Moorcock Show a traditional Dales affair as 'soccer mum' takes over as secretary

It is the only show that this writer knows of that is named after what was the local pub for many years, but has now been turned into a tearoom.

“I got asked last year if I would just help out at the 2022 show,” says Kate. “It was like ‘do you want to come and see what’s going on, or help out, that would be amazing’, so I went on show day, helped out a little bit and saw how things ran. I’d been asked if I would help out with paperwork side of things prior to it as well. I was obviously being primed to take on the secretary role. I didn’t mind. I’m always busy and I was like, that’s okay, they always say give a busy woman another job to do, they will always get it done.

Kate’s accepted entrapment was complete at the AGM following last year’s show.

“I ended up going to the AGM and said of course I would continue to help, and that’s when I got the secretary’s job and the sheep secretary’s job because they had both stepped down and nobody else was willing to take them on at that time. I love local shows and they won’t survive if there’s no committee or secretaries.

Kate never takes on anything without going at it meticulously and has already totally revamped the show website and its online social media presence. She is also the manager of the popular Stone House Hotel just out of Hawes and having taken that role on in recent years she is currently taking further qualifications. It’s par for the course for Kate to go full-blooded whatever she does.

“Whoever takes the show and sheep secretary’s role on from me will have spreadsheets coming out of their ears,” says Kate.

Moorcock Show is another of those outer limits of Yorkshire shows where they are primarily a sheep show. Muker, that takes place three days later is wholly about Swaledale sheep but Moorcock has Swaledales and more, including a Cumbrian influence too, being next to the border.

“We are a traditional sheep show and as well as Swaledales we have Bluefaced Leicesters, Mules, Rough Fells, Herdwicks and Texels and even Valais Blacknose in the young handlers class. It’s really tough competition around the sheep pens because winning here or at Muker or at Tan Hill Show in the early part of the year are the top shows around for hill sheep.

Kate says that while the sheep classes are undoubtedly the show’s pulling power there is a keenness to provide something more for all the family to enjoy.

“This year we are trying to bring in more of a family element so that it’s not all about the sheep and the crafts. We have a company called Action Ants that is based in Cumbria and they are bringing crossbows, archery and an obstacle course. They had even offered to bring a slip and slide but there’s only one problem there - we don’t have an outside tap. The show is putting on the action fun and games for free so that anybody can have a go. We have the Hawes Fire Engine coming so that children can learn about what the fire brigade do and they can sit at the wheel.

“We are the most local agricultural show to Hawes, which is just a few miles away, and that means we attract a lot of people from the town and those staying in the area. Many will book accommodation just so they can experience a real traditional sheep show. This year our tradestands, not that we have that many, have been broadened with Yorkshire Pudding Beer coming and Saddleworth Leather, who revive such as old Barbour jackets.

Kate’s husband, James, is also now involved as a steward.

“James doesn’t tend to show that often and as we know quite a lot of the committee members and they needed more to keep the show going, including helpers on the day, we both got involved. James went to some meetings first, stewarded last year and is again doing so this year.

Kate was formerly Kate Allison, farmer’s daughter of Laurence Allison of Cogden Hall Grinton where she grew up before a brief spell at university in Leeds that saw her return to Swaledale.

“I moved to Wensleydale in 2010 when I joined Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes, met James in Aysgarth and we farm just outside Askrigg where it is a family run farm of James, his uncles Bruce and Stuart and his dad Stephen.

“We have Swaledale sheep and we are probably one of the oldest Mule gimmer lamb selling farms. Everyone lives and works on the farm where we also have dairy cows with milk going to Wensleydale Creamery. We sell gimmer lambs a lot through Hawes in September and we also sell good quality Swaledale tups.

Kate says that Moorcock Show’s continued existence is in part owed to the likes of longstanding show supporters and farmers the Pedley family, of which James Pedley is current show chairman; John Bland who farms across the road from the showfield and is vice chairman; and Edward Van Cutsen who provides his land as the showfield and also provides a cup with generous prize money attached to it.