THE English countryside was well and truly celebrated at the weekend when close on 100,000 people attended the three-day Royal Three Counties Show at its Malvern showground.

Visitors were able to totally immerse themselves in all of the best that can be found in the British countryside as England’s largest livestock and equine show unfolded and there were numerous local winners in the livestock sections from Bromsgrove, Droitwich, Redditch and Alcester areas.

As befitting a show with Royal in its title, HRH The Princess Royal, who is patron of the show, was in attendance on Friday to mark the momentous year for the event and performed the show’s official opening.

The Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery dominated the Main Arena with their spectacular displays each day accompanied by live music from The Band of the Queen’s Division, which proved to be a pinnacle of each day.

 Ken Nottage, Chief Executive of the Three Counties Agricultural Society, said: “We are immensely proud of how this year’s Royal Three Counties Show has gone”.

He said: “The outstanding visitor numbers demonstrate that the countryside is still current in today’s modern and bustling world and that the agricultural industry is thriving.

“We were so lucky with the weather as the sunshine made an appearance throughout and the rain held off almost all weekend and 2016 has really been a outstanding year for the show.

The Grand Parade at the end of each day was a sight not to be missed. A pedigree of livestock was showcased with top accolades being awarded throughout the weekend. These included both The Rase Beef Burke Trophy and The Rase Dairy Burke Trophy, (the World Cup of the Cattle world) presented together for the first time in the history of the Royal Three Counties Show.

  More school children than ever before immersed themselves in the fun of the farm. Record numbers of over 3,500 school children from over 60 schools visited the show on Friday, entirely free of charge and into the weekend, over 400 eager scouts picked up their unique Royal Three Counties Show occasion badge, launched for 2016.

  This year, Herefordshire played ‘host county’ for the show with a strong county theme thoughout. This included Herefordshire based champion national hunt jockey, Richard Johnson parading his 2000 Gold Cup winning horse, Looks Like Trouble in the Main Arena.

  BBC Countryfile presenter and born and bred Gloucestershire farmer Adam Henson returned once again. He’s been visiting the show since his childhood, exhibiting himself here alongside his father Joe Henson, a previous president for the show. Adam filmed an episode of the best loved Sunday night farming show from the event, alongside commentating on the Grand Parade each day.  The Countryfile episode featuring the Royal Three Counties Show will be aired on Sunday, July 24.

  The show is England’s largest livestock and equine event and sees farmers, families and furry and feathered friends immerse themselves in the 3-day show.

  Plans are now firmly underway for the Malvern Autumn Show in September, which brings the showground’s 2016 show season to a close.

  Throughout the shows three days a number of local livestock breeders and producers won a variety of prizes.

The Commercial cattle section produced success for Bromsgrove’s James May with his British Blue cross - Odd Job, which was both champion and also won rosettes for best steer and reserve. Earlier this continental cross steer, based at Tardebigge, also had a class win when it came first for an animal between 450 and 550 kilos.

Meanwhile there was a second place for Snowshill Velvet in the class for a cow in milk or in calf in the Belted Galloway cattle section exhibited by Thistle Fold Highlands, while there were several award winners in the Highland cattle for local breeders, including the Grafton Fold, which is based at Temple Grafton, near Alcester.

These included two special prizes for best suckling and best cow with Capleadh Dubh of Grafton and champion reserve with Shane 5th of Grafton. The farm also had several other class successes.

The Thistle Fold at Bidford-on-Avon gained class places as well as an entry from MJ and VM Monk of Bromsgrove’s. The Monks had a first place with Morag 4th of Chadwick in the Heifer born in 2015 class.

In the Rare Breed Sheep Section Steve and Chris Higgins of Marlbrook, Bromsgrove, won first and second place rosettes with a ram and a ewe in the Lincoln Longwool together with several class places in the Sheep Section’s Lincoln Longwool, while the Bentley Flock of Redditch won a class with a ram in the Jacob breed along with several other class places and also had the Champion Female Reserve. They also picked up a special price for an Open Pair.

In the equestrian rings Droitwich’s Alan Charlesworth’s brood mare, Forgeland Fascination, won the Hacks-in-Hand class for a mare not exceeding 160cms certified in foal or with her own foal at foot and the horse was also adjudged as Champion Reserve. There was a first place for Redditch’s Sandra Norris with her yearling Palomino filly Bordesley Princess Royal, and Bordesley Golden Oscar, a two or three year old colt, gained a third class place.

Warwickshire Horse Carriages of Mappleborough Green, nr Studley, gained fourth place in the Heavy Horse Turnouts for a team of Three, Four or Six Horses, Heavy Horse Trade or Agricultural Turnouts, and they also had a first in the Shire Horses with Bickerscourt Masterpiece, a colt born in 2014.

Meanwhile Droitwich-based Caroline Gudgeon’s Forever and a Day, a colt, filly or gelding born in 2013 took third in this class. And Caroline Webley, of Bradley Green, near Redditch, gained several class places in the showjumping ring with newcomers Basi du Comte and Kannon Fire.

More success for local owners came in the Pure Bred Arabs with Maureen Bint of Hadley, near Droitwich winning the two or three-year-old Arabian colt or gelding class with El Mahmood and also the Arabian stallion four years old and upwards class with Distinkt.

Away from the livestock areas Churchfields Farmhouse Ice Cream of Droitwich won several prizes for their products in the Cheese and Dairy Produce competitions. They were second in the Dairy Ice Cream Vanilla class and in the dairy ice cream any flavour.