NUMBERS were well up at the Dunster Show last Friday, as thousands of people flocked to view the livestock, enjoy attractions including a host of displays in the ring and generally have a fun day out.

The show, held on Dunster Lawns, is one of the oldest in the country and was celebrating its 171st year, having started originally at Dunster’s Yarn Market in the High Street.

Around 8,000 visitors and show people flocked to the grounds, with numbers estimated to be up on last year’s figures and locals and holidaymakers undeterred by a few heavy showers.

“It was a great show – there were fantastic numbers of top quality horse, cattle and sheep entries, and the crowd all enjoyed themselves,” said show chairman Roger Richmond.

“People from the towns and cities, the holidaymakers, love to come and see the quality of livestock in this area, as do the local people.

“We are a charity and we’re extremely lucky that so many local people come and help as volunteers, it means the proceeds can go to cover the show costs and to the charities we support,” he said.

The livestock judging and the fleece classes proved highly popular, as did the ring attractions including motorbike, dog and falconry displays, as well as trade stands, fun fair, food hall, cookery demonstrations and much more.

The number of horse entries was the same as last year at 650, cattle numbers at 180 were a little down as some farms had TB restrictions, and sheep entries were up at 550, with fleece classes getting more and more each year, Roger said. There were also a number of young handler classes.

The proceeds from the show will help ten local students with further education bursaries of £1,000 a year as they study to become vets, farriers and land agents, amongst other careers; it also will support a number of local agriculture-related organisations to the tune of around £17,000 a year.

Results and photos in tomorrow’s Free Press (Aug 25)

Photos: Paul Scullion