Entries are officially open for the 2025 New Forest Pony & Cattle Breeding Society Annual Breed Show – and once again, the spotlight is on the cattle classes, an essential and long-standing part of the Show’s heritage.

While the main Breed Show continues to showcase New Forest ponies, the cattle classes have carved out their own legacy over the decades. Although no longer judged at the showground itself, cattle classes remain a central part of the event and are judged in advance either on competitors’ holdings or directly out on the open Forest.

This year’s schedule includes six main classes for:

• Forest-run and non-Forest-run cattle
• Youngstock
• Cattle sired by native breeds
• A Forest Run Championship
• Special recognition for Best Young Commoner

New for 2025: Commoners Beef Herd Class (C7)

The Society is especially proud to introduce a new class this year in memory of Matthew Gerrelli, a dedicated supporter of the Society, the cattle classes and former cattle champion. The ‘Commoners Beef Herd’ class (C7) honours his contribution and encourages participation from practising commoners.

• Open to practising Commoners in 2025
• Minimum of three cattle, any breed or age
• At least one entry required in class C1 or C2
• Judged alongside C1 and C2
• Winner receives the Beechwood Cup

Entries close on Monday, 18 August, with the provisional judging date being Thursday, 21 August.

• Cattle Classes schedule
• Online entry form
• Download a manual entry form – these can be returned by e-mail or post.

The New Forest CDA is encouraging all practising Commoners to take part.

Whether you’re entering a single animal or a whole herd, these classes are your chance to showcase your breeding, care, and commitment to keeping New Forest heritage alive.

For questions or support with entry forms, please contact the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society office or visit the Society’s website

A bumper acorn crop is expected across the New Forest this year.

As a result, Forestry England and The Verderers of the New Forest have confirmed the 2025 pannage season will take place between Monday, 15 September and Friday, 28 November.

However, these dates are subject to change as an extension could be agreed later in the year.

What is pannage?

Pannage is the traditional practice of turning out domestic pigs into woodland to forage for fallen acorns, beech mast, chestnuts, and other nuts. This is more than just a tradition as it plays a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance of the Forest.

While acorns are a natural and nutritious food source for pigs, they are toxic in large quantities to other grazing animals such as ponies and cattle. Allowing pigs to clear the Forest floor helps protect the health of other livestock and continues a practice that dates back centuries.

Important reminders for Commoners

• Pigs must be inspected and marked by their area agister at least 14 days before being turned out
• Property owners adjacent to the open Forest are reminded that it is their responsibility to fence out Forest animals, including pigs. Standard fencing for ponies and cattle may not be sufficient to deter pigs, so check your boundaries carefully

Need more information?

If you have questions or need assistance regarding the 2025 pannage season, please contact:

The Verderers’ Office
The King’s House
Lyndhurst, Hampshire
SO43 7NH
Tel: 02380 282052

A new initiative is underway to explore whether New Forest Commoners could be formally recognised as a minority group.

The primary purpose is to help protect Commoners’ unique cultural heritage, land-based traditions and way of life for generations to come.

As part of the early-stage work, the New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association (CDA) is launching a simple two-question survey to gauge support and visibility of the proposal within the Commoning community.

The survey aims to understand how many people identify as Commoners both now and potentially in the future. The survey comprises the following yes/no questions:

• If you had known it was an option, would you have identified as a New Forest Commoner in the most recent national census?
• If it becomes an option, would you identify as a New Forest Commoner in future national censuses?

It is hoped the results will demonstrate the scale and commitment of the Commoning community while supporting the case for recognition in public records and policy.

Chair of the New Forest CDA, Andrew Parry-Norton, said: ‘The purpose of this short survey is cultural visibility.

‘Commoning is a way of life deeply tied to the landscape, with roots going back hundreds of years. But unless we’re counted we are at risk of being overlooked.’

The results of the survey will inform wider discussions with policymakers, heritage bodies, and other minority communities in the UK who have achieved formal recognition.

Anyone who considers themselves a New Forest Commoner is encouraged to take part and share the survey widely within the community.

Take the survey here

Read the introductory report by Brice Stratford: Recognising New Forest commoners as a national minority

The deadline to complete the survey is Sunday, 31 August.

Visitors to this year’s New Forest Show are warmly invited to stop by the New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association (CDA) stand, to learn about one of the Forest’s oldest and most vital traditions: Commoning.

The CDA stand, run by the committee and Young Commoners committee, offers a rare insight into the world of the New Forest Commoners – those who have grazed their animals on the open Forest for generations and played a crucial role in preserving its unique landscape and way of life.

