CATTLE exhibitors at the new Countryside Live! event in Harrogate won unprecedented praise from judge Ian Anderson.

Before selecting the supreme beef champion he took the microphone and declared: "The cattle in front of me yesterday and the ones here today are the best cattle in total that I have ever judged ... and that includes Royal Smithfield."

His comments won loud applause from the large audience which had gathered to watch him select the overall winner and reserve.

The supreme title went to Derek Winney of Hereford with a 15-month-old Limousin X steer bred in Wales by Howard Powell. Mr Winney bought the steer in February, since when it has won 19 out of 21 championships, including the commercial beef title at the Great Yorkshire.

The reserve champion went to a Limousin X Belgian Blue heifer shown by Diane Whiteley of Scawton, near Thirsk, on behalf of owner Andrew Richardson of Appleby.

Before making his selection Mr Anderson of Cumnock, Ayr, said it was a great honour to have been asked to judge at the event. "I think it is a show that will go from strength to strength," he said to more than 20 beef animals and handlers, who made an impressive line-up in the undercover ring.

"I thank the exhibitors, the stockmen and stock women for the way they have presented these high quality animals, they are a credit to you all."

In sheep lines, Cecil Hutchinson and family upheld the honours for Yorkshire by taking the championship for the best breeding ewe lambs with a pen of Mules.

Mr Hutchinson and his wife, Hilda, of Kirby Wiske, have won about 25 sheep trophies this season, including the Mule breed championship at the Great Yorkshire.

The other championships were dominated by the Whiteford family of Brampton, Cumbria. Thomas Whiteford, his wife Jennifer, son James, and brother William, took both the supreme and reserve supreme butcher's lamb titles with pens of Texel and Beltex X.

They also won the pure Texel title and the single butcher's lamb awards. It was a magnificent achievement, considering that they lost all their stock to a contiguous cull during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The Whitifords have now built up again to about 400 Texel-Beltex ewes and won two championship carcase titles and a reserve at last year's Royal Smithfield.

Also featured was the National Festival of Meat's beef ribs carcase competition, staged by the Royal Smithfield Club.

It attracted 43 ribs and was won by Robert Needham and his son, John, of Louth, Lincolnshire, with a set of ribs from a Charolais cross heifer.

Countryside Live!, sponsored by Yorkshire Forward, incorporated the Northern Counties Livestock Show and the Yorkshire Woodfair. Aimed at both the producer and townspeople, it was an excellent combination of practical demonstrations and machinery for the farmer.

There were also cookery demonstrations, using local produce, by a number of Michelin-starred chefs, including Richard Allen, head chef at the Fourth Floor Caf and Bar at Harvey Nichols, Leeds, and Frances Atkins, chef and owner of the Yorke Arms at Ramsgill