Pictures and video: Shropshire County Show 2015

Families packed out the Greenhous West Mid Showground for the day and show chairman Neale Sadler said he had been thrilled with the public support for the show.

He said: "As the organisers we are very pleased with the way the show has gone, particularly after last year's show and the very wet weather.

Mr Sadler said he was confident that they had enjoyed one of the busiest shows to date, and also hailed the amount of businesses wanting trade pitches – with more than 200 lining up for visitors to browse – as a sign of the increasing popularity.

He said he was delighted tha the crowd figure was about 15,000, which was hailed by organisers as "tremendous".

He said: "There are no official gate figures yet but it appears we have done very well, and as well as any year since we started the show.

"We hoped for between 12,000 and 15,000 and have achieved that.

"There have been an excellent number of trade stands this year.

"We were sold out of trade stand space and actually turned some people away.

"We are particularly grateful to our main sponsors the Greenhous group who have blessed us with all the car franchises they run, which is a first for any show."

The show featured a huge variety of entertainment, from the traditional agricultural sections, through to a BMX track for youngsters as part of a dedicated "kids zone".

CATTLE

Dairy – Holstein: Champion, senior champion, exhibitor bred champion, best udder, Seaton Farms, Market Drayton; Reserve Champion, best pair, RJ Clare and Partners, Adderley, Market Drayton; Junior champion, group of three, TH Roberts.

Jersey: Champion, reserve champion, ME and AW Wright, Tixall, Stafford; best pair, Bar M Jerseys, Minsterley.

Ayrshire: Champion, female champion, ER and RW Adams, Ford, Shrewsbury; reserve champion, best pair, SN Bailey, Audlem; best group of three H and H Jones, Marton, Baschurch.

Interbreed trophies, Dairy.

Supreme Champion – ME and AW Wright.

Champion Heifer – TH Roberts and Sons.

Interbreed exhibitor bred champion and Champion group of four cattle: RJ Clare and Partners.

Best Pair of females – Bar M Jerseys.

Beef – British Blues: champion, female champion, exhibitor bred champion, DW and LE Morgan, Adfa, Newtown; reserve champion, male champion, WR Jones, Llanrheaedr-ym-Mochnant.

Charolais: champion, female champion, SM Corbet, Felindre, Powys; reserve champion, AJ Mould, Stafford; male champion, A Platt-Linford, Weston-under-Redcastle.

Hereford: Champion, male champion, exhibitor bred champion, TD and W Livesey, Packington; reserve champion, female champion, PR and LR Vincent, Market Diss.

Any other pure beef breed: Champion native reserve champion native, female champion, male champion, L Foxwell, Harlech; Champion continental, ET Gethin; reserve champion continental, TR Owen, Church Preen, Church Stretton.

Commercial Beef: Female champion, RA Elias, Gwynedd.

Dexter Champion: female champion, C and H Bickerton, Middlewich, Cheshire.

Longhorns: Champion, female champion, interbred champion, JS and JW Brigg Warwickshire ; reserve champion, male champion, B and M Llewellyn, Camarthenshire.

Rare and Minority Breeds: female, male and exhibitor bred champion, JR Williams, Wellington.

South Devon: Champion,female and interbred champion, JR and E Darlington, Tushingham, Whitchurch; reserve and male champion, WH and JM Sandford, Upton Magna, Shrewsbury.

Highland: Champion, female and exhibitor bred champion, J2 Farming, Aston, Oswestry; reserve and female champion, J and J Williamson, Bishop's Moat, Bishop's Castle.

Simmental: Champion, female and exhibitor bred champion, AJ Heath, Easton on Tern, Market Drayton; Reserve and male champion, RM Birch, Weston, Stafford.

Beef Recorded Bull: Champion, WH and JM Sandford.

SHEEP

Supreme Champion: RS and JA Gregory, Harmer Hill, Shrewsbury.

Bleu Du Main: Champion and female champion, Tait and Price, Worcester; reserve and male champion, S Shone, Malpas.

Charollais: Champion, reserve female and male champion, RS and JA Gregory.

Grey-faced Dartmoors: Champion and female champion, EA Dawson, Criggion, Shrewsbury; reserve and male champion, S and T Hamer, Aston, Oswestry.

Hampshire Down: Champion, reserve, male and female champion, EB and S Jones, Pembrokeshire.

Kerry Hill: Champion, female and male champion, IG Hills and Sons, Kington, Herefordshire; reserve champion, G Pugh, Churchstoke.

Lleyn: Champion, reserve, male and female champion: RJ Hamer, Minsterley.

Other Breeds, native: champion, male and female champion, Gray and Crowther, Bromyard; reserve champion, D and W Crew, Swindon.

Other breeds, continental: Champion, reserve, male and female champion, Tait and Price.

Rare or Tradition Breeds: champion and female champion, Thomas and Bevan, Kington; reserve and male champion, EA Price,Llanidloes.

Ryeland: Champion, reserve, male and female champion, Smillie and Grey, Ledbury.

Shropshire: Champion, S Farquhar, Ledbury; reserve champion, RJ Hares, Higher Heath, Whitchurch.

