DRAMA of a gentle nature unfolded in the natural pastoral ampitheatre that hosts one of the most traditional of rural shows on the calendar.

More than 4,500 visitors looked on as hundreds of competitors displayed the fruits of their year's labours at the Rosedale and District Show, which has been held in the heart of the North York Moors since 1871.

The inter-breed sheep championship remains among the highlights of the show and mounting tension was palpable as the five finalists adjusted their livestock's posture and brushed flecks of straw from the coats they had been grooming since dawn.

Builder James Floyd, of Ugthorpe, near Whitby, was among those trying to catch the judges' eyes with a Texel two-crop ewe, the first breed champion he had scooped since taking up sheep breeding as a hobby on a 12-acre smallholding six years ago.

He said: "I find it a good way to wind down at the weekend, but a lot of hard work goes into it, so it's tremendous to win."

After what seemed like endless deliberation, it was Bransdale ID Watson farmer Neil Adams and his curly coated gimmer lamb Mule who emerged triumphant, landing the best in show title.

Mr Adams said victory was particularly sweet after being pipped to the post at the Ryedale and Thornton le Dale shows.

He said: "It's not often a mule wins best on field, normally continental breeds win as they are easy for everyone to appreciate."

Mark Harryman and Sarah Warriner, who have 24,000 free range hens, 400 breeding ewes and 30 pedigree cows on thir 350-acre Pickering farm, continued the rich vein of form that has included a victory a this year's Great Yorkshire Show, taking the supreme cattle title with 16-month-old limousin Red Hot Honey.

Elsewhere, crowds of children were busy trying their hands at stone carving with Lastingham sculptor Jennifer Tetlow, while Malton White Star Band performed popular tunes to those basking in the sun, which had dried the previous day's downpours, leaving the showground firm underfoot.

Viewing proceedings in the main ring alongside this year's show president Mavis Davison, was former Thirsk and Malton MP Anne McIntosh, who said she was enjoying a better work-life balance since stepping down from parliament in May.

Former Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers president Mrs Davison, of nearby Appleton le Moors, said: "The setting is the real thing here, you couldn't find a better place to hold it, everywhere you look it's absolutely beautiful."