2023 Nidderdale Show at Pateley Bridge proves a winner

Nidderdale Show, held at Pateley Bridge on Sunday, consistently proves to be a real winner in catering for the stalwart families who have supported this show for generations or for those who make their first pilgrimage to find out what agricultural is really about, or indeed just to have a good family day out.

A quick greeting with show secretary Sue Monk, was followed by a short briefing with David Smith. He and his wife Ann are yet another of those Dales families synonymous with this show and their son Martin is show chairman.

Our next stop was to have a word at The Samaritan's tent – their work is so valuable in the rural community.

We then set sail for the more serious task ahead, interspersed with chats here and there, which is all part and parcel of the farming community.

The first "awww factor" of the day was provided by a Gloucester Old Spot and her seven piglets shown by Daniel Thackray, which certainly got a lot of attention from the non farming families. In today's specialist production of prime pork, this breed is playing a major role.

We next bumped into Ian Clough and his wife Shelley, from Pickering, where Ian had been judging the native breeds of Beef Shorthorn and Aberdeen Angus. This prompted us to follow the native breeds in the Interbreed Supreme Championship. Dan Bull had the near impossible task of judging these exceptional beef producing animals. The smart lines of the large Hereford cow, complete with her calf, presented by T and D Harrison finally took the Supreme.

Apart from British welfare and genetics, which the various commentators were endorsing in the judging rings, Ian and Dan were keen to promote that native breeds are increasingly coming to the forefront partly because they are more easily managed and are basically grass fed foragers.

Read more: Preparations in full swing for Masham Sheep Fair this weekend

We continued this theme when watching the head to head supreme dairy final between the Dairy Shorthorn and the Jersey, again a tough decision with the Jersey presented by J L Shaw and Son coming out on top. The Dairy Shorthorn owned by Jane Foster took Reserve.

There were three classes of Young Handlers in the sheep section, and with up to 30 in one class who says there is no interest at the younger end?

After interviewing Raymond Heigh from Bentham, whose Zwartbles shearling gimmer had just won the overall interbreed championship, we were joined by judge Trevor Stoney who explained that this sheep had all the main attributes he was looking for, being fit for purpose, alert and correct in every way.

In the sheepdog trials, there were some 40 entries, and only one sheep had escaped over the wire and out into the field. There however can be an element of luck as to whether you get a strong headed one or a timid one in your flock.

The adjacent dry stonewalling competition had just finished and it was encouraging to see the younger age group taking part with six competitors in the open category and one in the amateur category, with Bert Noble taking first prize

Judge Lydia Noble, a full-time waller herself and a trustee of the national charity, the Drystone Walling Association, explained that this craft is thriving and she is keen to encourage young people to become accredited and eventually master craftsman.

There was little evidence of hammer work on the face of any of the competitors' stonework which was quite popular years ago.

Wending into the forestry corner, Angela Cole was creating some very clever butterfly sculptures from rushes.

Next to her was Geoff Norton demonstrating his skills as a traditional woodworker. He explained that the wood from the sweet chestnut, which he now has to import from Kent, will last longer than any treated timber currently used in fencing and gate making, excepting oak, whereas the horse chestnut tree, apart from providing valuable shade and shelter for livestock, has wood of very little value and doesn't even burn properly.

Finally the Nidderdale Moorland Group co-ordinator, Tracy Johnson, explained that she is keen to promote a more balanced view of what members actually do, which is to work with nature and not to try control it. This surely must be part of the agenda for all farmers and those who share the countryside.