THE Westcountry Game Fair, billed as the Ultimate Countryside Experience and the first of the great regional game fairs in the calendar, is set to visit the Royal Bath and West Showground on March 20 and 21, 2004.

The fair, which is in its eighth year, regularly attracts thousands of visitors who are passionate about the countryside way of life. It is the first opportunity that they have in the year to come together to celebrate the rural way of living.

All aspects of country life are represented at the Fair. The BASC are on hand to offer coaching and advice, and there are opportunities to put this to the test with a clay shoot and laser clays.

Dogs are an important element of living and working in the country, and they are well represented at the 2004 Fair. Lurcher racing and terrier racing take place on both days, with a lurcher show and terrier show on the Sunday. Gundogs come into their own at this Fair, with the ever-popular gun dog parade, the BASC Gundog Forum and gundog eye testing, which is BVA approved and can be booked in advance by calling 01884 841644. Sheepdog displays will show another side to the working dog.

The National Tattoo Register and microchipping will both be on hand to ensure that all dogs that visit the Fair will have the opportunity to be made secure. There will also be a dog crche on both days. In addition, if you think your dog has winning potential, then you should enter it into the Westcountry Family Dog Show, which takes place on the Sunday.

Also taking place on the Sunday will be the Hunt Pack Parade featuring hounds from local hunts.

The Westcountry Game Fair is a great supporter of traditional rural skills and activities, and this year is no exception. Flycasting demonstrations and coaching will be available for keen anglers. A special deer area has been set aside for this most striking member of the countryside's fauna. Archery and falconry take us back to some of the very earliest methods of hunting, and stick and hurdle making will be demonstrated. Moreover, as ever, the popular racing ferrets will be on hand to thrill the crowds.

New to this year are a Sheep Show and Sheep Shearing Show, and a Game Cookery Theatre, where experts will demonstrate how to prepare delicious meals from traditional game meats, as well as more exotic fare, such as rattlesnake and ostrich!

Sandra Turner, managing director of Contour Exhibitions and Events which stages the Westcountry Game Fair, commented: "This is our eighth year, and each year the Fair just gets bigger and better. We think that we have got a great Fair for 2004 that represents a vast range of country pursuits and interests."