Britain’s premier showcase for countryside pursuits is in full swing. MATT CLARK reports from the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate.

NO royal presence at the Great Yorkshire Show yesterday and while the heavens finally opened overnight, nothing was going to turn the day into a damp squib.

Organisers are already calling it one of the most successful shows of all and the milling throngs did nothing to dispel their claim.

Record livestock entries, and by the look of it above-average ticket sales, prove that in Yorkshire, a bit of rain is an inconvenience, nothing more. Certainly not enough to put a dampener on proceedings.

And to add a ray of sunshine, there’s no-one better than TV celeb Rosemary Shrager who supplied it in buckets full.

The Game Cookery Theatre is proving a big hit at the show and Rosemary turned in a star performance, producing mouth-watering cuts of rabbit and entertaining us with her infectious laugh. The Masham star chef is here again today, so make sure you witness what is a truly memorable experience.

The rain gods must have taken notice because at lunchtime the clouds parted on cue as soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment marched proudly in the Main Ring before the band of the Brigade of Gurkhas entertained another packed house.

Then there were the beasts. Fine, strapping specimens of cattle, sheep and pigs which prove that Yorkshire farmers, and indeed those across the country, are weathering the recessionary storm with aplomb.

Since the demise of the Royal Show, The Great Yorkshire Show has become the country’s leading agricultural event and organiser Judy Thompson says it has put the county at the forefront in farming matters. “I think Yorkshire is unique in having every type of farm and the Great Yorkshire Show gives a rare chance for people to see such a wide range of livestock and where else would you see animals of this quality?

“The weather has turned out to be much better than we expected, there has been a pleasant breeze and it’s not too hot. I‘ve also noticed a really positive attitude and there is almost a party atmosphere among the farmers, many of whom only meet up a couple of times a year.”

So today what can you expect? Well if your garden fence is in a bit of a mess why not replace it with a traditional one made from wicker? Master classes will show you how. Or you might prefer a dry stone wall. It’s tricky, but the experts here will tell you what to do.

The Main Ring will be the hub with the Bolddog Linns freestyle motorbike team, a parade of hounds and a parade of heavy horses.

Once again, North Yorkshire is leading the way. The show is a fabulous spectacle and this is the last day. Miss it at your peril.