Throughout the Show, which takes place between Tuesday, 29 July and Thursday, 31 July, commoners will be on hand to chat, answer questions and share their knowledge to the wider public.

It will be a fantastic opportunity to hear first-hand about the challenges and rewards of Commoning in the New Forest, how it shapes the Forest today, and why its future depends on continued public support and understanding.

New Forest CDA Stand at the New Forest Show

From learning about livestock and traditional rights to understanding the threats facing Commoning in a changing world, the CDA stand will be informative, engaging, and family-friendly.

There will also be a chance to purchase a bespoke wooden plaque made at the Show by Commoners. Proceeds from the sales go towards the CDA and Young Commoners.

Find the New Forest CDA stand in the New Forest Corner area at the Show.

At this month’s sitting of Verderers’ Court, Andrew Parry-Norton, chair of the New Forest Commoners Defence Association (CDA), delivered two presentments highlighting urgent concerns affecting the management of the Forest.

In the first presentment, Andrew addressed the increasing volume of fallen trees and timber in woodland areas, supporting a presentment at the Court the previous month from a fellow Commoner to have the debris more actively cleared.

‘The CDA acknowledges that a certain amount should be left for the benefit of the ecology,’ he said on Wednesday, 16 July. ‘But we now feel this policy has been taken to the extreme. Access for stock welfare has become difficult and dangerous.’

The second presentment focused on New Forest District Council’s roll-out of food waste bins.

‘As was predicted by the CDA, the rollout has not gone well,’ Andrew told the Court, referencing pictures and reports of donkeys prising open the caddies and consuming the contents.

He warned the problem would only worsen with the approaching pannage season, when pigs are turned out onto the Forest in autumn.

‘Urgent discussions need to take place involving all interested parties, maybe suspending the separation of the waste food from general waste until this problem is solved,’ added Andrew.

You can read the two presentments in full here

The New Forest is a living, working landscape which is rich in tradition, natural beauty and shared responsibility.

New Forest Commoners play a vital role in its care and protection which is why views are being sought on two important Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) that were introduced in July 2023 to reduce wildfire risks and protect the welfare of Commoners’ free-roaming animals.

These PSPOs are now due for review, and feedback is wanted to decide whether they should be extended.

What the PSPOs do

• PSPO 1: Prohibits the lighting of fires and barbecues, as well as the dropping or placing of items that could cause a fire, such as used disposable barbecues or smouldering litter, within defined areas of the Forest
• PSPO 2: Prohibits the feeding or petting of free-roaming New Forest ponies, horses, donkeys, and mules, to safeguard animal welfare and reduce risks to the public

These orders were introduced to reduce wildfire risk – especially during dry months – and support the health and welfare of livestock.

Each PSPO lasts for up to three years and they are then reviewed before a decision is made to extend them or not.

Why Commoners’ voices matter

The New Forest is a shared space, shaped by generations of Commoning so the insight of Commoners of how the two PSPOs are working on the ground is invaluable.

Whether it be positive change, concerns, or suggestions, New Forest District Council (NFDC) is after feedback to help shape the future of these protections.

How to have your say

NFDC is inviting all New Forest Commoners to take part in a short survey to help it decide whether these orders should be extended for another three years.

The feedback will directly influence how the council – along with partners The Verderers of the New Forest, Forestry England and the New Forest National Park Authority – continues to safeguard the Forest and its unique way of life.

Take the survey here

The deadline to complete the survey is midnight on Sunday, 10 August.

Chair of the New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association (CDA), Andrew Parry-Norton, has outlined how the proposed options for local government reorganisation could impact commoners.

New Forest District Council is calling on those in and around the Forest to give their feedback on the three proposals with commoners on parts of the Waterside and in Totton potentially hit in a variety of ways by the changes.

Here are Andrew’s thoughts on the issue:

‘Option one is for the New Forest to join up with the Test Valley, Winchester, a bit of east Hampshire and become what they’re going to call a Mid Hampshire District Council,’ he says.

‘Option two is that the New Forest basically is going to join up with Southampton. And so we (the New Forest] just become like an add-on to Southampton District Council.

‘Option three is to split the Waterside off, so the Forest will be divided up between Test Valley and Southampton District Council.

‘Now this won’t affect our rights as commoners – nothing will do that. But if Southampton take on the Waterside, the worrying concern would be obviously the back-up grazing.

