Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2008 | Page 64

life

COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING

animals at the indoor-school
at Brickfields and the
entries are adjudicated each
year by a different judge
from the mainland with
sponsors for every class.
All the animals have to be
weighed on the scales from
the old Newport market and
to compete, the steers must be
under 30 months old and led
on a rope. In December 2007
more than two hundred cattle,
plus sheep, were entered for
the event and it was generally
agreed that the quality of five
steers was good enough for
Smithfield market. Besides
the prize money, the owner of
the winning Gilten Beast gets
a good price for the animal at
the auction afterwards and the
presence of mainland bidders
helps to increase the bidding.
Last year the prize was won
by Mike Denness who sold the
steer to Hamilton Fine Foods.
But the highlight of the
Gilten Market is, as it always
has been, the gilding of the
Gilten Beast and last year
the High Sheriff, Lt. Col.
David Langford, painted the
steer’s horns with gold leaf.
Following tradition, the annual
dinner is held in January when
a percentage of the dinner
money, proceeds of a raffle
and the revenue from entry
fees etc. is donated to a charity
chosen by the High Sheriff.
Richard de Redvers, Lord
of the Isle of Wight, who
founded Newport, granted the
town its first charter around
1180 and his plan of the
town included three squares
which for centuries served the
town as market places. In
1645 the then bailiffs of the
ancient borough of Newport
recorded in the Ledger Book,
the ‘old Ligger’, their oaths
‘to see the Kings market well’
and its thanks to a similar
spirit on the Island today that
the tradition of the Gilten
Market continues to thrive.

Mark Newman (Sponsor) with Mike

Elaine Moore with Matt Legge

Denness (Champion exhibitor)

Andy Gustar with Phil Legge
Andy Gustar with Ron Holland

Suzie Holliday with Ian Souter Auctioneer
Andrew Hodgson with Ian Souter the auctioneer

Alan Aylett with Mark Newman (Sponsor)

Richard Salter (Champion Store
Cattle) with Matt Legge

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