A record number of visitors flocked to Malham Show on Saturday to be greeted with sunshine and blue skies.

The organisers were thrilled with the turnout and heaved a sigh of relief that everything had gone smoothly despite the recent wet weather.

Show chairman Chris Wildman said some big decisions had to be taken at the beginning of the week because two or three of the fields were not fit to be used.

He said: "We worked very hard to rearrange the layout of the show and the event only went ahead thanks to the tremendous support of local landowners."

Livestock entries were given a boost by the recent extension of the Bluetongue protection zone, which allowed farmers from outside the area to exhibit.

The dairy championship award was carried off by Bell Busk farmer Brian Moorhouse, with a four-year-old cow in milk.

In the sheep classes, top honours went to Litton's John Bradley, who not only took the overall championship but also had the champion Dalesbred and champion Swaledale.

The show was also deemed a success in other departments, not least the home produce section where the normally female dominated craft was eclipsed by a local man. Mike Leeming's chocolate cake which he entered in the men's baking section, earned him the Malham Moor Trophy for best baking exhibit.

Elsewhere there were good entries in all sections, particularly the working hunters and show jumping.

The only casualties of the day were the classic cars, which had been due to give a parade in the main ring, and children's sports.

Meanwhile Kilnsey showground bore a close resemblance to the Glastonbury Festival, thanks to a deluge of untimely rain on Monday.

The ground was soon a mud bath, but it didn't stop stalwart showgoers from enjoying the 110th show on Tuesday, which was officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

Show chairman Robert Lambert said he was pleased so many people had turned out in the grim weather and was delighted there was a record number of entries, particularly in the dairy cattle section.

"The ground wasn't looking bad at all over the weekend, but we had a three-hour monsoon on Monday when the trade stands were setting up and the ground got churned up.

"At least almost everything went ahead and I want to thank everyone for being patient as we reorganised things like car parking," he said.

A gate of around 5,000 paying visitors made for a reduced attendance - there being around 12,000 last year - but all activities were well attended.

A few events were shuffled round or reduced in size to accommodate the quagmire and classes such as the tractor handling were sensibly abandoned.

For others the intermittent showers had no effect. Crag racers ignored it and negotiated the ruts as did the wallers and sheepdog handlers.

* For a full report, pictures and results from Malham and Kilnsey shows, see today's Craven Herald.