Manes and tails are brushed and coats gleaming as Buckham Fair invites you to visit their new ‘horse village’
Hosted by Martin and Philippa Clunes at their farm near Beaminster, Buckham Fair is a family-friendly vintage fair featuring a dog and pony show. Over the last nine years Buckham has raised over £513,000 for local Dorset charities including the children’s hospice Julia’s House, Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance and Weldmar Hospicecare Trust. This year’s event, on Sunday 19 August, is raising money for Dorset County Hospital’s new Cancer Centre.
Horses come in all shapes and sizes at Buckam Fair, as Philippa Clunes explains. “This year we are creating a ‘horse village’ with 20 stables where you can meet and greet the Shetland ponies as well as different types of heavy horses - including Martin’s Clydesdales Ronnie & Bruce.”
Alongside this will be the usual Buckham Fair horse and pony classes, including my favourite - Best Fancy Dress Pony. The famous Devil’s Horseman stunt team will be thrilling the crowd in the show ring, and back by popular demand is the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Display Team. Don’t miss the Heavy Horse Classes where Martin will be showing Ronnie and Bruce.
There will be canine capers in the novelty dog show ring judged by Martin and his Men Behaving Badly chum Neil Morrissey, and an attempt at a Guinness World Record for the largest number of dogs sitting on command. Add to this craft and trade stalls, local food and drink and a fun fair and you have a cracking day out.
Download a sponsorship from buckhamfair.co.uk where you will find details of all the dog and pony events happening on Sunday, 19 August, gates open at 9am.
DON’T MISS!
Martin Clunes will be guest editor of the August edition of Dorset Magazine out on 10 July, celebrating Buckham Fair’s 10th birthday and his favourite Dorset people and places.
