DESPITE the fuel crisis, the 201st Westmorland County Show went ahead with near record entries and a full programme - and crowds were estimated by organisers to be close to last year's figure of 16,000.

A delighted show secretary Rodger Read said: "People have turned out to support their local show in such numbers, there has been hardly any difference."

Westmorland Agricultural Society chairman John Geldard told the Gazette that cancelling the show was never an option and that the turn-out was testament to the resilience of the agricultural and rural community.

"It is almost as if people have saved their last bit of fuel to come here today," he said.

Mr Geldard said that Ashton Selway, a judge in the sheep lines, had borrowed his daughter's car, because it was more fuel efficient, and drove all the way from Dorset to attend the show.

"That is the sort of support we have had," he said.

Most of the exhibitors managed to struggle to the show in spite of fuel shortages.

But about 30 trade stands were unable to get to the showfield the day and four stands in the food hall were absent.

Agriculture Minister Joyce Quin, who was forced to pull out at the last moment to attend a cabinet meeting in London, and the Ministry of Agriculture stand, could not make the journey from the Midlands because of the fuel crisis.

"We bent over backwards to help people, in an ever-changing run up to the show," said Mr Read.

"In three years, this has been the hardest to organise."

Three generations from Redgate Farm, Kirkby Stephen, were celebrating after winning the rosette for supreme upland sheep champion with their homebred two-shear Swaledale.

Richard Hutchinson - who works with his brother Matthew, father Malcolm and grandfather Morland - said the champion had won the inter-breeds at Bowes Show, and was reserve champion at Westmorland County last year.

The sheep's father was a £31,000 tup bred by John Richardson, of Gill House, Dufton, and its mother was a show sheep.

Mr Hutchinson said the family farm had its own fuel supplies, so had no problems reaching the show.

Champion dairy animal went to pure-bred Holstein, Ingleview Butterfield Girl 160, from Lingshaw farm at Bentham.

The cow, owned by Robert Butterfield, won first prize as best cow in milk having calved three times, before going on to take overall dairy champion.

A delighted Mr Butterfield, said: "This cow has been a good winner.

We've been going to local shows over the last three weeks and she has won five times - but this is the big one, I'm very pleased."