Suffolk: Champion and female champion: J Pryce, Trefnanney, Meifod; reserve and male champion, PW and R Poole, Upper Battlefield, Shrewsbury.

Texel: Champion and male champion: SP and CP Williams, Bomere Heath; reserve and female champion, W McCaffrey, Malpas.

Wool on the Hoof: champion, Parker and Green, Crew Green; reserve champion, P Woodall, Welshpool.

Mr Sadler said they were pleased to be able to offer such a wide range of activities, and were keen to make sure that parents and their children were able to enjoy activities without having to dip into their pockets.

He said: "In the kids zone we have had entertainment for babies right through to 16 and 17 year olds with the 'Pump It' BMX track, which was all free of charge.

"We had something for every age covered.

"By the time people have paid for their tickets – they are probably going to buy lunch too and they want to feel like when they go round the trade areas they can spend money voluntarily. That is why we have tried to get free attractions for people to enjoy."

Activities throughout the day included a motorcycle stunt team, as well as a "Battle of Britain flypast" featuring a Spitfire and a Hurricane.

Mr Sadler said: "Unfortunately the weather last year meant they could not make it, but we were delighted to have them here at this year's show."

The cattle competitions were also well supported with good entries.

Visitors said it was good to see the agricultural traditions returning to the show.

Neil Phillips, 44, said he had been to almost every show.

"We even used to have a day off school to come when it was held in the week," he said.

His children, James, 11, and Amy, 13, said they had had a good day. "It is good because there is a lot for the older people to see but a lot for us, including the funfair," James said. "I am looking forward to the Young Farmers Club floats."

The owners of two of the champion beasts had stories to tell of how their interest in cattle began.

For the farming family that took the award for supreme champion, with Simmental Pope's Whisper's Coco, as well as best heifer, it was a hobby that grew into a business.

Anthony and Sarah Heath were running their successful egg business at Eaton-on-Tern and renting out fields.

"I looked out and thought, wouldn't it be nice to have our own cattle in the field by the house," Mrs Heath said.

That was in 2006 and the family, including sons, Richard, 18, and Alex, 20, now have not only a Simmental herd but also Limousins. "It started as a hobby and turned into a business," Mrs Heath said.

Andrew Wright was given two Jersey cows by his mother Mary when he was 13 years old to care for on their six acres of land.

Champion

Now, 47 years later, he and his mother, now 85, took the award for champion dairy animal with May Pine.

They run their 250 milking Jersey herd at Tixall, Stafford, with Mr Wright's wife Helen and their son, 26-year-old Matthew.

"My mother, who still does the paperwork for the company, was delighted when we told her about the awards we have won at the show."

Sarah Swinnerton, marketing officer for shows and events at Harper Adams University, added: "We had a fantastically successful day at the Shropshire Show. We were able to showcase some of the ground-breaking work being done at Harper Adams University.

"We had a survey drone, which is a machine used for developing navigation systems for crop survey drones, and a Parrot Rolling Spider to demonstrate the aircraft technology we are using in our rotary wing drones. The survey drone was built by Jonathan Gill at the university."

Neil Prescott, who runs Ball Sports Community Coaching with Steve Lalley, was in the Kids Zone with their speed cage. He said: "It was a fantastic day and with the amazing weather it made it better than any other year.

"The children were brilliant at trying to get the fastest strike and there was an amazing buzz in the Kids Zone. All of the Shropshire County Show team and the dedicated volunteers who make it happen should be very proud of themselves."

The NFU challenged show visitors to find out more about farming by visiting the union's countryside marquee.

County farmers and growers talked to the public about what they do and the food they produce and were able to get close up to sheep and chickens.

There were sheep shearing demonstrations courtesy of North Shropshire College and Oswestry farmer Malcolm Roberts, while David Mills, NFU regional poultry chairman, who farms near Craven Arms, provided chickens and chicks to help promote the poultry sector.

Regional, seasonal produce was on display from Moor Farm Shop, Baschurch, and Shropshire horticulture was promoted by the Bubb family who, among other farming interests, run a confetti farm, Shropshire Petals, near Newport.

Telford farmer Bruce Udale was on hand to tell the story of cereals from field to plate.

Richard Yates, Shropshire NFU chairman, said: "The NFU is delighted the event has continued to establish itself on the show calendar.

"I think it is always essential that we speak to the public about what we do and what we can deliver as an industry.

"Food production is our main challenge but there are many others including the farmed environment, energy, emissions and sustainability.

"I would urge the Government to Back British Farming and support us in our efforts to produce more food to feed our nation. We are also calling on retailers to stock more British food and are asking for shoppers to continue their brilliant support of agriculture and horticulture."

Mr Yates visted the livestock lines to meet members and see some of the quality show stock.

Rob Newbery, NFU West Midlands regional director, said: "The show is a real showcase for Shropshire farming and a great start to the show season as for many farmers and growers it is one of the first big events of the year.

"We use it as an opportunity to meet up with farmers to discuss issues in the industry and speak with decision makers at the event."