Dorset County Show: It's a record breaker (From Dorset Echo)

Dorset County Show: It's a record breaker

10:00am Monday 6th September 2010 in

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VISITORS flocked to the Dorset County Show near Dorchester as the annual event was hailed as one of the best ever.

Organisers are confident that record numbers visited the showground over the weekend.

Sunshine on Saturday drew in a bumper crowd and despite grey skies yesterday people continued to flood in.

Show secretary Sam Mackenzie-Green said although the exact totals had not been calculated, all signs were pointing to a record crowd over the two days.

The show included traditional elements such as livestock classes, equestrian and horticulture as well as more modern entertainment including the Dancing Diggers and Titan the dancing robot.

There was also a canine theme to the entertainment with the first ever Dorset Echo-backed Dogs Got Talent competition as well as events such as fly ball, gun dog demonstrations and terrier racing.

Mrs Mackenzie-Green said: “We have been really pleased. We had a record crowd on Saturday and we are pretty sure it’s going to be a record on Sunday.

“Everyone seems to be saying what a fantastic atmosphere there’s been and it’s nice to see all the different types of attractions.

“We had the dog talent show as well this year which went down very well.”

Mrs Mackenzie-Green said the range of different attractions was what made the show so popular.

She said: “It just goes from strength to strength. It’s so reassuring to see the livestock still going strong.

“Then we also have things like Titan and the Dancing Diggers; they might not be everyone’s thing for a rural show but it gets people in who normally wouldn’t come to look at cows.

“But they get here and wander round the livestock and hopefully learn a bit more about that side as well.”

Dorchester mayor Les Phillips was attending his 50th Dorset County Show and said this year was up there with the best of them.

He said: “It’s a wonderful year and we had a tremendous crowd.

“I’ve been stewarding in the horse section where the standard of entries is remarkably high.”

Inspector Les Fry of Dorchester Police said the road systems put in place had been ‘tested’ by the sheer volume of traffic, and had generally worked well.

St John Ambulance assistant commissioner Dave Carr said a number of people were treated for wasp stings on Saturday and staff reported no major incidents on Sunday.