ORGANISERS of the flagship Cumberland Show Day are hosting an Equine Event on what would have been show day in memory of their horse secretary, Margaret Ogden, who sadly passed away to cancer earlier this year.

The Cumberland Show had been postponed for this year because of current coronavirus restrictions.

However, it was decided to hold The Cumberland Agricultural Society Equine Event at East Park, Brisco on Saturday, June 12. This will be a competitor-only event.

The programme will include the usual array of light-horse classes, as well as the final 2021 qualifiers in the hunter classes for the prestigious Royal International Horse Show held at Hickstead.

There will also be classes for all, including first year first-ridden classes to give the youngest competitors the chance to take to the ring on their own, as well as the coveted NPS silver medal classes for breeders in the mountain and moorland section and overall championships awarded to the ridden section, the working hunter section and the in-hand section. Entries will be taken online, and organisers hope to be able to have live results on show day to keep those who are unable to attend the show in touch with the classes.

A spokesperson said: “Earlier in 2021 we sadly lost our equine secretary, Margaret Ogden, to cancer, our competitors, judges, stewards, and the society have all benefited from her expertise and we shall miss her greatly. We dedicate the 2021 show to her memory.”

The equine show main sponsor, Dalston accountant Davide Allen, said: “The committee and equine team have invested a considerable amount of time, work and effort in getting the go ahead, and most importantly in a safe way. It is so important that this event can go ahead for the benefit of the wider equine community and the continuity of the Cumberland Show.

“I’ve known Margaret and Tom Odgen for 35 years, and for the past 15, Margaret has been a very sincere loyal employee of our business. I know how much her horses meant to her and how much she contributed to the Cumberland Agricultural Society, particularly in the past six years as horse secretary. It is a lovely tribute that the event this year is in her memory and I feel very emotional and proud to be a key part of it.

Work is now going on behind the scenes on the 2022 show.