New Forest Show has plenty to offer (From Daily Echo)

Magnificent men and their flying machines!

9:13am Thursday 30th July 2009 in New Forest By Chris Yandell, Chief Reporter, New Forest

THEY were some of the most spectacular scenes ever witnessed at the New Forest Show.

Motorcycle stunt riders Jamie Squibb and Neil Kirby performed an amazing series of tricks in front of a huge crowd at New Park, Brockenhurst, yesterday.

They wowed thousands of spectators by repeatedly leaping the gap between two ramps that were positioned more than 80ft apart.

Jamie, 27, of Exeter, Devon, often performed a handstand on the handlebars as his bike soared more than 30ft into the air.

Other jumps were marked by another dramatic stunt. Halfway across, he turned the Kawasaki at right angles to the landing ramp before straightening up just in time.

But Jamie and Neil were not the only ones who diced with danger.

Richard Cuzens, the show’s chief executive, and Chris Whitlock, vice-chairman of the society that organises the event, stood on either side of the landing ramp as the bikes shot between them.

Jamie and Neil will perform a similar series of tricks today unless it rains and the conditions are deemed to be too dangerous.

Mr Cuzens, who described the riders’ routine as “awesome”, took part in another daredevil stunt yesterday.

He swapped his trademark bowler hat for a safety helmet and climbed a 70ft pole in a small arena promoting the New Forest Outdoor Centre in Lyndhurst.

Daily Echo photographer Stuart Martin also scaled the pole for a bird’s eye view of the showground.

Special guests at the event yesterday included a group of pensioners who formed part of the Women’s Land Army during the Second World War.

Known as the Land Girls, they helped feed the country by taking the place of farmworkers called up by the armed forces.

The show, which ends today, features pig racing, terrier racing and a host of other attractions that aim to reflect its agricultural roots. Children can learn how to milk a cow by using an artificial device dangling beneath a cardboard bovine.

More than 40,000 people attended the event on Tuesday, thought to be a first day record.