A SOLID silver trophy that disappeared after it was first presented has finally turned up - 87 years later.

The silver cup – thought to be worth a four-figure sum – has been returned to the show committee that originally presented it after being found in a skip.

The trophy was the Swaledale Sheep Cup for the champion group of four at Nidderdale Show and was first won way back in 1927.

But it was never seen again – until a couple from York arrived at this year’s show and handed over a very dingy-looking cup.

Cup Steward David Prince said: “I was really surprised when I looked at it, I’d never seen it before but they said they had found it in a skip in York and thought it must belong to us.

“It was extremely dull but when we polished it up it was lovely.”

The new temporary owner of the cup is farmer Mark Ewbank who won the Swaledale Group of Four at this year’s event.

“It’s amazing to think this has been missing for 87 years,” he said. “I’ll certainly be making sure it comes back to the show committee next year.”

Show committee members have now agreed to send a formal letter of thanks to the couple and present them with tickets for next year’s show.

“Presumably it had been forgotten about and maybe ended up in the skip during a house clearance,” said show director Trevor Stoney.

“We are trying to find out more about who it was last presented to in 1927, just to fill in more of the history. "