By this time Jim was secretary of the Horse Show, 'We used to have about 6 challenge cups then and I used to go round picking up the cups ready for the show.' Entries came from far and wide: in 1969 the Gazette and Herald reported them coming from 'Southampton, Rugby, Nailsea near Bristol, Oxford, Reading and Bartestree in Herefordshire.' The Show was then on the British Show Jumping Association circuit and attracted some up-and-coming names, 'Johnny Francome was riding at

Wanborough as a teenager, and Mark Phillips (Pictured left). They used to go in for the BSJA events to get points to go into the cross country events and that kind of thing.' There were problems, 'It used to clash with Somerford and the BSJA wanted us to change the day, so we pulled out of it.' Jack Smith remembers, 'they had a very valuable open prize here, about £200, and that was a lot of money in those days. Somerford was having a job to compete with the open prize here, even though it was a big show.'