The Staffordshire County Show offers something for visitors of all ages.

Youngsters will enjoy riding on the narrow-gauge steam railway or traditional attractions such as Punch & Judy and donkey rides. Visitors of all ages will be delighted by this year’s main attraction - the world famous JCB Dancing Diggers. Who can fail to be impressed as these huge machines pirouette around the Main Ring. Whilst the next generation of farmers will be inspired by the first-class entries in the livestock competitions which are held across the Showground.

A packed Main Ring programme includes a range of attractions that includes, in addition to the JCB Dancing Diggers, the Young Farmer’s Floats (Thursday) which this year has a theme of “Children’s Books”, show jumping (Wednesday), the Grand Parade of Livestock as well as the Parade of Hounds (Wednesday).

In the Country Pursuits Arena there will be an incredible demonstration of dog agility and obedience from the West Lancs Dog Display Team. Moreover, visitors can also watch the birds of prey display, the ferret roadshow, demonstrations of fly fishing and the opportunity to walk an alpaca. Around the Showground there will be demonstrations of traditional rural crafts such as thatching, coracle making and drystone walling as well as a display of vintage cars and agricultural machinery. However, at the heart of this traditional County Show that has been held for over two hundred years is livestock with over a thousand cattle, sheep, pigs and goats and over fifteen hundred horses and ponies.

There are a number of competitions and shows within the show including the Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling Competitions in Bingley Hall, the Farriery Competition where blacksmiths compete to make the perfect horseshoe before using it to shoe a horse in the Country Pursuits Area, the Poultry, Cavy (guinea pigs and hamsters) and Rabbit Shows in the Fur & Feather Marquee together with the Bee & Honey Show with its working hive in the Prestwood Centre.

In addition, the Dog Show will attract around 2,000 dogs representing every breed of dog in the UK. Children of all ages are especially well catered for with a children’s farm, fairground rides and the opportunity to have their picture taken with the giant tortoises that are up to 80 years old. Shopaholics will be able to browse over four hundred trade stands selling everything from cars to hot tubs. In addition, there is a food hall with a further fifty stands selling a range of mouth-watering local produce for immediate consumption or fresh and packaged items to take home.