"Very very successful, one of the best" – Keith Show chairman marks his "fantastic" first event
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DESPITE sleepless nights ahead of this year's event, Keith Show's chairman has celebrated "a great show" and described the move to a weekend event as a "big, positive move".
Ewan Stewart hailed last weekend's (August 6 and 7) show, his first as chairman, as "one of the best" since the event moved to Seafield Park.
"It was a great show this year," he said.
"It was very, very successful, one of the best since we moved up into the top field.
"We're going great as a team and it was fantastic to see it all coming together."
Traditionally, Keith Show took place on a Sunday and Monday, with Sunday for families and Monday the main cattle-judging day.
However, earlier this year, the schedule was changed to host the event on Saturday and Sunday, with cattle-judging moving to the Saturday.
Mr Stewart said the change had "worked a lot better" for people, allowing more farmers to join their loved ones for a relaxing Sunday at the show.
"This year, the Saturday was much more busy than Monday had been," he said.
"It worked a lot better, I think people were a lot happier coming in on the Saturday and Sunday.
"Especially in this day and age, it's good for farming folk to get out and see people.
"They are all working people and they need to be going out and meeting folk."
Nerves and "sleepless nights" had bothered Mr Stewart in the leadup to the show, he said.
"I spent a lot of sleepless nights thinking: 'Have we done right? Have we done wrong?'
"Until you actually do it, you don't know.
"There were quite a few parts of the show like that, but everything went well."
The event, which saw "good crowds both days" and good weather aside from a brief Saturday morning shower, featured a wide range of entertainment alongside judging of increased livestock entries.
Visitors marvelled at a working sheep dog display, the industrial and horticulture tent, and flocked to stands selling everything from plants and sweets, to new garden buildings and chainsaw sculptures.
Also on show were shearing demonstrations, pipe band performances, live music, tug o'war and the Riders of the Storm stunt horse riders.
Singling out the younger Keith Show visitors, Mr Stewart said: "Keith Show is a family show."
And families enjoyed a wide range of children's rides, a farm education tent, fun races and a funfair.
The chairman said the new kids entertainment area and education area had: "worked tremendously".
Joining Mr Stewart for this year's show was show secretary Carly Mackay, who is also in her first year.
Speaking the morning after the show, Mr Stewart recognised his "tremendous committee" and the "huge amount of work" over the past year.
"I have a tremendous committee behind me, who all worked very hard to make sure the show carries on," he said.
"Right now we are just recovering.
"And some of us aren't seeing daylight quite yet, and that's what it's all about.
"It has been a huge amount of work, but we have rallied round and we are still here.
"It's a three week build-up to the show starting up, but we are working all through the year."
