THE plight of Phoenix the calf had thousands of people holding their breath at the height of the foot-and-mouth crisis after it was found alive among a culled herd.

Pictures of the creature were flashed around the world, and the calf became a symbol of the suffering caused by the disease.

The Government eventually stepped in to reprieve the calf from its date with the slaughterman, to the relief of thousands of well-wishers.

Yesterday Phoenix, now a yearling, was the star at the first Showman's Show North, at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate.

It was the first time such an animal had appeared at a show since the outbreak of the disease that devastated farming, and a movement licence was obtained from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs enabling Phoenix to travel from its home farm near Axminster, in Devon.

Owner Philip Board said: "We thought that this was a way of looking forward positively. We are country people and this is a way of doing some good and supporting the countryside."

The Showman's Show North has grown out of a national event, the Showman's Show, at Newbury, and is a response to the needs of people who organise events in the North.

Director Stephen Lance said: "We are really pleased to see livestock being allowed back on to a showground for the first time since the foot-and-mouth outbreak last March.

"The Showman's is about all kinds of outdoor events, but agricultural shows are very dear to me and they endured a particularly horrid time last year."