Blown away – first event at Great Barton raises almost £1,800

Despite the tremendously windy conditions on Sunday (25 October), our first ever fun dog show and fete at Great Barton, near Bury St Edmunds, raised a magnificent £1798.94 to support our animal welfare work.

Taking shelter in the football team’s changing room, our dog show volunteers registered 54 hardy hounds and their owners. Many thanks to our judges Geoffrey, Lorna, Claire from Swayne & Partners, Ian Gausden and Matthew Green from Mortimer and Gausden and Richard Howell from Richard Howell Photography. Congratulations to all our class winners, especially our Dog of the Day winner, Cooper, a Golden Doodle.

Winners’ prizes were donated by Gladwells Pet and Country Stores, who have generously sponsored all four of our fun dog shows this year, and all the rosettes and trophies have been donated by P&R Locksmiths. The Ickworth Hotel, Denbury Homes, Robinson Young, The Mortimer & Gausden Partnership, and House of Harmony were the silver sponsors of the Great Barton show. Richard Howell Photography sponsored the Marvellous Male class, and took many beautiful pictures, available to download (or purchase prints) from https://gallery.rh.photography/-rspca-bury-st-edmunds-fun-dog-show-2026/gallery

Many thanks to Lorna, whose hard work persuading local companies into being sponsors for the dog show, made a huge difference. If you know of a company who may like to be involved in our 2027 fun dog shows, please feel free to contact Lorna on lorna.goodwin@rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk

As always, many thanks to our bakers and to all our volunteers on the day and beforehand, without whom these events simply would not happen.

And a huge thank you to all our stallholders who turned out despite the weather to put on a glorious show of hand-crafted and home-made items, including chutneys, knitted and crocheted items, fabulous African prints, stunning jewellery and joyous animal themed gifts.

Our next event will be our Christmas Fair at Holbrook Village Hall on Saturday 14 November. We hope to see you there!