ANNUAL countryside extravaganza the Hampshire country sports day is set to stage its biggest events programme yet on September 11 at Tichborne Park, near Alresford.

Jonathan Marshall, the horse-riding falconer, will return and retired racehorse Balthazar King, which won eight races at Cheltenham including the cross-country handicap chase twice and came second in the 2014 Grand National, will be paraded.

There will also be a range of displays and exhibitions, as well as countryside activities to participate in. The main arena will feature hunter-gatherer Chris Green, who will share his knowledge of wildfowl, as and fishing, and gun dog demos. Crowd pleasers include terrier racing and an inter-hunt mounted relay that sees rival hunts racing to erect a hurdle on quad bikes and on foot, which members of the hunt will jump on their horses, before being dismantled by the quad bike teams – all against the clock.

Visitors will also be able to try new country pursuits, such as clay-pigeon shooting and fly fishing. There will also be a fun dog show, with classes including Dog with the Waggiest tail, Best Puppy and Best Heinz 57. Entry is £2 per dog, per class.

Gates open at 9.30am and the main ring events start at 10am. There will be more than 75 trade stands offering equestrian and countryside clothing, handbags and jewellery, country paintings and craft gifts, plus hunting, shooting and fishing equipment.

The British Hunting Collection will show off more than 300 hunting uniforms, plus hunting records and historic items, dating back to the 18th century.

Show admission is £12 for adults and free for children under 14. The event will be signposted from Alresford. For more information, visit www.hampshire

countrysportsday.co.uk. All profits will be donated to the Countryside Alliance’s campaigning work on behalf of rural communities.

Show chairman Bill Tyrwhitt-Drake said, “We are delighted that GMK Ltd is sponsoring us again this year, for what promises to be our biggest and best show ever. We look forward to welcoming everyone with an interest in the countryside.”