In 24 pictures – South of England Showground gets 17,000 visitors for Autumn Show and International Horse Trials

More than 17,000 people visited the South of England Showground in Ardingly last weekend for the South of England Agricultural Society’s Autumn Show & International Horse Trials.

The event, which took place on Saturday and Sunday, September 24-25, was hailed as a huge success.

It featured gundog scurries, fly fishing, archery, axe throwing, ferret racing and birds of prey displays, and it saw more than 500 horses competing in dressage, show-jumping and cross-country phases.

There were lots of stalls from local and independent food producers, as well as a Pumpkin Trail and the Society’s Countryside Hub for younger visitors.

Sussex farmers and smallholders brought their animals to the Animal Barn and educated the public about their way of life.

The Society also held a ceremony of thanksgiving in memory of its late Patron, Queen Elizabeth II, and had displays at the show recalling her visits in 1974, 1984 and 2002.