DUNSTER Show celebrated its 167th year with near perfect weather and visitor numbers well on the way to matching the record gate of 2011.

With the torrential rain, typhoon-strength winds and mud-bath of last year's event all but a distant memory, organisers were able to bask in the summer sunshine and light breezes that 2013 brought.

"What a difference a day makes," said show chairman Roger Richmond, now in his second year at the helm of the district's biggest agricultural event.

"It was such a relief to have good weather - if it's dry at the start of the day, it's half the battle."

A total of 7,000 people poured through the gates to enjoy a spectacle of entertainment and, with a further 3,000 show members attending, organisers are confident they hit the 10,000 mark.

The crowds enjoyed a range of attractions from stunt and trick riding team The Devil's Horsemen - stars of blockbuster movie Les Miserables and a string of top events - to falconry displays from Michael Davie and music from the Tone Valley Jazz band and the Avon Glen Pipes and Drums.

And although entries were down for the cattle, sheep and horse classes, Mr Richmond said there was no doubting the quality of the animals being shown.

"I think with the horses, things go in a bit of a cycle," he said.

"People aren't really breeding much at the moment because there's just no market.

"But things will recover."

Mr Richmond said that as well as being a major celebration of the countryside and agriculture, the show had demonstrated it was a crowd puller with the quality of its attractions.

"Having something like the Devil's Horsemen with their film connection really brings in the crowds.

"You've got to pull in the public to an event like this and I think we did just that with a circus and a lot of amusements for children."

Mr Richmond said the trade stands had also reported brisk business, after taking a hammering with last year's washout.

And he paid tribute to the show society - headed up by this year's president local businessman Derek Merson - for its continued to support for the farmers, vets, blacksmiths and other countryside professionals of the future.

A total of ten bursaries of £1,000 each were handed out at the show - two more than last year - to help the training and education costs of local young people.

"All in all it was a lovely day," said Mr Richmond.

"Knowing that people are having to tighten their belts at the moment, we were absolutely delighted with the number of visitors - it was a great success."

The top honours in the horse section went out of the district, with Dartmoor stallion Dunmere Woodruff owned by Jo Green, of Witheridge, near Tiverton, being named as the show champion.

Deborah Porter and Andrew Pitman of Adsborough, near Taunton, took the reserve champion title with their one-year-old filly Wycroft Forget-Me-Not.

The top sheep honours also went over the border with a Charollais from Dave and Margaret Smith's flock at Kings Nympton, near Umberleigh, winning the Dick Tucker Cup for the best sheep exhibit.

However, Colin Hutchings, of Kingsbrompton Farm, Brompton Regis, did West Somerset proud and went away, yet again, with the Wellington Hotel Cup for the best beef exhibit with Devon Red bull Kingsbrompton Fitzroy.

Andrew and Judith Fewings, of Lower Marsh Farm, Dunster, also did well, winning the Woolway Cup for best dairy cow or heifer in the show with their Holstein Keevil Shuttle Melba.

There were also plenty of other local success in the livestock and horse sections of the show.

Roadwater-based miniature horse breeder Ann Hawke took a clutch of rosettes home, including a first, a second and two thirds.

Ann keeps eight miniature horses at her home at Glasses Farm and only got into the breed after retiring from running a successful Arabian stud.

Thankfully, her 'retirement' from the horse world lasted just 12 weeks and she returned with miniatures on the theory they would be easier to handle!

Her four-year-old mare Arions Destinys Pretty Pearl, who stands at 34 inches, won the solid colour class, beating her stablemate, yearling filly Oasis XS Irish Break the Rules into third.

Pearl also took a second in the four years and over class, while Oasis, who measures just 28 inches, was third in the yearling section.

Both horses were imported from America and have already had considerable success on the show circuit.

Pearl was named as the American Miniature Horse Association's reserve senior champion mare at the Miniature Horse Club of Great Britain spring show earlier this year.

Oasis took three first places, the title of junior champion mare and the American Miniature Horse Association's reserve champion title at the same show.

She was also named as the UK Grand Champion earlier this month.

In the Mountain and Moorland section, Sue Crawford, of Timberscombe, went home with the Lillo Lumb Cup for the champion Exmoor pony with her ten-year-old mare Cowbridge Spring Water.

She also beat Over Stowey teenager Portly French's mare Blackthorn Poem into second place in the Exmoor class for mare with or without foal over four years.

Portly, 15, said she was looking forward to next year's show as she had just broken and backed the mare and would be riding her in the 2014 event.

Po, as she is known at home on Bincombe Farm, was also in the ribbons at Exford Show earlier in the week.

Show stalwart Colin Hutchings of Brompton Regis dominated the cattle classes again, with eight animals competing in the Devon Red, Aberdeen Angus and Limousin classes.

While his Devon Red was the beef champion, his Aberdeen Angus bull Kingsbrompton Endeavour was the breed champion and Aberdeen Angus heifer Kingsbrompton Eblackie the reserve.

Colin was also busy training up the next generation of prize-winning Hutchings, enlisting the help of grandchildren Charlie, nine, and Amelia, seven, to help him on show day.

In the dairy section, David and Lena Lewis of Bowden Farm near Clatworthy won a reserve champion title with their Jersey cow Richtop Latola Happy.

Happy took first in the cow in calf class, while herd-mate Dalena Governor's Ruth was second in the heifer in milk section.

Ruth was given a special best home bred award, while Happy was recently given the title of best heifer in calf in the South West by the Jersey Cattle Society.

Across in the sheep classes, while the top honours went to a Devon-based breeder, there was still plenty to celebrate for local farmers and exhibitors.

Diana and Maurice Scott, of Brendon Hill Farm on the Brendons, went away with four firsts, two seconds and two thirds in the Devon Closewool classes and also secured the reserve breed champion with a two-year-old ewe.

They also had two firsts, a second, a third and the breed champion in the Exmoor Mules and one third in the Exmoor Horn.

The couple, who have a flock of more than 400, were helped in the show ring by able young handler, grandson Alfie, ten.

He led the winning Closewool ram to victory and is already a regular in young handler competitions.

Another young exhibitor, Hollie Sully, 11, and brother William, 14, were celebrating a clutch of rosettes with their Black Leicester Longwools and Dorset Downs, much to the delight of dad Chris.

"I'm delighted. This is the best year we've ever had," he said.

Chris, of Mill Lane, Bishops Lydeard and whose family lives in Williton, has been a regular on the show circuit for some 26 years.

The family has seen success with both sheep and pigs at a host of agricultural shows across the country during 2013.

At Dunster, Hollie's Black Leicester Longwool called Patch was named as the Longwool champion and took first in her class.

Ram lamb Kit Kat Chunky went away with a third, while Hollie also came third with her group of three.

Brother William added to the rosette tally with two thirds in the rare breed classes with his Dorset Downs.

Results in this week's Free Press.