Shopping Bonanza

For those who came with little interest in the equestrian activities of the weekend there were no lack of activities.  There were over 100 trade stands, ranging from clothing shops to bookshops to jewellery to pet accessories.  In addition was also a Food Fair including cheeses, meats, Asian food, cakes and confectionary, and also the Downtown Outdoor Living exhibition, encompassing stands such as garden design, garden furniture and a range of plants.

Click here for a full list of the Tradestands and their wares

Sports Zone

A new attraction for 2008 was the ‘Sport Zone’ which showcased a wide variety of diverse sports, from curling to dancing to rugby.  It allows lesser known sports the opportunity to exhibit their sport to a new audience and more well known sports to explain the intricacies of their rules, and allow children and adults alike to have a go at a range of sports that they might not otherwise come into contact with.  There will also be opportunities throughout the weekend to receive coaching and ask advice of the experts.

Classic Vehicles Show

For the boys of the family in addition to the Sports Zone, there will be a Classic Vehicles show, in collaboration with Grantham Classic Car Club.  There will be over 100 different makes and models on display, ranging from Pre-1950 to the 1990’s, and in addition to the cars there are also classes for Classic Motor Cycles and Classic Scooters. 

The Grantham Cup Dog Agility

While the motor orientated members of the family to loose themselves for a few hours, the rest of the family can visit the trade stand area or for those who have canine interests there is the Grantham Cup Dog Agility Competition which will take place on Sunday in the Grantham Cup Arena.  For those families who have a dog of any shape or size, and want to have a go themselves, there will be an exclusive dog agility ring running all weekend, where you can have as many rounds as you would like.

The Grantham Cup Horse Trials

The equestrian element of the weekend combines 3 phases of competition happening every day: 

The dressage – is a test of the obedience and flexibility of the horse, and the ability of the rider to control the horse completely despite the distractions and disturbances around them. 

The show jumping – is a test of the ability of the horse to clear knockdown coloured poles in a relatively small area, and capability of the rider to guide the horse around the obstacles in the correct order.

The cross country – is a test of the daring and precision of the combination of horse and rider over 35-40 solid fences, including ditches, ponds, and banks among other things.  This is often considered the most exciting phase, the one that is most likely to see riders getting wet, and ending up in all sorts of trouble!

For those of you that are attracted to the more active phase of the horse trials, there is the opportunity to watch the current masters of the sport tackle the demanding cross country course in the Advanced level of competition on Sunday.  This will include competitors such as Mary King and William Fox-Pitt, who are part of the reigning champion Eventing team.  The Sunday competition will also include the Under 25 section where the up and coming young riders can compete at the top level against others of their own age.

And there’s lots lots more!!