THE Millennium Great Yorkshire Show has been another huge success, according to director Christopher Hall.

Speaking after thousands braved poor weather forecasts to attend the north's biggest celebration of farming and country life, he said the 50th show at the Harrogate grounds was one of the "better" events.

"We would look at this year as yet again a successful year. The weather has been kind, although not perfect, and the crowds came and supported us strongly. Attendance figures will not be known for some time yet, but I'm pretty sure that this will be one of our better years."

He said one of the highlights for him was seeing 10,000 people singing We Plough The Fields And Scatter, as Archbishop of York Dr David Hope blessed the plough.

But, he said: "The thing that really is impressive is everybody's attitude and sense of enjoyment.

"You had only to look around you to see that, despite all the problems, people come to the Great Yorkshire Show to have a wonderful time."

Visitor came from 38 different countries, the show's International Pavilion reported. They came from countries as exotic as Ecuador, Chile, Libya and the Ukraine.

TOP honours in a number of classes at the Great Yorkshire Show have come to this district, including:

PIGS: Any other pedigree breed Reserve, C S A Cook of Scarborough.

GOATS: Angora goats, pure bred buck, born in 1998 or before plus pure bred doe born in 1998 or before with her 2000 progeny at foot, Mrs G T Russell, Malton.

INTER-BREED CATTLE (Yorkshire Post Beef Breeders Challenge Trophy): Limousin team, including Champion Male Ryedale Orion, bred and shown by Peter and Anne Lang of Hawnby, and the cow entry was Broadmeadows Jiji which earned the individual inter-breed beef title, owned by Stephen and Gillian Potter of Topcliffe.

SHEEP: Champion Mule, Mrs A M Brown and Sons, Bedale; Reserve Champion British Bleu du Maine, Mrs E J Goldie, Thirsk.

HORSES: Champion Shire, P and W Bedford, York; Champion Mixed Mountain and Moorland Ponies, Miss J Walker, York.

PIGS: Reserve Champion Any Other Pedigree Breed, C S A Cook, Scarborough; Champion Pairs Classes, A Gregory and Son, Selby.

UTILISATION: Broadleaves over 50 years, 1 Hovingham Estate, 2 Castle Howard Estate; conifers aged over 40 years, 1 Castle Howard Estate, 2 & 3 The Wykeham Estate (Viscount Downe) Scarborough.

PICTURE: CATTLE PARADE: Judging at the Great Yorkshire Show. Picture by Mike Tipping