THE cattle, sheep and goats may not have made it to this year's Durham County Show but people still arrived in their droves to make the event a resounding success.

Following its cancellation due to the ravages of foot-and-mouth last year, this year's event started with a bang at its new venue.

With perfect summer skies adding to the attractions on Saturday, food stalls soon ran out of supplies and ice cream vendors had to call in for emergency help to cool capacity crowds at Herrington Country Park, at Penshaw, on Wearside.

The weekend featured a busy programme of showjumping, pet shows and a number of side shows, including Scottish lumberjacks.

Not to be deterred by foot-and-mouth restrictions preventing him from bringing his sheep, sheepdog man Tom Longton put his border collies through their paces with geese and ducks "straight from the pond".

His valiant efforts to get the feathered friends into pens did pay off. "It does take them a while to see the entrance, they have small brains," he told patient spectators.

Show secretary Christine Duke said: "We have been absolutely overwhelmed by people. It has exceeded all our expectations.

"Visitors have come and supported us and hopefully they'll come back next year.

"We have kept entry fees low to encourage people to come with their families."

The show was established in 1841 and more than 100 have been held.

In 1999, organisers were told that they had to move from their traditional home at Lambton Park.

In 2000 the show was held in the Northern Area Playing Fields in Washington and last year foot-and-mouth saw its cancellation.

Mrs Duke praised Sunderland City Council, which offered the show a permanent home at the new Herrington Country Park, created on the site of a former colliery.

She said: "We are bang in the middle of the old County Durham. The 350 acres of land features an amphitheatre and fishing lake and the scope to expand and improve the show is endless.

"On Saturday, the park attracted up to 25,000 people, which is what we would have had over the whole weekend at the old venue.

"All the food people ran out of supplies and the ice cream man had to call for emergency back-up."

The spreading of "malicious rumours" that it had been cancelled again had led to some entrants not turning up, but that did not detract from an encouraging showing.

Mrs Duke said: "We decided not to have cattle, sheep or goats this year, to give the farmers who suffered from foot-and-mouth another year to recover."

But Houghall College at Durham City did have some sheep shearing and calves.

There were about 800 horse and pony entries, 240 poultry entries and 50 entries in the industrial produce section of the show.

Sunderland City Council landscape and reclamation manager, Keith Hamilton, said: "Durham County Show is an important annual event and what better home could it have than Herrington Country Park.

"This park has something for everybody and will become a much-loved part of the Sunderland landscape for generations to come."

Results

Champion ridden hunter: Peter Richmond, Mr Finlay. Champion hack and riding horse: Tonya Pethig, Downtown Disney. Ladies sidesaddle champion: Aylson Carr, Keiman Sabrina.

Champion heavy agricultural horse and champion Clydesdale: Mr and Mrs Pinkney, Westown Jade. Heavy horse in harness, champion: G I Holmes, Beau And Jim.

Ridden show ponies champion and mini champion: M A Mackay, Bridgehill Pollyanna. Working hunter ponies champion: J W Fawles, Bonny Doom Lady. Novice working hunter ponies champion: K Kirby, Starlight Prince Charming. Show hunter ponies champion: J O Barr, Sheraton Gala Princess. Supreme ridden champion: J B Hugill, Talachddu Celebrity Son. Hunter breeding champion: J Emmerton, Jade. Driving classes champion: Colin Pearce, Fronarth Demonstrator. Hunter pony breeding champion: The Stead family, Holyoake Matsukino.

Part-bred Arabs champion: J Fox, Ben Neath Spring Hooligan. Pure bred Arabs: P Birbeck, Shaanah. Large breeds mountain and moorlands: P M Kell, Sleddale Heather VIII. Shetland ponies champion: P Dawson, Deneside Anneka. Welsh Section A: A B and A W Dobinson, Brierdene Nadia. Welsh Section B champion: E Allen, Bleach Green Siskin. Welsh Section C: R G McNeal, Erydil Daniel Owen. Welsh Section D: C McNally, Blaengwen Bedazzling. Welsh part-breds: V Anderson, Dinsdale Supanova. Dales ponies: S Welford, Leadgate Black Beauty.

Young handlers champion: Elizabeth Hall. Ridden mountain and moorland: S Rose, Hisley Connoiseur. Working hunter mountain and moorlands: Anne Breeze, Tetcott Romance. Overall foal champion: J Thomas, Panbree Hazel. Supreme in hand: E Allen, Bleach Green Siskin.