‘Jo Ivey’s report that came out recently highlighted a lot of the problems we have with back-up grazing. So potentially would Southampton – an urban council – look after our back-up grazing? Planning could be an issue, as could representation.

‘Southampton is huge – a population of just under 300,000 – and we are going to be a very small minority. Are they going to understand our concerns of how the Forest runs and how it is so unique? There are potentially major problems.

‘My own personal view is we don’t want the Forest split. The Forest has to stay united. We’re working very hard on an agri-environmental scheme that will unite the whole Forest.

‘Let’s keep it together as one and make sure that commoners have a strong voice. We don’t want to see the Forest split, keep the Forest whole.

‘It’s your own choice and please make your own decisions on this, but I feel the Forest should stay united.’

Commoners impacted by the proposals can have their say in a survey through NFDC. You can take the survey here

Commoners with land or holdings in the Waterside and Totton areas are being urged to raise their concerns amid fears that proposed local government changes could impact their access to the New Forest.

Under the current reorganisation proposals, parts of Waterside and Totton may be transferred to a newly formed Southampton District Council. This shift raises serious concerns for commoners who rely on proximity to the Forest to exercise their grazing and other traditional rights.

If these changes go ahead, affected commoners find could themselves geographically and administratively cut off from the Forest, potentially putting generations of commoning practice at risk.

New Forest District Council (NFDC) is currently gathering feedback on the reorganisation through a survey, and commoners are being strongly encouraged to make their voices heard.

New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association (CDA) chair Andrew Parry-Norton says: ‘We at the CDA would urge anyone who may be affected by this to take the survey as soon as possible to express their views.

‘It is vital that the impact on traditional rights and access to the Forest is fully understood and taken into account during the process.’

For more information, visit the How to have your say section on the NFDC website here

Forestry England is inviting applications from active New Forest commoners to rent three properties in the Forest.

Full details of the properties and how commoners can apply for them can be found below.

Properties available

New Copse Cottage South, Beaulieu Road, Brockenhurst

A two bedroom detached house with garden and outbuilding, located within New Copse Inclosure.

More information on New Copse Cottage South

Powdermills Bungalow, Eyeworth, Fritham

A three bedroom detached bungalow located north west of Fritham, includes off road parking, large garden, stable block and small outbuilding.

More information on Powdermills Bungalow

Springwood Cottage East, Burley Lodge, Burley

A three bedroom semi-detached cottage located in Burley. Access to the property is via a Forestry England track off the Lyndhurst to Burley Road.

More information on Springwood Cottage East

All rents are below commercial rates and structured to be genuinely affordable for working commoners.

Who can apply?

You must be an active commoner, meaning:

• You own or manage livestock with registered grazing rights
• You participate regularly in Forest land management or conservation
• You can demonstrate ongoing, meaningful involvement – not just occasional or historic activity

Applications are reviewed by a dedicated panel made up of the official Verderer, an elected Verderer and a representative from Forestry England.

This ensures the process is fair and focused on sustaining commoning.

How to apply

New Forest commoners interested in applying must have the following:

• Evidence of active commoning (e.g. livestock records, grazing licences)
• References from the commoning community
• A willingness to enter a Farm Business Tenancy agreement

Visit the Forestry England New Forest Housing page to view the full listings and download application materials.

The deadline for expressions of interest in the above properties is 5pm on Tuesday, 22 July.

Andrew Parry-Norton delivered a presentment on the urgent need for a sustainable agri-environmental future for the New Forest at this month’s sitting of Verderers’ Court.

The chair of the New Forest CDA and Forest Farming Group emphasised the growing pressures facing the Forest, including diminishing government support for rural and agricultural sectors.

He underscored the essential role of commoners’ grazing in maintaining the landscape and biodiversity of the Forest, as well as the ongoing need for funding to support infrastructure and ranger services.

The Forest Farming Group, comprised of multiple organisations, is working towards securing the New Forest’s entry into a new agri-environmental scheme. The recent PA2 study, commissioned by the FFG at Defra’s request, concluded that while the Forest’s needs are clear, there was insufficient data at the time to define a suitable Forest-wide scheme.

However, the Landscape Recovery scheme has emerged as the most promising option. This government initiative, if adapted appropriately, could serve the Forest well. Andrew noted that a narrow application window could open in the near future, so the Forest must be prepared to submit a compelling bid.

He called on the Verderers to continue taking a leading role in uniting Forest organisations and shaping a shared path forward. In closing, he stressed that only through collective commitment can the Forest achieve a sustainable, resilient future that supports both its unique environment and the people who depend on it.

Read the presentment in full here