This year, most of this section’s classes will be judged on Friday evening (27th July), please read the following information and judging timetable:

• The Marquee will be open on Friday 27^th July from 2pm.
• All exhibits being judged on Friday evening must be in place by 6.30pm.
• Exhibitors with large numbers of entries should allow sufficient time to display their exhibits.
• Home Baking, Eggs and Horticultural Exhibits will be accepted on Friday evening AND up to 9.30am on Saturday.
• Late Entries for Horticultural will be accepted up until 8.00pm on Friday evening.
• The Horticulture and Home Baking section of the marquee will close at 8.30pm.
• Security Personnel will be on site on Friday night.
• On Saturday, exhibitors must drop off their exhibits, park and return to the marquee to display their exhibits. Max 10 min parking outside Marquee.

Directions

• If approaching from Antrim town ENTER using the 2^nd GATE into Shane’s Castle off the A6 Randalstown / Castle Rd.
• Follow the Home Industries (HI) signs to Marquee
• Exhibits and prize money can be collected after 4pm and not before on Saturday 28th July.
• No cars will be permitted in the show field until after 4.30pm on Saturday 28th July .

 

Section                        Staging Day(s)                          Times                                                   Judging

 

Schools                       Friday, 27th July                      Between 2pm – 6pm                   6pm (Friday)

 

WI Team                     Friday, 27th July                     Between 2pm – 6pm                   6pm (Friday)

Competition

 

Floral Art                     Friday, 27th July                   Between 2pm – 6.30pm           6.30pm (Friday)

Craft Work

YFC Craft

Jam & Wine

Photography

Children’s Photography

Children’s Craft         

 

Horticultural              Friday, 27th July                    Between 2pm – 8pm

OR                                     Saturday, 28th  July             Between 8am – 9.30am           9.45am (Saturday)

(Flowers, Plants, Fruit, Vegetables Allotments and Junior Horticultural)

 

Home Baking             Friday, 27th July*                  Between 2pm – 8pm

OR                                    Saturday, 28th July               Between 8am – 9.30am           9.45am (Saturday)

(including Children’s classes)

 

Eggs                                Friday, 27th July                        Between 2pm – 8pm

OR                                   Saturday, 28th July                  Between 8am – 9.30am          9.45am (Saturday)

 

*Home Baking may be staged on Friday evening if in a box or wrapped.

Stewards will set out on Saturday, prior to judging.

 

Take a walk in the country at Randox Antrim Show on Saturday 28^th July when the country life showcase descends on the beautiful setting of Shanes Castle, Antrim.

The event offers a fun-packed day where the best of the best of horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, fruit, vegetables, flowers, photography, crafts and baked goods are brought to the one location for visitors’ enjoyment. You’ll also find a Festival of Food, dog agility displays, a petting zoo, sheep shearing, live music, dancing, and stalls to list only a few of the other attractions.

New this year is a Youth Busking competition where a £250 prize is on offer. The competition is open to individuals or groups of up to six performers of secondary school age (U18s) from youth groups across the Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough.

A Children’s Treasure Hunt is also new and free for U12s to take part in; offering an extra element to the range of children’s entertainment on offer.

Paula McIntryre’s cookery demonstrations in the ‘Festival of Food’ marquee – surrounded by food producers keen for the public to sample their wares – has become one of the event’s most popular attractions.

As examples of what can be found in the Home Industries and Horticulture section, Antrim is hosting a new Women’s Institute team competition on the theme of ‘Afternoon Tea’ and is on the hunt for the Show’s ‘Gardener of the Year’ and County Antrim Shows’ Best Chocolate Cake.

In the entertainment marquee the jiving competition, introduced last year, returns to see who will win the ‘King & Queen of the Castle 2018’ title. There’s a tempting first prize of £200 on offer to the winning couple, £100 for second and £50 for third. Entries for the jiving competition are taken on the day of the show just before it starts at 2.30pm.

The Children’s Pet Show always draws a good crowd.  Open to U16s, it is £1 to enter on the day, just ahead of judging at 1.30pm in the cattle rings. Look out for the sign. Details of all of the event’s competitions can be found on the Show’s website.

When it comes to exhibitors’ classes, horticulture entries are still accepted up until Friday 27 July by contacting that section direct on 075 2609 9966. Only equine classes can be entered on the day and late entry fees will now apply in that section.

New livestock/equine classes for 2018 include working hunter classes for ponies and horses and in the sheep section, there are classes have been added for the new, Suffolk Cheviot breed.

This year Antrim is proud to be hosting the Northern Ireland Shorthorn Club’s National Championship, the NI Dexter Group’s Premier Show, NI British Blue Heifer Championship, NI Limousin Championship, incorporating the Young Limousin Breeders’ Anglo Irish Stockjudging Competition, the final of the Bank of Ireland and NISA pedigree Junior bull Championship; and, in the sheep section, the Border Leicester National Show.  Antrim is also a qualifier for the Bluegrass/NISA Clydesdale Championship 2018 and the Linden Foods/NISA Pedigree Beef Heifer Championships.

Randox Antrim Show takes place on Saturday 28^th July at Shanes Castle, from 9am until 5pm. Admission on the day is £10 per person and children under 16 years of age go free when accompanied by a paying adult. Car parking is free. Click here for the latest show news.

A new shield for the winner of the ‘Gardener of the Year’ class has been presented to the Horticultural Section of Randox Antrim Show by Jim and Doreen Crawford.  Jim is Patron of Antrim Agricultural Society and has been involved with the Show for many years.  Jim first exhibited vegetables at Antrim Show in 1956.

If you are a gardener and would like to exhibit in the Horticulture section, it’s not too late.  Entries will be accepted up until 8.30pm on Friday 27th July. However, you must now contact David Crawford on 075 2609 9966 or come to the Showgrounds at Shanes Castle between 2pm and 8pm on Friday evening.  A copy of the show schedule containing details of the horticulture classes can still be found here.

As well as hunting for the Show’s ‘Gardener of the Year’, other examples of what can be found in the wider Home Industries and Horticulture sections, is the County Antrim Shows’ Best Chocolate Cake competition and this part of the Show will also be hosting a new Women’s Institute team competition on the theme of ‘Afternoon Tea.’

Ahead of this year’s show the Home Industries and Horticulture section gathered its sponsors and helpers to thank them in advance for their support.

Pictured (standing, l-r) Show directors Brian Hunter, David Crawford; William & Hazel Crawford (Crawford Joinery); stewards Hazel Campbell, Leslie Hunter and Marretta Coleman; Wilbert Robinson (Standing Stone Potatoes); steward Irwin McKnight; Mary Thompson (Antrim Floral Art Group), steward Isabel Calvert; steward Graham Seymour; Chairman Fred Duncan; and (front, seated/crouched) Show Patron Jim Crawford and Doreen Crawford; steward Jim McKay; Laura Patterson (YFC representative); and Show Secretary Patricia Pedlow, and director John Heron.