Livestock is back at show

Oswestry Show welcomed livestock back to its animal pens today and event organisers were hoping bright sunshine would attract thousands of visitors.

After the foot and mouth scare on the eve of last year's show, restrictions to combat Bluetongue have this year stopped many cattle farmers showing at the event.

See our photo gallery below

Numbers are down by a half but show chairman Phil Jones praised those competing.

Mr Jones said "It is wonderful to see the livestock back.

"These exhibitors have to go through so much to come to shows and we appreciate their support."

He said the horse section was going from strength to strength and the trade aisles were bursting at the seams.

The show has introduced a park and ride system for the first time this year. Visitors were able to travel by bus from Oswestry's Smithfield Market every half hour during the day.

"We will be monitoring how popular this is and if it is successful it is something we hope to expand, with pick up points throughout the town, in the future."

Although today was five-year-old Logan Maughan's first Oswestry show, the youngster is a veteran of more than a 100 agricultural shows. Logan and his family recently moved to Oswestry from Yorkshire and were showing both cattle and sheep.

Logan's job was to look after three-month-old Belgian Blue Cross Steer Dexter.

Farmers Mike Williams and Alison Newby, from Four Crosses, said numbers of cattle this year were disappointing but it was good to be back at the show.

"There is no real competition in the Charolais section. But it is good to support local shows."

Steve White, from Tarporley, Cheshire, feared he may not be able to come to Oswestry. "I am in the clean corridor for Bluetongue which meant I could not show at Nantwich this year."

Chairman Mr Jones said "We get tremendous support from all those who bring their animals, from the trade and charity exhibitors and from the public.

"We also have an amazing, hard-working committee who have put in hundreds of hours work over the last two weeks to make Oswestry show possible."

Logan Maughan, five, with his British Blue Cross called Dexter.

Kate Bottoms, of The Walls, Oswestry.

Traffic flowed into the ground early this morning.

From left, Beth Dawson, 12, Molly Whiffen-Lawrence, 11, and Sophie Dawson, 13.