Thousands flock to The Oswestry Show - with pictures and video

From the champion livestock and spectacular horses to the food that the agricultural community produces, the showground at Park Hall on the edge of the town was a shop window for farmers.

Perfect weather drew the crowds keen to watch the main ring attractions, see the animals and browse the trade stalls.

President, Neil Brogden, said it was wonderful to see such big crowds.

The arable farmer for Sandford, West Felton said: “Our continued success is down to the fact that we have remained a farming show.

"The livestock competitions, horses, horticulture, they come first along with our grand parade.”

The president praised the scores of volunteers who give up hundreds of hours to put the event on.

“Our volunteers are a huge part of our success,” he said. Mr Brogden said that it was a tough year for the farming community because of the late spring and summer heatwave

“Cattle farmers are really concerned about how they are going to feed their animals through the winter,” he said.

“I would normally sell my wheat for grain. This year I have sold the crop to a dairy farmer who will store it as feed, it is that serious.”

North Shropshire MP, Owen Paterson, attending with his wife, Rose, said there seemed to be more people than ever.

“We were here early and people were streaming in. By midday the showground was heaving,” he said.

“Oswestry Show is firmly in our diary, we have only missed one in 21 years. It is an excellent event stage by a strong band of volunteers.”

WATCH highlights from this year's show

Mr Paterson said it was good to have local winners in the livestock classes and said the show was a chance to speak to the local farming community.

Winners of the beef supreme champion award were the Corbett family whose farm near Knighton is half in Shropshire and half in Powys.

Leading the female, Magnolia, to success were brother and sister, Thomas, 25, and Grace, 22, at the show with their parents and two other sisters.

“The whole family are involved,” Grace said.

The winner of the dairy shorthorn main award was Tanat Oscar Feyls, a female from P.E. Bailey and Sons of Llanrhaeadr.

Frank Bailey, at the show with nephew Lewis, who was showing for the first time, said:“This cow swept the board so we have had a good day.”

The Highland cattle of the Walton Fold drew the crowds at the show, as they do at home on parkland in Much Wenlock.

Bull, Alistair, won Champion breed bull for owners, Suzanne and Arthur Hill.

Suzanne said she fell in love with Highlands when she worked in Scotland many years ago.

Seven-year-old Lloyd Davies was showing his Ryeland sheep, Errington, at the show for the first time having been given him as a lamb. Lloyd, who lives a few hundreds yards from the showground, said he wanted to keep goats when he was older.

There was one one exhibitor of pigs at the show. Three-year-old Max, Daniel, 13 and Ellie, 14, are heavily involved in parent’s Kevin and Jenny Clarke’s, Pebble Farm enterprise and the Gloucester Old Spot pigs.

Mr Clarke said the family had had pigs for about three or four years having already rescued battery hens with the children selling the eggs.

“Then we were talking about where meat comes from and Daniel said Tesco. So we bought some pigs and we haven’t looked back. We used to sell the meat to family and friends but now we have had our packaging plant passed, we can now sell to the public.”

Milton Jones from Adfa near Newtown was once a champion Welsh Cob winner at the show and 30 years ago broke a record for the price paid for one of his Welsh Cobs outside Wales.

Now he has moved from the horse and pony section of the showground to showing sheep with wife Anna. Their Chamoise Hill Sheep won five classes and the group award, helped by 14-year old John Jarman.

Also showing sheep was John Powell from Churchstoke with son Richard judging one of the sections and daughter, Sharon showing the black, Zwarble sheep.

Among those in the trade stands was the Derwen College for students with learning disabilities. Anna Evans from the college said: “Visitors have been very interested in what we do and keen to buy the jams and chutneys knowing the students make them.”

Another stand causing interest was the Open Britain stand that was asking people views on Brexit.

Mark Fermor from the Shropshire group said: “We conducted a poll and it seems that a large majority of people here are not happy with the way the Government is dealing with Brexit.”

Major prizewinners included, sheep: Sian Jones, Ruabon, most points in sheep section; John Roberts, Churchstoke, champion exhibit; John Pryce, Trefnanney, best group of sheep.

Cows: most points in dairy section, H.W. Oultram, Deeside; champion dairy animal, B and I Whitefield and Son, Wem; champion beef animal, Corbett and daughters, Felindre, Knighton.