MOO what a scorcher! With the thermometer nudging the 90s, Ellingham Show organisers turned up the heat to complete the judging and presentations by midday on Saturday to allow animals and their owners respite from the searing heat.

"I think it has to have been the hottest Ellingham Show in memory," said press secretary Mike Lingam Willgoss.

In a complete contrast to the deep mud of last year, the show in the parkland grounds of stately Somerley House, near Ringwood went ahead on ground baked hard by the recent heatwave prompting many entrants to withdraw from the myriad horse and pony classes.

But more than 300 horses kept the judges sweltering in the five show rings throughout the day.

And the heavy horses not only provided one of the main ring spectacles with a fast and furious display of the skills used in the famous French "route du poisson" marathon race but provided a fitting finale with the Daily Echo-sponsored musical drive of drays and wagons.

Also glistening in the sun and evoking almost as much nostalgia was a large line-up of the vintage tractors and other farm and forestry machinery which made heavy horses on the land a thing of the past.

Classic cars and motorcycles, demonstrations of rural crafts and the traditional show staples of flower tent and village bands playing added to the atmosphere of yesteryear.

"That's what we have always tried to capture, and there was a wonderful atmosphere on the showground," said Mr Lingam-Willgoss.

"It really was a most successful show. Although it was melting hot and we had to change the programme around everything went ahead.

"People started coming in from early on and although a lot of those were going home by midday more people were still coming in, so it was busy without being crowded."