Moira & Ballinlough Game Fairs

The fair orgainsers, working along with the Gilford Club, have introduced an international classification to this year’s events. Those competing at the National Countrysports Fair at Moira will be in with a chance to qualify for the All Ireland Championship which will be held at the Ballinlough Castle Country Fair, Co. Westmeath over the weekend of 16th & 17th July.

The top dogs from the Moira Fair will travel to compete against the event winners at the Ballinlough Fair. FREE Family Tickets for Ballinlough will go to the winner and the two reserves in each category ie Lurchers, Terrriers and Whippets.

Both the Moira and Ballinlough Fairs will act as qualifiers for the Midland Game Fair 'Champion of Champions'.

 

We take on board the points you make. Our two shows attract dogs and their handlers from all over Ireland so it is only fair to describe our Lurcher and Terrier events as All Ireland International. We are also a qualifier for the Midlands Game Fair and as such are letting those competitors, to whom this important, know that this is the case. We realise that not all of you have the same views regarding how lurcher and terrier events should be run and advertised but we do try to fairly describe exactly what we are offering in terms of our events. This is simply the title we give to this event within the fair but it in no way changes what has always been viewed as a well run lurcher and terrier event.

 

But why undersell our sport?? I always try to secure some sponsorship for lurcher and terrier events at our shows and if I were a sponsor being offered 'some show' this means nothing to me. If on the other hand I am being offered an international lurcher & terrier event, that attracts competitors from all over ireland and further afield (which our shows do and is very much the case) - well I know which one as a sponsor I would throw my money behind!

I know this sport very well having spent many years racing & working lurchers and terriers myself and I for one would not be complaing about, nor turning away, something that benefited my sport. In fact, this is one of the very reasons I decided to set up our shows in the first place; to protect this and other rural sports in which I, and so many others, are passionately involved.

 

Good points here and we'll consider for future shows. In the meantime this may be of interest to some of you.

If you're up for a bit of craic and fancy your chances at ferret racing then why not enter the Ferret Racing competition. New to the fair this year, this fun event pits ferrets against each other in simulated rabbit burrows with the ferrets fastest out of the tubes being judged the winners. Simon and Sarah will organise the racing each day and will have ferrets on-hand if you don’t have yours with you. Proceeds from the Ferret Racing will be donated to the Newry Hospice, one of two charities benefiting from the 2011 National Countrysports Fair.

Also new this year on Tony’s Ferreting Stand will be the Free-to-Enter Under 16's Ferret Competition at 14:00 each day. If you are under sixteen years of age and would like to enter a ferret then simply turn up with your ferret and fill out the entry form. Tony and his daughter, Gail, will cast an eye over the entry field and award prizes for the top three ferrets each day.