ANY clouds still hanging over the future of sheep shows in the northern dales vanished amid a record crowd and brilliant sunshine at the 18th annual show held at Eastgate, in Weardale.

All thoughts of the 2001 foot-and-and-mouth epidemic were put to rest at the weekend as hundreds of farmers and their families got down to the business of judging the 45 classes of stock on show - and having a grand day out.

Bill Wearmouth, a leading breeder of blue-faced Leicesters and the show's president, said: "There are a lot of very, very good sheep on show here.

"This demonstrates that shows like this will carry on for many years, despite the devastating effects foot-and- mouth had on the industry two years ago."

Mr Wearmouth, who farms at Eastgate, confessed to be "more than a bit proud" to be the first winner of the Arnold Jopling Memorial Trophy, presented by the Jopling family in memory of the highly respected Weardale farmer, who died last year.

Mr Wearmouth, who picked up the trophy with his grandson, Christopher, with a tup lamb, was a lifelong friend of Mr Jopling, a founder of the Eastgate show.

The Wearmouths went on to win the overall blue-faced Leicesters trophy with a gimmer lamb.

But it was another Weardale farmer, David Scown, from Wearhead, who emerged as show champion - with a Texel tup lamb. He also won the trophy for Any Other Breed of Sheep.

Winner of the Swaledale classes was Colin Martin, from Stanhope, with a gimmer shearling, and first in the mules was Martin Brown, from Thirsk, with a gimmer hog.

Meanwhile, doubts about the future of Langdon Beck sheep show, in Teesdale, were dispelled by its chairman, Neville Bainbridge, who attended the Eastgate show.

There had been fears that the show, revived three years ago after an absence of more than 100 years, may have had to be cancelled because of restrictions on sheep movements in place since foot-and-mouth.

But Mr Bainbridge said that the show committee would be meeting later this month to press ahead with plans to stage the event in September.