Balmoral 2024: 155th annual four-day-show could be one of the biggest in recent history

The 155th annual four-day-show has some 4,000 head of livestock this year, with well over 500 trade stands on the 55-acre site, the Eikon Centre outside Lisburn.

"The crowds on the opening day were definitely bigger than usual and that is usually the quietest day," one observer told the News Letter. "They also seemed to be bigger on Thursday and Friday. I think there could be reasons for this.

"Firstly, normally the show clashes with the North West 200, which also draws huge crowds. But this year that didn't happen because it took place the weekend before.”

The other reason for suggested larger crowds, they speculated, was because the show was preceded by several weeks of very good weather.

"This allowed the farmers to get their silage in before the show started, so now they feel they can afford to take a day off and visit the show."

Rhonda Geary, Group Operations Director at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society, which overseas the event, is thrilled with the show so far.

"The weather has been much, much better than expected and the crowds are coming in by their thousands here again,” she said.

She believes the numbers attending are well on their way to the target of 100,000 over four days. Some of the highlights on day three, she said, were the dairy judging, the popular sheepdog display, the Clydesdale horses in the equine section and the finale of the international show jumping.

Among those visiting was the Irish representative of what could be twinned as the French Balmoral Show.

Charlotte Jehanno was promoting the Sommet de l'Élevage, based at Clermont-Ferrand in central France.

Her event also runs over four days and attracts over 100,000, she said. "We would love people from Northern Ireland to come and visit our show, which is in October,” she said.

The majestic Clydesdale horses were on show yesterday and Janine Dunlop from Eglinton proudly strode her 'baby' round to the pleasure of admiring onlookers.

Her horse is 17 and one hands high, much bigger than an average breed, but she is not hard to handle.

"No, she's only a baby so she's learning the ropes and she is doing really well," Janine said.

"We come from a farming background so it is lovely to have Clydesdales like this on the farm at home," she said.

"It is amazing what they can do. You can still use them on the farm."

Another fascinating display yesterday was the engine of a WWII Hurricane fighter plane which had a tragic backstory.

Ray Burrows, MBE, chairman of the Ulster Aviation Society, says the Rolls Royce Merlin engine was one of the most famous engines during World War Two, powering the Hurricane, Spitfire, the Lancaster Mosquito and American Mustang.

A polish pilot took off from NI in 1940 with this particular engine, but flying over Cushendall and Cushendun, the engine seized.

"Unfortunately when he stepped on the wing to get out, his parachute opened and got caught around the aircraft. So unfortunately he had no option but to get back in. And by that time the aircraft was in an almost vertical dive."

Tragically the pilot was killed.

In the 1980s the society dug 12 feet down into the peat bog where it had rested for over 40 years and recovered the engine to put it on show. Visitors to the society hangars at nearby Maze Long Kesh can see the engine for themselves, along with many other aircraft.

Today is the grand finale for the four-day show, where the champion animals from all the various sections - cattle, sheep and pigs - come together to parade in front of the public.

From this, judges will select the Champion of Champions for 2024 - with animals from all the various sections judged against each other to find the top animal of the entire show.

And the weather looks set to hold. It will begin with low cloud which will clear through the morning to leave a dry day with some prolonged sunny spells through the afternoon.

• See Ben Lowry & Farming Life Special inside today’s print edition