ROSEDALE Show, which attracts farmers and tourists from miles around, is being held on Saturday - 135 years since it was first staged.

Despite being a small community, the show has gone from strength to strength over the years, says chairman Mrs Janet Dring. "People even book their holidays in Rosedale to coincide with the show," she said.

This year there will be three new trophies, one for the gun dogs section has been given in memory of former councillor John Greetham by his wife, Jill, who was secretary for many years, while a legendary competitor in the horse section, Jack the Lad, will be recalled when a memorial trophy is presented by the family who owned him, Tim and Janine Aldrfed of Treddenoch Stud, Rosedale Abbey.

It will be the second piece of silverware to be named after a former competitor at Rosedale, says Mrs Dring, with the Mr Magnum Trophy which is given for the best small hunter in the show.

Prospects look good for the day, said Mrs Dring, with big entries in many classes, especially heavy horses, where there has been a significant increase with competitors travelling hundreds of miles to take part.

In all some 65 trophies will be awarded at the show, and a new one has been given for a child handling sheep section. "We are keen to encourage more children to take part, and sheep and Rosedale Show are synonymous," said Mrs Dring.

A novel class this year is for hen eggs which are neither brown nor white, and another new class is for home-made liqueur, while the show society has decided to turn the clock back to Victorian times, introducing some of the classes which the people of Rosedale would have entered over a century ago, such as hand-made pork pies, a silhouette picture, traditional Yorkshire curd tart and decorated boxes. "We used some of the very old catalogues to get the ideas," said Mrs Dring, who has been associated with the show all her life, starting as a child competitor and helper.

Many of the classes have been sponsored by local businesses and individuals and given good weather the organisers are confident that the attendance could reach 5,000.

But while the show has gained in popularity, the show society has found itself bedevilled with increasing bureaucracy, said Mrs Dring. "Rocketing costs of insurance, health and safety and police regulations have made it more difficult to organise," she said.

Among the many attractions at the show will be the Malton White Star Band, foxhound and terrier shows, a gundog show, gymkhana, craft workers, side shows, and hundreds of entries in the livestock, rabbits, cavies, and poultry sections as well as the horticultural and baking classes.

"The show is good in so many ways," said Mrs Dring. "It is a wonderful community event and it is a real asset to the local economy, bringing many people into Rosedale to stay and go to the local cafes and pubs."