THE Hampshire village of Wickham was anything but a one-horse town yesterday when hundreds of horse traders met to strike deals in the hazy sunshine.

To the untrained eye the event may look like just another day out for the family, with candy floss, toffee apples and fairground rides galore.

But the annual Wickham Horse Fair - dating back to the 13th century - is also serious business. Travellers and pony-trotting competitors from all over the country flock to the village to pick up a bargain.

It's also a chance to put your best horses on show. The "shop window" is where bareback riders and pony-and-trap drivers tear up and down the street.

This practice has brought criticism from some who say it is dangerous and cruel to the horses. But from what I could see, the only people at risk are those on horseback - not a safety helmet in sight! But anyone who gets on a horse takes a risk, and this is hardly as danger-ous as cross-country or even fox-hunting for that matter.

This year's event attracted far fewer horses than normal, as many traders headed for fairs taking place in Andover and the West Country.

This, said RSPCA inspector Andy Dickinson, meant the potential for accidents involving people or horses was greatly reduced.

"We've probably only got about 70-odd horses here today. In the past, you could get twice that number turning up," he said. "This is a much more controlled event all round than it used to be.

"We've got the barriers up now to separate the crowds from the horses trotting down the street, and the distance has been shortened so they don't pick up as much speed."

Mr Dickinson was also keen to kill off another aspersion cast on fair - that the horses are in poor condition.

He said: "This is a showpiece event and these people are here to sell horses, so it wouldn't be in their interests to turn up with a horse in bad condition."

But some people remain sceptical. Wickham resident Doreen Wasylukda, of Dairymore Close, said: "This event should be held out in a field, not in the street. I don't mind the people and I'm sure they look after their horses, but I think it's not right to have them all tied up and squeezed together like that."

The bartering for horses, which can fetch anything between £100 and £2,000, is all part of the occasion. As punters down pints in the heat, the deals can become more and more frenzied and it's not unheard of for the same horse to be sold a dozen times in the same day.

Jimmy Smith, from Pagham, near Bognor, has been to the fair many times before and thinks it's one of the best, even if not the biggest. "You can come away with some great buys if you know what to look for," he said.

For more pictures pick up Friday's Daily Echo.

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