MORE than 5,000 primary school pupils descended on the Great Yorkshire Showground this week to get a taste of rural life.

The youngsters were at the Countryside Days 2006 event run by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society in Harrogate.

The event has been running for five years, but this year featured livestock for the first time. Activities included falconry, sheep dog trials, sheep shearing, pond dipping and bread making.

More than 80 companies and organisations teamed up with the agricultural society to run the event.

Hazel Baker, the society's education advisor, said: "This event is a marvellous opportunity for youngsters to experience the many facets of country life and the realities of farming, including making the link between what is grown and reared and the food we eat.

"Although the emphasis is very much on learning through fun, one of our key aims is also to encourage children to enjoy the countryside and learn how to care for it."