exhibition of Exmoor cattle and sheep, the Show has grown over the generations into an entertaining day out for all ages and interests, in the glorious setting beneath Dunster Castle.
In The Beginning
In the first half of the 19th century, Britain’s population was rapidly expanding, driven by the Industrial Revolution – people were leaving the countryside to work in the new factories and mills. With fewer people working on the land, there was an urgent drive to breed better animals and boost production. Around the country local agricultural societies tried to encourage better farming practices.
From the early 1800s there had been some sort of competition run by the Dunster Agricultural Society. In November 1834 a Dunster farmer called Thomas Oatway herded a few of his red Devon cattle from his fields on Priory Farm down into the High Street for the annual Christmas fatstock market – the Dunster Great Market.
Gathered around the pens in the High Street, this was also a rare chance for farmers to catch up with the latest news and gossip, and check out the competition! In the next show in 1835, Oatway arranged for selected beasts to be herded up the lanes to his fields. Here, the cattle were judged in what was known as the annual Exhibition and Show which, over the decades, was to grow into the DUNSTER SHOW.
Moving to a New Home
After the rain lashed 1896 Great Market and Cattle Show, where the ground was treacherous for horse jumping and which saw gate receipts reduced by three-quarters, it was decided to hold 2 markets – one in August / September for breeding stock and one undercover in December for fatstock.
The first summer Dunster Show was held in 1897 on Dunster Lawns, overlooked by Dunster Castle, granted for free by George Fownes Luttrell. The new title for the Show ‘An Exhibition of Horses and Breeding Stock’, showed a significant change in priorities in favour of the horse. At this first summer show there were 7 classes for cattle, 3 for sheep and 12 for horses. Inevitably it was the summer Show which grew more quickly and it soon became the social event of the year.
At the beginning of the 20th century the horses continued their supremacy and with an increasing interest in hunting, Dunster Show grew as a showcase for breeders to parade their horses for sale to a new wealthy market.
In 1903, the Show included a class sponsored by the Polo Pony Society, who campaigned to use ponies for riding rather than pulling wagons. West Somerset Polo Club held their first tournament at the 1910 Show and the sport proved such a great success, that Dunster Lawns soon became the home of Polo in Somerset.
War, the Glorious 20s and War Again
During the summer of 1914 it was obvious that war was coming. Dealers working for the government had been buying up horses for military service. The government had 25,000 horses in service but needed five times as many. A week before the 1914 Show, the week after war had been announced, the summer Dunster Show was abandoned, and would not return until 1919. The winter market continued for the first two years of the war, before it too was abandoned.
After five years, the Dunster Show returned on 5 September 1919. The Show attracted its highest audience ever, as visitors were determined to put the devastating war behind them. The winter Show returned in December 1920, but with a poor attendance. So it was agreed that the 1924 winter Show would be the last. The summer Show went from strength to strength. Polo on the Dunster Lawns grew in popularity during the 1920s. Winston Churchill was a keen polo player and played here in 1923, as did the Maharajah of Jodhpur in 1925 with 51 of his finest ponies.
In the late 1930s, Dunster Show’s finances were strong and record crowds visited the 1937 and 1938 Shows. This sense of permanence and stability was soon to be shattered once again. On the day of the 1939 Show at 1.00pm, announcements were interrupted in order to carry the lunchtime news. The hushed crowd heard ‘Germany has invaded Poland… ‘. This meant a rapid curtailment of the Show – and for the next 6 years. Young men of fighting age went straight from Dunster to Minehead to sign up for military duty. For the second time in 25 years, another generation of Somerset’s young men were preparing to fight for their country.
A Golden Era of Jumping
One of the biggest attractions of the 1953 Dunster Show was the British Show Jumping Association’s regional championship. The biggest draw was Miss Pat Smythe and her horse, Tosca, who had just won the International Horse Show of the Year for Britain, and who made the only clear round of the show.
In the following year, there was the prospect of a real battle in the show jumping ring, where Pat returned to compete head to head against her colleague and rival Col. Harry Llewellyn on Foxhunter, who had won gold at the Helsinki Olympics. Unfortunately, the record crowd of nearly 7,000 were to be denied this battle as Tosca had been unwell and was eliminated after refusals.
However, on an Olympic size course, the crowd were treated to the sight of Col. Llewellyn and Foxhunter jumping the only clear round of the day. They left the ring to tumultuous applause. Pat Smythe and Tosca returned in 1955, but the golden era of show jumping at Dunster was reaching an end, mainly due to the cost of presenting the enormous shows.
The Show Today
The Show has grown much, much larger to entertain the 1000s of visitors who flock to Dunster Lawns. There is now a funfair, dog show and music, and displays of vintage tractors, falconry, archery and horse and hounds.
Alongside the Showground there is a large trade fair selling local crafts, agricultural supplies, food and country clothing. Dunster Show is now a registered charity and revenue from trade stands help to ensure it is a profitable venture, enabling it to be sustainable for the future and to plough surplus revenue into supporting local farmers and the future of farming in West Somerset.
The Show also grants bursaries to local students in the area who are studying rural subjects. But the heart of the Show remains the encouragement of better local farming practices through the showing of high quality cattle, sheep and horses – on that very special third Friday in August, as it did in the day of Oatway almost 200 years ago.
