A 30-YEAR-OLD tradition which sees hundreds of sheep herded into a town famed for its livestock sales has continued over the weekend.

The annual Masham Sheep Fair, which was first organised in 1988 by Susan Cunliffe-Lister, was originally intended to run as a one-off event to raise money for farmers in Africa via Sheep Aid.

However, the huge popularity of the show has seen it return to the North Yorkshire town year after year, raising thousands of pounds for charity while bringing together the best of the region’s agricultural industry.

This year, the weekend-long fair saw flocks of sheep shown, attracting residents and tourists who were also entertained with street processions, band music, Morris dancing and the popular sheep herding demonstration with ducks.

Visitors in previous years have helped to raise more than £150,000 for various charities and donations made this year will support the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the MRI Scanner Appeal for the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.

More than 500 sheep were shown on Saturday and Sunday, broken down into breed classes including Wensleydale, Jacob, Texel, Oxford Down and Masham.