Farming showcase draws record crowds (From Gazette & Herald)

Farming showcase draws record crowds

12:37pm Thursday 30th October 2008

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A NEW equine ring and the return of the cattle and sheep classes proved a huge attraction for visitors to Countryside Live at the weekend with a record-breaking 10,127 people through the gates.

Now in its sixth year, the two-day event at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, offered the perfect mix of a fun day out with a showcase for the farming industry.

Bill Cowling, honorary show director, said he was delighted with the record- breaking figure and said the event was “the best yet”. He said: “It’s had a real buzz, with the crowds pouring in from early morning on both days.

“The judges have all commented on the exceptional quality of our cattle and sheep and the new equestrian section has been a huge success.”

Countryside Live is organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and is the little sister event of the annual Great Yorkshire Show.

The supreme beef championship went to Phil Sellers of Belper, Derbyshire, with a British Blue sired heifer, ‘Limited Edition’, and 14-year-old Dylan Jones of Conwy, Wales, showed the Reserve – the steer champion, ‘Black Jack’, also a British Blue X.

North Yorkshire exhibitors swept the board in the sheep section with the Brown family from near Bedale taking home armfuls of silverware with their Beltex sheep.

Martin Brown won four of the five championship awards, and daughter Hannah won the young handlers section.

The trophy for the champion native was taken by Mike Allen of Staithes, near Whitby, with a pair of Suffolk X Texel lambs.

This was the first year for equine classes, with strong support from competitors. The winner of the winter heritage mountain and moorland lead rein and first ridden championship was nine-year-old Oliver Shuttleworth of Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, riding a six-year-old grey gelding, Waxwing Thumbs Up.

The open ridden mountain and moorland champion was Mrs D Roberts, of Stanley, Wakefield, with Fallfield Honey Buzzard, a bay gelding, while the mountain and moorland open and restricted working hunter pony champion was Harriet Etchells on Mrs J Stockdale’s Micklehill Apsara of Easingwold.

Kirsty Farren of Ripon, riding Skylo, took the open working hunter pony championship.

There was also a strong showing in the veteran horse or pony classes, with the championship going to Alison Yates of Halifax, on Highlander.

The champion ridden coloured horse or pony was Jade Hind of Stokesley on Diamond Onyx.

Lincolnshire took the honours in the Royal Smithfield Club National Festival of Meat, with Michael Read of Hemingby, Horncastle, winning the ribs of beef section, with R E Needham & Son of Gayton- le-Wold, Louth, taking best sired by British Native Breed.

In the saddle of lamb section, the supreme championship was taken by W Evans of Bordorgan, Anglesey, with a Beltex X Texel male.

The new sausage-tasting competition was won by Hinchcliffes Butchers of Huddersfield with Ellisons Butchers of Cullingworth, Bradford as runners-up.

Doncaster beekeeper Dave Shannon took the champion’s trophy in the Honey Show, winning the Yorkshire Herald Cup by just one point.

In the poultry section, the champion, a rare breed black Sumatra, was shown by Geoff Tinson and Louise Hidden, of Glossop, Derbyshire, while the supreme champion honours in the fancy pigeon section going to Andy Hopkins of Chesterfield, with his Old German Owl.

Keith and Gillian Robson, of Darlington, won best fancy flying pigeon with a Flying Tippler and best fancy homer with a Grizzler, and best show racer went to Paul Yates, of Harrogate.

Around the event, masterclasses by former Olympic showjumper Graham Fletcher and dog agility demonstrations proved hugely popular.

In addition, hundreds of children enjoyed a range of activities including bread making, face painting and learning how to recycle waste.

Among them were members of local Brownie and Cub packs who completed a number of set tasks around the event to gain their special Countryside Live badges.

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