THOUSANDS of visitors flocked to Usk Show at the weekend - and sampled everything from tractors to show dogs. CHRIS WOOD reports.

THE Usk Show was as colourful as ever, with the animals and people walking around catching the eye as much as the competitors in the main show rings.

Three prime examples were Daisy and her puppies Rosie and Bailey, who are a breed of dog native to the area and whose owners bring them “home” every year.

The Usk Doogles- a type of Labrador-Poodle cross- were bred at a nearby farm, but now live in Swansea with owner Christina Sara.

Mrs Sara said: “We love coming here, it’s one of our favourite shows as it’s so open and you are allowed to just walk the dogs around, something many shows won’t allow.”

There was also Randall Burris who had come from the Forest of Dean with his two-year-old Goshawk Flynn, the pair making an interesting spectacle among the crowds.

Richard England, a retired engineer originally from Newport, had come up with a novel way of getting around. He sat on his miniature, one quarter size Burrell agricultural engine and travelled the site.

He said: “I worked on the railways and saw the last of steam trains so this is a passion for me.”

Other people enjoying the event included Miss Monmouthshire, 21-year-old Emilie Parry-Williams from Glascoed.

She had been asked to judge in the craft marquee and said: “This is always a very important day in my calendar as I am from a family of dairy farmers and I was just delighted they asked me to be a judge.”

One person enjoying the first of probably many shows was seven-month-old Noah Young, who is from a Llanover farming family.

On display were all types of cattle, pigs, goats, horses and sheep as well as poultry, crafts steam engines, tractors and horticulture.

One of the favourites was an entrant from the Beiliau Herd of Llanfair Kilgeddin. The pedigree British saddleback pig cuddled up to 10 piglets in her pen, inducing sighs from the visitors.

The show usually gets around 20,000 people attending and general secretary Faye Mear was confident that figure would be achieved this year.

She said: “Last year horticulture was down because of the weather, but we have been inundated this year as well as in the crafts and poultry sections. We are up on entrants in all sections while we sold out on trade space, with over 300 stands taken. Everyone has been very pleased with the response.”