Thousands flock to Day One of the Devon County Show

Despite fears of a wet and squelchy Devon County Show, considering the recent deluge of rain that the county has been experiencing in the last couple of days, so far the sun has shone and visitors attending the Show have been enjoying blue skies and a wealth of entertainment.

This morning the Duchess of Cornwall officially opened the Show and enjoyed a tour of the showground, visiting many of the exhibits and features that reflect rural life in Devon. During the visit, HRH also met some of the many people whose passion for the countryside, farming and rural skills is at the heart of the agricultural show.

95,000 visitors are expected over three days of the show, and they won't be disappointed with what's on offer, with dancing diggers, a world-record-breaking skittles attempt tomorrow, and as ever, it will be the livestock which are the show’s beating heart. Entries have held up remarkably well, given the ravages of the weather and bovine TB, with two breeds of cattle - the Dexters and the South Devons - having chosen the Devon County as the stage for their national shows, meaning probably three times the usual number of animals competing, drawn from all over the country.

This year’s grand total of livestock stands at a stunning 2,600:  625 cattle, 1,547 sheep, 206 pigs, 229 alpacas and 186 dairy and angora goats.

This year's designated charity is Exeter-based Dream-A-Way. Chairman Jeff Merrett MBE says, "We are immensely honoured to have been selected as the Charity Of The Year for the prestigious Devon County Show in 2013.

"This is an extremely special year for us as we are celebrating our 20th birthday and are delighted to have the wonderful opportunity of sharing our achievements and future hopes for our Charity with a huge number of visitors at the Show.

"We very much look forward to seeing you on Avenue F." www.dream-a-way.org

Tomorrow we may not enjoy such good weather, heavy showers forecast, however hopefully they will be sprodic and not dampen the spirits of those attending or exhibiting.

Enjoy the show and don't forget to send us your pictures of the Devon County Show 2013 to plymouth@thedailyuk.com