THERE will be no cattle judging at the Appleby Agricultural Show this year.

This comes due to restrictions imposed by Defra as a means to limit the spread of bovine TB in the Eden area.

Instead, cattle will be judged on-farm before the actual show date. The judges will visit each farm in order to make their decisions. All prizes and rosettes will still be presented at the show itself.

Diane Wilson, Livestock Secretary for the Appleby Show, said: “This year we have moved to a new show location, and that is in a TB zone so Defra movement restrictions apply.

“This means that, if we were to try to move all the cattle onto the show field, we would have to get them all tested for TB, which would be very expensive for the farmers.

“If bovine TB was to spread into the farm where we are hosting the show, it would then also effect all the neighbouring farms and bring them down too.

“Of course we are disappointed to not have cattle at the show this year, but TB is a problem in the area and we do not want to risk making it worse.

“This does not mean there will not be cattle at the show in the future.”

Strains of TB have been found in both badgers and cattle in the Eden area since last summer.

Ms Wilson said: “We already run a herd competition where the judges go round the farms, so we are confident it will work.

“We are still very excited for the show. There will be extended sheep classes, as well as 65 new horse classes.

“Because we are on a flatter field now we can have lots more jumping.”

The Appleby Show is taking place on Hanging Shaw Field, off Long Marton Road, on August 9 this year.