ROYAL THREE COUNTIES SHOW

STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® ARENA

The STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Arena is a fantastic, high octane entertainment area and a real highlight of the show.

STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® are an international extreme lumberjack sports competition series with its roots in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Today, the world’s most highly skilled athletes compete in national and international events featuring six disciplines, three using an axe – Springboard, Standing Block Chop and Underhand Chop – and three using saws – Stock Saw, Single Buck and Hot Saw.

The competition pushes each competitor’s skill and endurance levels to the absolute limit, as they chop through large logs in seconds using a combination of axes, two-metre crosscut saws and high-powered chainsaws. Maximum points are awarded for the fastest time, with the athlete accumulating the most points being crowned the winner.

The Royal Three Counties Show hosts the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® British Championship, British Rookie Championship and the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® British Women’s Championship. The competing athletes hail from across the UK, including the Three Counties and surrounding areas!

In the British Championship, the male athletes compete against each other across six disciplines, under 25 Rookies take part in four events and the female athletes in the British Women’s Championship compete in three.

There are also chances for visitors to have a go – it’s certainly not as easy as it looks!

THE FUTURE OF FARMING THEATRE

The Future of Farming Theatre hosts informative talks and Q&A sessions on these topics with leading experts and special guests from the agricultural sector.

In 2023, books authored by some of our speakers including Kaleb Cooper, Adam Henson, Phil Vickery, and JB Gill were available for signing after some of their talks, thanks to Rossiter Books.

Join the conversation at The Future of Farming Theatre at the Royal Three Counties Show in 2024!

To register your interest and be entered into a draw to win a free pair of tickets by doing so, please send us an email and include your name here.

MAIN ARENA

The Main Arena is at the heart of Royal Three Counties Show and the place to watch thrilling displays, informative demonstrations, livestock and equine competitions and the Grand Parade of Livestock.

BOLDDOG LINGS FREESYTLE MOTOCROSS STUNT DISPLAY TEAM

We’re pleased to announce that the Bolddog Lings FMX Team will be joining us in the main arena at the 2024 show!

As Honda’s official and the UK’s number one motorcycle display team, the Bold dog Lings team base their show around the world’s largest and most sophisticated mobile landing system.

The show features the UK’s top ranked freestyle motocross riders, incorporating the latest heart stopping tricks as usually only seen on TV. The team set the standard 12 years ago and now continues to push the boundaries of FMX and lead the way for all motorcycle display teams.

The team also provides an informative on board commentary by the riders even talking to the crowd while performing a trick flying 35ft in the air.

GRAND PARADE OF LIVESTOCK (Each day)

The Royal Three Counties Show is one of the largest livestock and equine shows in the UK and each day of the show sees a parade of magnificent animals take to the Main Arena, providing visitors with a fantastic chance to get a good look at some of the finest livestock. Don’t worry if you’re a livestock novice – commentators will guide you through each of the breeds on display.

The show also features the UK’s largest collection of rare, minority and native breed animals. Visitors can learn all about these breeds as they join in the parade on Sunday.

MACHINERY DEMONSTRATIONS

Celebrity guests and knowledgeable experts take to the main arena to discuss the latest and greatest in the machinery world. In 2023, visitors were treated to talks about agricultural machinery by Kaleb Cooper, Adam Henson and Ally Hunter-Blair.

Before we announce more main arena action, you can take a look at some of the other action that happened in 2023 below:

PRINCE PHILIP CUP PONY CLUB MOUNTED GAMES (Saturday & Sunday)

In 2023, a selection of the top Pony Club teams, all under 15-years old, from across the country took part in thrilling fast paced relay races involving props, such as flags, balls, buckets and bottles, and obstacles, such as bending poles, to increase the difficulty and maximise the fun. The competition is based on historic cavalry techniques and tests riding ability and teamwork.

The show provided the opportunity for teams to practice before their regional competitions and the prestigious championship at the Horse of the Year Show, which was won by local branch North Herefordshire Pony Club in October 2022.

QUAD BIKE STUNT DISPLAY (Friday only)

This adrenaline filled display by Paul Hannam and experienced guest riders (for example MX British Championships riders) at the 2023 show involved quad bike rolls, jumps without landing ramps as well as trick riding. Paul has ridden alongside the Kangeroo Kid, has 25 years’ experience riding experience and has 10 years’ experience racing at British Championship level.

UNDER 18’S IMPS MOTORCYCLE DISPLAY TEAM (Saturday and Sunday only)

The ‘IMPS’ is a charity dedicated to educating children through, though not exclusively, their leisure time activities, and is delivered by a disciplined, dynamic and challenging programme of activities with a world-famous motorcycle display team at its heart. The youngsters that perform as part of the IMPS team can be as young as six years old!

