Family calls for apology after being banned from show - Somerset

From the Shepton Mallet Journal

Fears of a fracas between rival Traveller families at Sunday's Mid Somerset Show saw one family banned from the Showfield on Sunday.

But the Smith family, well known in Shepton for their expertise in the horse world said they were baffled and upset by the ban and have called for an apology.

They have been exhibiting their skills and horses and carriages at the show for the last 28 years.

Manny Smith, 38,who traditionally transports the Shepton Mallet Carnival Queen by horse-drawn carriage to events every year said they had been looking forward to showing off the family's skills and their horses and gleaming carts in the carriage driving classes.

Having paid their entry fees and assembled off Cannards Grave Road for their traditional parade into the show they were dismayed to find the entry gate slammed shut in their faces.

Show organisers had decided at the last minute to stop any Travellers entering the showground after unsubstantiated reports of an alleged anticipated fight on site between rival families.

Despite protests from the family, backed up by bewildered horse stewards and show staff on the ground, the Smiths were turned away from the site.

A dismayed Mr Smith of Silk Close, Shepton Mallet said: "We spent all Saturday cleaning and grooming the horses and getting the carts ready as we have done for the show for the last 28 years.

"We were happily trotting down Cannards Grave Road on Sunday morning to enter the Showfield as usual when suddenly this great big tractor came steaming towards us and slammed into the gate to close it and prevent us from entering and left us out in the road in the middle of all the traffic. We started talking to people on the gates but they kept telling us 'No Travellers here'!'

"The horse stewards were backing us and protesting to the people stopping us coming in saying you can't leave the horses and carriages out there in the main road with all the traffic piling through – but we were just told to go away. We were devastated.

"We knew all the people on the gate and they were devastated too and didn't know why this was happening – none of us knew why this was happening. I had gone in earlier and paid the due entry fees and no-one said anything. They just said 'Thank you Mr Smith – we look forward to seeing you again...'

"Everyone was welcoming us and waving to us as we pulled in but suddenly the gate was slammed shut in our faces."

Mr Smith said he went into the showground and remonstrated with organisers and was reimbursed his entry fees.

Mr Smith called on the show organisers to apologise.

"I am just so embarrassed – we had friends and family and my work colleagues all waiting to see us and cheer us on in the ring – and now I can't face them. To get treated like that after all these years I just feel so bad – I don't know how I am going to go into work and face my work colleagues. I don't know if we all ever come to the show again."

Spokesmen for the show at first declined to comment. But sources said the action was taken after fears of a confrontation between rival families at the show – and the decision was made to protect show-goers in general.

In a statement on Monday the show chairman Ian Harvey said any complaint should be put in writing and would be discussed at the next meeting of the show's executive committee and a written response would be given. "Until then no comment will be made," he said.