Dorset's biggest rural event of the year will have more events, stalls, competitions and displays combined than ever before in its 177-year history.

That’s according to Will Hyde, show secretary of this year’s Dorset County Show, which is taking place this weekend at Dorchester Showground.

With organisers, volunteers and traders setting up for Saturday and Sunday, Mr Hyde said the weekend was shaping up well, with some excellent weather over the last couple of days providing a helping hand. 

He said: “It’s suddenly coming together. 

“I look around at a point on Wednesday afternoon and suddenly it looked like a show was coming to town. People are everywhere and traders setting up. It’s great.” 

It is Mr Hyde’s first year directing the operations for the show, run by the Dorset Agricultural Society, and though he says it has been a challenge, he has greatly enjoyed putting the show together with the help of one other member of staff and 300 volunteers.

Over the 70 acres the show will take place on, there will be 450 trade stands, with plenty of food and drinks stalls, as well as stalls for home and garden improvements.

There will also be the Dorset Food Hall, featuring the produce of farmers across Dorset, and a number of livestock competitions being held, including with cattle, sheep, pigs and dairy goats, along with a range of displays and crowd-pleasing events.

Mr Hyde said: “One new thing is we have introduced is a live milking demonstration, which really stems from a number of roots as a charity – with one of our objectives to promote excellence in agriculture. 

“lt’s fantastic to be able to make a working demonstration of modern agriculture and how milk is produced in the modern day.” 

In addition, he mentioned that the Dorset farmer whose cattle will be milked sells his produce to a company which produces cheese – and they will be selling that cheese at the Dorset Food Hall over the weekend.

Also, back by popular demand, Jonathan Marshall’s falconry and horse riding display will be on at the Main Ring at 12pm and 5pm on both days.

It is hoped that 60,000 people, coming from all over the UK, will be turning up to sample the delights and get a taste of Dorset agriculture, with Mr Hyde adding that they had a ticket sale all the way from John o’ Groats in Scotland.

He said: “I can guarantee that people will come to Dorset County Show and in one day they will learn something new, there will be something to make them laugh and something for every age group.” 

He added: “Even if I was not running the show there is not a chance I would miss this weekend.”