For over fifty years the Imps have performed around the world to millions of people and their routine involves billowing fire jumps, forming human pyramids while on the move, trick riding, jumps and a multiple motorcycle combination ‘cross-over’ routine, and so much more.

The IMPS have made regular appearances on prime time television and displays at major events, such as The Nova Scotia Tattoo, Canada, The Norwegian Military Tattoo, Norway and The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and have secured a reputation for excellence.

The group have also appeared in exotic locations, including Bermuda and Singapore. They also completed a tour of Jordan at the personal request of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein of Jordan which took them from Irbid in the north to Aqaba on the shores of the Red Sea.

Visitors were mesmerised by an unmissable display of discipline, teamwork and skill, all served up with a dash of humour at the 2023 show.

THE RED DEVILS (Each day, weather permitting)

Jumping out of an aeroplane isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but anyone can enjoy the courageous and skillful display put on by the Parachute Regiment Freefall Team, The Red Devils. Free falling at speeds of up to 120mph, with spectacular canopy formations, we were wowed by what the team can do in 2023!

SHOWJUMPING CHALLENGES (Friday & Saturday)

A nail-biting Two Bar Jumping Challenge was held on the Friday of the show and a terrifying Six Bar Jumping Challenge was held on the Saturday.

During these challenges, horse and rider combinations jump two or six fences that get progressively higher as part of a ‘last rider to jump clear wins’ competition. It’s each of your seat stuff!

FOOD & DRINK THEATRE

The Food & Drink Theatre is the centerpiece of the Food Festival where local chefs and special guests cook up a storm, providing inspiration, top tips and answers to all cooking related questions as they do. The chefs and special guests from across the three counties focus on showcasing local produce and you’ll certainly find a range of sessions to suit every taste!

COUNTRYSIDE ARENA

The variety of more intimate displays within the Countryside Arena are a sure-fire family draw. Many of them are also interactive and there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions during or at the end of the performances. The demonstrations in 2023 included:

Hawkeye Falconry fly magnificent birds of prey as part of their exhilarating, interactive displays in which highly trained birds of prey, such as eagles, hawks and owls will showcase their natural hunting prowess and aerial acrobatics.

Down at the fishpond, kids tried fishing and learn about the different types of fishing with the charity at the lake, with Get Hooked on Fishing.

They could also have a go at fly tying and learn why there are different colours and sizes of fly with Worcester Fly Dressers.

Adorable mini spotted ponies, Rolo and Sprout, performed tricks and providing entertaining performances for their Mini Pony Show.

Neil Varney and his gorgeous gundogs and puppies, took audiences through comprehensive Gundog Demonstrations on how to create a competent and confident gundog!

The Gundog Scurry Arena featuring the Family Gundog Demonstration Team demonstrated how you can balance the dual purpose of a gundog as a working dog but also as a family member fully integrated into your home and your day to day life.

During the high action scurry, gundogs have to tackle a kind of obstacle course with jumps to retrieve a ball or dummy in a race against the clock, meaning the fastest dog wins.

Visitors could learn how sheep dogs are trained as handlers took them through step-by-step demonstrations on how they teach their dogs to work sheep. We’re sure you’ll be moved by the magical bond between dog and handler.

Beautiful heavy horses took to the arena as their handlers talked audiences through their role as working animals both in the past and present day, as well as their breed qualities that make them suitable for the jobs they do.

FARRIERY, BLACKSMITHING AND WROUGHT IRON COMPETITIONS

Watch the sparks fly as horseshoes are fitted and blacksmiths create a range of contemporary and traditional ironwork in fierce competitions and demonstrations, giving you a whole new appreciation of the ancient and highly skilled crafts of farriery and blacksmithing.

The Royal Three Counties Show holds one of the largest competitions in the country and there’ll be a full programme with competitors from across the UK.

There are also wrought iron competitions and ironware for sale and an information area.

FORESTRY AND POLE CLIMBING ARENA

Pole Climbing Demos & Championships

The highlight of the Forestry Area is undoubtedly the World Pole Climbing Championships where competitors from across the country scale huge poles as fast as possible. The current record of 8.8 seconds was set at the show.

You can even have a go at scaling them yourself, but be warned – it’s harder than it looks!

Chainsaw Carving

Watch skilled artists create bespoke works of art out of a rustic log in just a short timeframe! Blink and you’ll miss it!

Chainsaw Demos

Learn about the safe use and maintenance of chainsaws from leading chainsaw instructors.

Machinery Tour

See specialist machinery in full live action from tree grabs, log splitters, to 100 foot tracked elevated work platforms.