DAY two of the Great Yorkshire Show saw many of the supreme champions crowned in the livestock classes.

For many owners, to win a champion title at the Great Yorkshire Show means they have one of the best examples of their breed in the country.

Competitors travel from Scotland, Cornwall, Dorset, Wales and elsewhere to have their sheep, cattle, pigs, ponies and other animals judged by leading experts in their fields, looking for the features which have been carefully bred into the animals over generations.

Cattle-owner Simon Haley, from Eggleston in County Durham won the Highland junior champion title and a number of first and second places in the Highland categories.

Mr Haley, who keeps cattle with his wife Emma, also sits on the Highland Cattle Council. He said the standard in this year’s livestock classes was probably the best he’s seen.

“These shows are a shop window for these breeds,” he said.

“At the end of the day it’s about putting a show on for the public.

“Quite a lot of people want to start with a couple of Highlands. They’ve got a bit of land and might want a bit of a lifestyle change. By the end of tomorrow’s show there will be about half a dozen new starters with Highland Cattle and we’ll get them introduced to the society.”

Jane Haw, farm manager at Compact Farm in Worth Matravers in Dorset, travelled up to the show for the first time and won supreme champion in the National Charolaise Show and champion in the Great Yorkshire Show’s Charolaise classes.

This year is the first time the Great Yorkshire Show has hosted the National Charolaise Show.

She said: “It has been brilliant and so has the hospitality; they’ve looked after us so much.”

The Miles family, from Little Bridge Farm in Ellerbeck near Northallerton, took the trophy for Holstein champion, junior champion, reserve Holstein champion and the Heifer Interbreed champion.

Lizzie James, from the family farm, said: “This is the most successful Yorkshire Show we’ve had. We’ve been coming here about 12 years and have home-bred all of them.”

Reserve in the overall commercial category was won by Sarah Warriner and Mark Harryman, from Swainsea Barn Farm just outside Pickering, who had brought along children Chloe, 5 and 18-month-old William.

This year saw record numbers of sheep entered in this year’s show, with 2,490 animals registered to compete. The rise was partly attributed to an increase in hobby breeds, with an increase in Ryelands, Coloured Ryelands, Shetland, Suffolk and Zwartbles breeds.

This year there were 194 texels alone entered into the show.

In the North County Cheviot breed classes, Claire Guy and mother Ruth Guy, from Warren Woods in Marrick, Swaledale, won champion and went on to win overall reserve interbreed champion, narrowly missing out to Buckle Farm in Barras, Kirkby Stephen, who won with a home bred Beltex ewe.

The Beltex gimmer shearling called Adele belonging to Kevin Buckle, whose wife, Rachel, is from Reeth.

“It's very good, Adele has done very well,” said Mr Buckle.

“A renowned countrywide sheep judge that isn't involved in the breed put it forward. It's good.”

Mr Buckle said the Great Yorkshire was one of two premier shows they attended, along with the Royal Highland.

Mrs Buckle said: “To come and win at a major show is very prestigious.”

She said they started with the Beltex after her husband visited Belgium in 2002 and brought back their foundation stock.