Appleby Horse Fair kicks off as thousands of Travellers arrive in Cumbria

From HorseMart

The Appleby Horse Fair kicked off today and thousands of Gypsies and Travellers have arrived in Cumbria for the event.

Around 10,000 will take part in the fair and many of these will have traditional horse-drawn bow-top wagons. And, another 30,000 visitors are also expected to attend.

The fair is the largest event of its kind in Europe and it dates back to the medieval times, when it was originally for the buying and selling of horses.

The fair adds hundreds of thousands of pounds to the local economy.

Robin Hooper, the chief executive of Eden District Council and chair of a multi-agency organising committee, told the BBC: "It is our job to provide visitors and local residents with the services required to ensure the Fair is safe and enjoyable for all.

"Appleby Fair is a unique event, attracting Gypsies and Travellers from across the world and thousands of other visitors who transform the small market town of Appleby, which normally has a population of 2,500.

"The fair Fair is a pivotal event in the Gypsy and Travellers' calendar and culture, and it is regarded as a traditional holiday where distant family members come to meet."

The man responsible for leading the police operation at the fair is Supt Sean Robinson, he told the BBC: "Everyone appears to be in good spirits, the migration onto the camping areas went well, with some disruption to traffic, but we tried to keep this to a minimum.

"We have worked all year with surrounding communities in preparation of the fair and will continue to listen to their concerns in order to make the fair safe and enjoyable for all."

The RSPCA has, meanwhile, urged visitors not to bring pet dogs to the fair.

Chief Inspector Rob Melloy said: "Dogs shouldn't be brought to the fair at all. It is quite simply not a place for them. Horses can get 'spooked' by dogs and dogs can get trampled by horses.