Head to Grasmere Sports for a True Taste of Lake District Life

 Head to Grasmere in the Lake District this Sunday and enjoy a fantastic day out, filled with traditional Lakeland sports, children’s activities and races and things to make your dog’s tail wag.

Grasmere Sports and Lakeland Show, taking place on August 28, will be back with a bang after two years away, with the action starting at 10am, when the ‘Bellman’ dramatically declares the event open.

A full programme of sporting activity features: hound races, with pups and dogs following aniseed trails across the fells; Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling (for children, men and women), flat races, ‘long leap’ contest and children’s sports races (including ever-popular egg and spoon and sack races).  There will also be the much-loved and highly competitive fell races, for men, women and children.

Listen as spectators talk a different language, full of phrases like slipping, catching, hipes and chips - and don’t be put off by talk of buttocks – it’s a Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling move and you might just hear it in the first contest of the day – the Under 10s World Championships.

Shield the ears as owners furiously bang their hounds metal bowl to get them racing back for the hound trail honours and make sure you don’t miss the spectacle of the fell runners ascending a massive 295 metres, over rough fell terrain, in pursuit of the medals.

Let the kids have fun on the Wonder Wheelers bike displays, where they can even pedal a bike backwards, tap the feet to the Fat Cat Brass Band, watch a stunning bird of prey display and watch terriers race after a lure in the ‘Little Nippers’ terrier display, before letting your pooch have a go.  Do also enter Fido into the fun dog show, to see if he can be a champ!

Full of colour, noise and that fairly rare thing of predicted Lake District sunshine, it’s a fantastic day out for all ages.  Buy your tickets at www.grasmeresports.com at reduced prices or on the gate on the day.  Online tickets cost £11 for adults, £5 for children (aged 5 to 14) and £28 for a family (two adults and two children), with on-arrival tickets a little more.  

All events are free to enter, apart from the Dog Show, and there are medals and other prizes up for grabs.  Just register on the day and test out your athletic prowess.

Gates at the Showfield at Stock Lane, Grasmere open at 9am and the climax of the day – the Senior Guides Race (fell race) sets off at 16.10pm, with the entire Show closing at about 5pm.  

Head to www.grasmeresports.com to see the full programme of activity and get a flavour of an event that epitomises life in The Lakes.

Ends

Editors notes

Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show is an iconic event taking place in the heart of the English Lake District on the August Bank Holiday weekend. Its long historic roots date back to 1868 and it is renowned for its fell running, hound trails and Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling competitions, as well as being a fantastic family day out.