IT’S show time again, that period of the year when Dales communities set their stalls out for their neighbours and the wider world.

The larger agricultural shows in Craven actually serve a number of purposes - and not just preparing people for somewhat larger happenings by bringing normally quiet rural roads to a grinding halt with traffic getting to and from the events.

The mighty effort of putting them together serves to bring communities together, while the finished product acts as a showcase for the best of rural life.

Shows also fulfil an important commercial role, a point illustrated to me by the lamentation of a farmer from outside this area who had mistakenly been given third place for his animals in a category at one of the big Dales shows instead of the correct second.

The incorrect placing had been reported in a regional newspaper (not the Craven Herald), to the horror of the unfortunate farmer, who said this would have a marked effect on how well his livestock sold a little later in the year.

I’m not qualified to judge whether it made quite as great a difference at the auction as that unhappy man thought, but what is beyond doubt is the competitive spirit with which livestock and produce are meticulously prepared and presented at the showfield.

I learned, during my years of covering these events as a reporter for this and other newspapers, how for some successful owners of prized animals the summer show season was like a triumphal progress through the leafier parts of Yorkshire, gathering trophies for their champions as they went.

You got used to the same names appearing on the results lists at each successive show, so there was a genuine frisson of excitement if some relative unknown managed to topple one of the regular winners.

The crestfallen look on the faces of the previous winners who had suddenly become also rans told you how much it mattered, just as much as the delight of the surprise victors.

But if the shows were originally primarily intended to provide a platform for the best of Dales farming, with an inevitable emphasis on sheep and cattle, they have certainly expanded their horizons down the years.

And things can get just as competitive in the showjumping, handicrafts, art and cookery classes, to name but a few.

Indeed, a whole range of activities come under the spotlight at the shows, including local sports. Of these the most characteristic of the Dales is surely the fell racing, a remarkable test of athleticism and stamina in which the rugged terrain is almost as much the opponent as the other runners.

Of course shows have long been a day out for families, some of whom have little connection with the Dales or the rural community, and they require a variety of distractions, which imaginative organisers often vary with something new each year.

So alongside the stands for companies that serve the farmers and their neighbours you have various food outlets, and other elements that wouldn’t look out of place at any summer gala or even at a fairground.

There is often some live entertainment that has no relation whatsoever to that particular area but which keeps onlookers happily occupied, particularly the younger ones. And for some of the older ones, there’s always the beer tent.

Reading reports of shows can sometimes feel like you’ve blundered into an extended weather report by mistake. But we must remember that these are British summer events, and climatic conditions on the field can be a crucial factor in their success.

The dates have to be fixed long in advance, so it’s not as if show secretaries can switch the big day around after checking the forecast for the week ahead. All they can do is wait, and hope...

Usually a ‘bad day’ means a spot of rain, so straw has to be spread in the showfield, wellies are essential footwear and numbers may be a bit down on most years.

The first time I went to an outdoor pop concert (which was actually last year) I found parts of the experience very similar to some of the wetter shows I’ve attended down the years, including the wearing of wellies and the challenges of getting in and out of the grassed parking area without a 4x4 vehicle.

But every now and then you get a reminder of just what our climate can do. The most dramatic example in my experience came in 1986, when the tail end of Hurricane Charley out a final dampener on an August which had already been one of the coolest on record.

At Malham Show the main problem had been getting cars out of the thick mud, but far worse was to come at Kilnsey Show a few days later, when the wind and rain were so severe the show actually had to be abandoned.

Judging in many of the classes did take place, even as the the beer tent disappeared down the River Wharfe, but there was little point in carrying on to the bitter end.

However, despite the intense disappointment of seeing all their hard work apparently swept away like the beer tent, organisers of Dales shows are nothing if not resilient.

So a month later they were back on the showfield, completing the crag race and drystone walling, and bouncing back in fine style the following year.

Hurricanes don’t come along very often. Even so, I imagine for the next few weeks there will be a number of busy and possibly anxious people keeping an eye on the skies as they make their final preparations.

Meanwhile, the rest of should spare a thought for all the hard work that goes into making the shows such a great day out, and presenting such a positive face of the Dales to the wider world.

l Gargrave Show is on Saturday, August 16; Malham Show is on Saturday, August 23; Kilnsey Show is on Tuesday, August 26; and Bentham Show is on Saturday, September 6.