EMLEY Show officials are hoping for a record-breaking year.

This year’s event takes place on Saturday and work has already started to prepare the showground in the shadow of the giant TV mast.

It has been a summer of major disappointments for many other shows around the region, with bad weather hitting many of them.

Cancellations included The Great Yorkshire Show, Honley Show and the Harden Moss Sheepdog Trials.

But the Emley site is in good condition and this week, show officials met up with some of their sponsors.

Butler Fuels is the show’s main sponsor and will be taking stalls in the biggest-ever trade show at the event.

They will be showing off their vintage oil tanker and a company spokesman said: “We pride ourselves on being a company that supports the communities in which we work and this year is no exception, with our backing of Emley Show.”

Emley Show secretary Sue Britton said they had been battling rumours the show had been cancelled.

Sue said she had been fielding phone calls from people worried it was not on but said she thought it was being confused with Woolley Horse Show, which was cancelled last weekend.

She said: “I think people have seen the Woolley Show cancelled sign at the Haigh roundabout near Flockton and seen the ‘LEY’ and thought it was ours.

“We do have a sign up at that roundabout but our show is definitely still on.”

It is 119 years since the first Emley Show and organisers are hoping for huge numbers of entries in the various livestock classes.

These include horses, cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits, dogs and poultry.

In addition there will be displays of drystone walling, woodcarving, cookery and various other crafts.

Main arena events vary from soccer skills on show from youngsters of Skelmanthorpe Junior Football Club to medieval clashes from the jousting teams of Knights of the Damned.

The Olympic Torch is also set to make an appearance with Skelmanthorpe club official Glynn Carter.

Show spokesman Nurina Tatchell said: “We have attracted our biggest ever number of trade stands and car dealerships and our food marquee, which began only three years ago, is set to be much larger this year.

“There is a lot of hard work being done to get the showground ready for the show on August 4 and we just hope people come along and support us.”