The Lowther show has been scrapped for next year and there are doubts over whether it will ever be staged again.

The event was cancelled this year due to torrential rain and this week, the organisers Countryman Fairs went into Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation.

Lowther Castle chief executive David Bliss said: “We can’t see a future for it. I think it is finished, unfortunately.

Mr Bliss said the Estate could not run the show itself, but was open to hearing from other organisations.

“The country shows like Penrith seem to be thriving. They are driven by local communities and volunteers and have far more resilience, as opposed to a business trying to operate it.

“If we had an approach from a country show organisation to take over the event, we would be over the moon.

“Approaches to the estate are always welcome.”

The event has seen several different incarnations since it was first started in the 1970s by the late Lord Lonsdale.

Carriage-driving was one of its major focuses in those days as were country sports of all kinds. The show built up a reputation for its hound-show, its gun-dog displays, its emphasis on field sports. Prince Philip was a regular visitor, competing in the carriage-driving and adding further glamour to a highly popular three-day event.

By the early 2000s, Lowther Estate was finding the pressure to run the event single-handed too much, particularly when the 2008 show was washed out.

As a result, the Estate gave up running the show and Staffordshire-based Countryman Fairs took over.

In a statement, the Lowther Castle project said: “It is with great regret Lowther Estates has to announce that the Lowther Show will not be taking place in 2020. “

One of the biggest country pursuit fairs in the region, the event is staged annually in the grounds of the castle.

The show in August was washed out by a storm, despite the frantic efforts of organisers.

It opened its gates on the Saturday after days of downpours, but with more heavy rainfall overnight, the decision was taken not to open the turnstiles on Sunday.

The show’s sodden grounds were deemed too unsafe for the event to continue.

With organisers and team members working round-the-clock to try to restore car parks and aisle ways, the additional rainfall on Saturday meant there was little that could be done to save the event.

Visitors had complained on social media that the showfield had been turned into a “quagmire.”

Organisers moved the popular pony sports and horse jumping competitions to another venue in Carlisle.

But Lowther Castle stress that the cancellation does not mean that other events will not bet staged on the state.

The spokesman added: “We are delighted to be staging a year-round programme of events that appeal to our audience of families and heritage-lovers. Food markets, family entertainment and garden-based events are all part of our portfolio. Kendal Calling is a summer highlight while our autumn events – The Ghosts of Lowther and Fireworks – are hugely popular. Events at Lowther are very much here to stay.”

Mr Bliss added: “It has stopped before and come back, so you never know, but it will probably be a new type and model.”