A BUMPER attendance at Melplash Show on Thursday sent organisers just the message they wanted to hear - people still care about the countryside and what it produces.

As thousands poured into the West Bay Road showground, Society President Tony Frost said: "There is no diminution of people's interest at all. I think the Melplash Show prides itself on the fact that we are always trying to keep the agricultural aspect of the countryside in perspective by giving an opportunity for those in agricultural production to exhibit their wares and their craft.

"The food hall is filled to capacity and the trade stand space is all filled."

Chairman Helen Minter said sadly it was not likely that dairy cattle would return to the show in the foreseeable future.

"The regulations are such that it makes it very difficult for the dairy cattle to come to the show but the regulations are still very much in a state of flux," she said.

But Mr Frost said there was still plenty for people to see with an increase in sheep and beef entries.

Miss Minter added: "The new main ring gives a very professional touch to the whole proceedings with its permanent fencing put up by John Bright free of charge to the society, for which we are very grateful.

"Both from the appearance and from the safety point of view it is better because it's a more secure barrier between animals and the public."

Treasurer Simon Dorrington-Ward and his team were still busy counting the takings but he said it had been another very good year - with numbers attending certainly as good as 2002.

With the DEFRA restrictions eased slightly visitors were able to see some 250 sheep, over 70 cattle, more than 50 pigs and around 300 horses as well as goats, rabbits and hamsters.

Amongst VIP visitors was TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who agreed to judge some of the pig classes and who was in the Food Hall later, signing copies of his latest book.

He told the Echo: "The show is great as always. It's good that it's not such a scorcher as much for the animals as the people. I have enjoyed learning a little bit about judging although I'm not sure if I have had any influence on the final outcome - but I shall be hot-footing to the food hall for a pork pie!"

Also at the show was Shadow Home Secretary and West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin.

He confessed that Melplash was his favourite show of all giving him a chance to meet the county's farmers as well as enjoy what he called a lovely family show.

He said: "It's a wonderful show, lively as always, an amazing number of people come to do things and there's always such a jolly atmosphere. It's my favourite of the shows, it's more of a family event than any other, there is always an atmosphere of people knowing each other.

"The other thing I like about it is that it seems not to have changed very much for very many years - and it's not too hot!"

On a more serious note he added: "I have had a very successful meeting with the NFU as part of a programme of regular meetings to update me with what's going on. One of the big issues that came up is the closure of United Milk Processing at Westbury.

"We also discussed what prospect there is for continuing it under the aegis of the existing milk co-op. We also talked about the state of the negotiations on the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) reforms and a good deal of talk about the prices of other commodities and the problems with fallen stock, all sorts of things that are effecting farmers at the moment."

Anthony Gibson, regional director of the NFU, was able to give Mr Letwin an upbeat message for the first time in years.

He said: "We have had seven very dreadful years, we have been to hell and back but the tide seems to turning, it's coming in very slowing and we have got a long way to come but it is moving in the right direction.

"It's been a very good summer for farmer's with the one exception of the milk price, if we could only get that up a few pence."

Mr Gibson did have a note of warning - with the CAP reforms milk farmers just will not go on producing milk unprofitably.

"Under the reforms they'll get payments whether they produce milk or not. They are designed to free farmers to do what they want. If they can't produce milk profitably they won't produce it at all which will be very bad for the economy of the region. We have got to get the price up.

"But on the whole the farming mood is perceptibly lighter than it was 12 months ago."

The contest for the champion beast was one of the most fiercely contested in recent times - with two of this year's heavyweight contenders finishing level on points.

In the end the cup for the supreme champion went to 13-month-old Simmental heifer Roadhill Mercedes who took the honours after gaining more maximum 10 points from the judges. The animal, supreme champion at Honiton and Dunster this year, is owned by W J Ellicott, of Roadhill Cottage, Tiverton, who was making his first appearance at Melplash. But he said it would not be his last visit.

"I'll have to come again to bring the cups back," he joked. The victory was particularly sweet because it was his third this season over one of the westcountry's top animals.

Just pipped into the Reserve position again was Colin Hutchings' magnificent Aberdeen Angus bull, five-year-old Cardona Esteem. Mr Hutchings, of Brompton Regis, near Dulverton on Exmoor, has won ten supreme championships with the animal this year, including wins at the Royal Bath and West, Devon County and the previous day's Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show.