18/08/2026
A very special annual pilgrimage to Somerset ❤️
Our annual pilgrimage to Somerset — and one that means more and more every year.
A trip down memory road to remember Dad and celebrate his involvement with the Mid-Somerset Show, a show that was such a huge part of his life and one that our family has loved for so many years.
It’s always very special to see Dad’s annual trophy being presented to someone who has shown outstanding commitment and dedication to the show. It feels like such a lovely way of keeping his memory and his contribution alive, and I know he would have been immensely proud.
But for us, the Mid-Somerset Show is about so much more than the trophies. It’s the traditions, the people, the atmosphere and all those things that make a proper country show so special — especially the cattle judging 🐄, along with the traditional crafts, produce, livestock, horses and all the wonderful skills and hard work that go into putting on a show like this.
And, of course, it’s the people. Every year we get to catch up with friends and family from all over, many of whom we have known for years.
There’s something incredibly comforting about returning to the same show, seeing the same faces and feeling that connection to generations of memories. ❤️
And no annual Somerset pilgrimage would be complete without our essential visit to Heck’s C***r 🍎🍏 for the annual “trying of the c***rs” — accompanied, of course, by plenty of nibbles! 😂 It’s become another little tradition that we absolutely have to squeeze in every year. Because obviously you can’t come all this way and not go to one of dad’s special places do some very important c***r research! 🍎🥂😂
This year, however, Mum decided to add her own rather unexpected contribution to the Highland cattle section… 😂
A rogue mobility scooter somehow managed to take her straight through the fence and into the Highland cow show ring! 😳🐂
It was actually very scary at the time and tipped mum over backwards, and Mum has been left extremely bruised, but thankfully she was okay. Once the initial panic had subsided, and the fencing repaired, we did eventually manage to see the funny side — because honestly, you literally couldn’t write it! 😂 it was like a comedy sketch, you would have to of seen it to actually believe it !
And we all know exactly what Dad would have thought…
He would have been absolutely laughing his pants off. 😂❤️
(The photos have been created with AI, but the incident itself was VERY real!)
And just to add to the madness, we had only arrived home from nearly a month in Australia on Wednesday night. I rode my lovely horse that has been selected for the home nations (he has been ridden while I’ve been away by the amazing Libby Dawson and looked after by the equally amazing Emma Leeding, rode again first thing Thursday morning, then headed straight off to Somerset for the show, came back yesterday and rode again… and this morning before I speeded off to catch train to Scotland for a coaching camp at Lindores Equestrian.
I’ve genuinely got no idea what my house actually looks like anymore 😂
