Mrs Lawrence, a councillor in Malton, is a regular at the show and her daughter used to love it.

She turned up yesterday to distribute leaflets appealing for information about her missing daughter and to "get away from it all for a day," said friends.

It is her 60th birthday next week and she is still hoping, against the odds, to spend it with her daughter, who disappeared on March 18.

Show secretary Peter Woodall said the crowd was clearly bigger than last year's record gate of around 15,000.

He and his fellow exhibitors say their event is Yorkshire's second biggest one-day agricultural show, after Driffield, in terms of livestock entries. There were nearly 900 cattle, sheep and pigs, besides horses, dogs, rabbits, poultry and goats entered in the show held at Welburn Park, Kirkby Moorside, on fields loaned by William Shaw, who lives in Australia.

He normally flies over to attend but was missing this year.

Mr Woodall said shows like the Ryedale were doing well, despite the pressures which helped make this year's 160th Royal Show, in Warwickshire, the last.

In the trade stands, a beef van promising certified British burgers and guaranteed Lincoln Red sandwiches and rolls showed the development of the move to beef branding, which has been led by Aberdeen Angus breeders, as consumers demand higher standards.


Results


DAIRY CATTLE

Breed Champions: Holstein: RS & WA Howarth, Pickering; Jersey: Chapman Farms, Pickering; Dexter: Sheila Sykes, Lindley, Huddersfield; Shorthorn: DW Throup, Bradley, near Skipton. Supreme Champion: RS & WA Howarth, Reserve: DW Throup

BEEF CATTLE

Breed Champions: Limousin: Millington Limousins, near York; British Blonde:Ken Jackson, Stubbs Walden, Doncaster; Beef Shorthorn: Roger Hebdon, Upsall, near Thirsk; Commercial Beef: Limousin X, Fawcetts, Sand Hutton, Near York; Simmental: JT & G Smith, Stape, near Pickering; Aberdeen Angus: J&B Brooks, Little Smeaton, Northallerton; Highland: Tim Jeffrey, Huby, York; British Blue: CR Raine & Son, Middleton in Teesdale; Any Other Breed: Longhorn, J Botham, Newport, Brough. Supreme Champion: Millington Limousins, Reserve: British Blonde Ken Jackson.

SHEEP

Breed Champions: Charollais: Charles Marwood, Whenby; Suffolk: Anne Bulmer, Great Habton, Malton; Hampshire Down: MC Pink, Nether Poppleton, York; Butchers Lambs: Charles Marwood, Whenby; Wensleydale:JN & JM Prescott, Long Horsley, Northumberland; Leicester: CC Mudd, Brompton, near Scarborough; Ryeland: P Wilkinson, Everingham, York; Cross-bred: Stephen Dodsworth, Hareham, Helmsley; Rare Breeds: Manx Laughton from L Arrowsmith, Raskelf; Swaledale: Sam Myers, Rosedale, near Whitby; Masham: M&B Allen, Staithes; Scotch Blackface: Paul Carter, Pickering; Teeswater: MJ Croft, Jervaulx, Ripon; Mule: AC Hutchinson, Kirby Wiske; Blue Faced Leicester: J&D Stenton, Thornton le Dale; Jacobs: Stephen Dodsworth, Hareham, Helmsley. Supreme Champion: Charles Marwood, Whenby. Best Fleece: JN & JM Prescott, Long Horsley, Northumberland.

PIGS

Show Champion: Berkshire Gilt from Mark Horsley, Stamford Bridge.

HEAVY HORSES

Supreme Champion & Best Shire: F Richardson, Holme on the Wolds; Reserve & Best Clydesdale: H Emerson.