TORRENTIAL rain failed to deter 14,000 people from visiting the 131st Stokesley Show at the weekend.

Organisers were delighted with the increased number of entrants, especially in the sheep and cattle sections, and the return of the goat section and sheep dog trials.

Saturday's event also included competitions for rabbits, poultry, pigeons, ferrets, dogs and children's work as well as classes in horticulture and craft work.

Secretary Alan Weighell said: "I've had a lot of positive feedback from people enjoying the show and it is has been a trouble-free day.

"We were under some regulations to do with the movement of cattle and sheep but most of the red tape has been lifted and it didn't affect numbers."

Stokesley Show has never been rained off but the crowd was down on the previous year, which saw 18,000 visitors.

The children's section had a record number of entries with 16,000 submissions.

Crowds stood five-deep to watch the jousting display by The Knights of the Black Phoenix in traditional costume, and music was provided by the Ever Ready Brass Band.

There was a display of vintage farming machinery and a demonstration of steam-driven corn thrashing by the North York Moors Vintage Tractor Engine Club.

Children could have a go in a fire engine and dunk the Young Farmers, who were raising money for the Great North Air Ambulance. A balloon race gave proceeds to the Association of Children's Hospices.

Show results

CATTLE

Best Registered Dairy Shorthorn, Mrs Wilkes; Best Pedigree Ayrshire Female, G and B Stevenson; Best of Breed, Jersey Cattle, Mrs J Waring; Exhibitor gaining the most points, Holstein Cattle, HS Petch and Sons Ltd; Best in classes 18 (Heifer in calf with first calf born on or after September 1, 2000) and 21 (Heifer in-milk born in or after 2000), Donaldson Partners; Best Holstein Fresian in show, D Paul Day and Son; Champion Dairy Cow or Heifer in the show, G and B Stevenson; Best Calf in classes 26, 28, 30 and 32, Dalesend; Champion Handler, James Watson; Champion Dexter, S Hunt; Champion, Any Other Pedigree Beef Breed, Mrs C Thompson; Pedigree Beef Champion, Mrs C Thompson; Champion Beast in classes 51 to 57, Mrs S A Swales.

HORSES

Agricultural horse - Champion, Messrs P and W Bedford. Hunters, breeding - Best Brood Mare, Mr and Mrs M Grubb; Best Exhibit in Classes 8 and 10, Mrs D Braithwaite; Best Exhibit in Classes 11 to 13, Mr and Mrs W Moran.

Hunters, ridden - Best in Classes 14 and 15, Mr L Moorhouse. Cleveland Bays - Best Cleveland Mare or Filly, Mr and Mrs N G Cowgill; Winner of class 20 (Yearling or two-year-old colt, gelding or filly), T E Wren.

Pony, breeding - Best Exhibit in classes 22 to 26, Miss C Batterbee. Pony riding - Best Show Hunter Pony, Mrs B A Wood; Best Rider, boy or girl under 16, Mr J Hodgson. Champion Coloured Horse, Mr R V Dobbin. Registered Welsh ponies - Champion Welsh Pony, Miss S Bennett.

Mountain and moorland ponies - Champion of the In-hand, Ridden and Welsh, Miss S Bennett.

Driving turnout - Best in classes 51 to 52, Mr J D Dobson.

SHEEP

Supreme Champion in Show, R Peart; Best Suffolk Sheep, Mrs S J Broadwith; Best Scotch Blackface Sheep, Mr P Turnbull; Best Jacob Sheep, Mr J R Atkinson; Best Butchers' Lambs, A C and S A Hutchinson.

HONEY and DAIRY

Mrs KA Haith Salver, Gwen Aston; Welford Cup, Gwen Aston; Exhibitor gaining most points on Dairy Produce Classes 19-63, Gwen Aston.

FERRETS

Best in show, Lee Mason. Best young ferret in show, A Newton.

RABBITS

Best in Show, A D and A Scott; Best Fancy, A D and A Scott; Best Normal Fur, H Walton; Best Rex, Mrs P Kell.

PIGEONS

Best Fancy Pigeon, M S Knaggs.

POULTRY

Champion Bird, D Agar; Best Leghorn, D Agar; Best Barnevelder, O Balding; Best Orpington, W Burdett; Best Rhode Island Red, R and N Sigsworth; Best Sussex, L Bowden; Best Hardfeather, R Jackson.

GOATS

Best in show, Mrs E Woodmass; Best milker, Mrs E Woodmass; Best goatling, Mrs E Woodmass; Best kid, Mrs Eyles.

HANDICRAFTS

Best exhibit in classes 1 to 34, Mrs M Smith; Best watercolour painting, Miss A M Mohon; Best pastel in show, Mrs B Renton-Wood; Best exhibit in art and printing section, Mrs B Renton-Wood; Best exhibit in handicrafts section, J J Jenkins.

HORTICULTURE

Exhibitor gaining most points in horticultural section, P G Orley; Best exhibit in Horticultural Trade or Specialists' stand, Springwell Nurseries; Exhibitor gaining most points in chrysanthemum section, R Scarth; Exhibitor gaining most points in dahlia section, P G Orley; Best exhibit in rose classes, A J Bracegirdle; Best pot plant, Mrs K M Cook; Steradent Poniard Trophy, J Gedge; Best cactus, Mrs K M Cook; Best tomatoes, D L Forrest.

CHILDREN'S SECTION

Exhibitor gaining the highest number of points, Naomi Haigh; Schools Trophy, Stokesley Community Primary School.