Enjoy it on video: Ryedale Show

Anne McIntosh, formerly MP for the Vale of York and a member of the Conservatives' shadow rural team, took over the chair of the Efra Committee, made up of MPs with a particular interest in the work of the Department of Environment Food & Rural Affairs, after being elected for the new constituency of Thirsk & Malton.

She was at Ryedale Show, just outside Kirkbymoorside, yesterday, and took on questions about how the coalition Government would deal with concerns about flood prevention money being used to protect housing at the expense of farms.

She said the balance of spending had swung too far, under Labour, from essential maintenance of the existing network to ambitious new building works. Giving the Environment Agency levy back to the Local Drainage Boards would help swing things back, she said.

It amounted to 60,000 a year each from three bodies in the Vale of York alone. She was arguing for it but everyone would have to wait for the public spending review in October "to see how radical this government is prepared to be".

Meanwhile, said Mrs McIntosh, her committee was determined to continue the work of the Commission for Rural Communities – axed by new Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman – on the problems of upland communities. The committee would probably start an inquiry in September.

Her attendance at the 144th Ryedale Show came as visitors and

exhibitors alike enjoyed another successful year.

Show Secretary Peter Woodall was overseeing it for the last time after 40 years. Show turnover has gone up in that time from 2,000 to

100,000.

Mr Woodall is handing over to Alan Tate-Smith, a colleague at

auctioneer and estate agency Cundalls.

Visitors to the event will have been largely unaware of one of its surprise success stories, hidden away at the ambulance post. NHS paramedic Ken Lumley saw a opening for event cover and his Teesside company, Medics UK, now has 95 percent of the agricultural shows business.

Results

DAIRY CATTLE

Supreme dairy champion – Friesian from PV & JE Aconley, Wetwang.

Best Dairy Shorthorn – Young & Collins & Partners, of York and Dewsbury.

Best Jersey – P Crosby, of Knayton Jerseys, near Thirsk.

BEEF CATTLE

Supreme beef champion – commercial-x, from Jonathan Timm, Leeds.

Best Charolais – Nora Hurst, Salton, York.

Best Limousin – Millington Grange Estate.

Best Blue – CR Raine & Son, Middleton in Teesdale.

Best Blond – W&M Steels, Burghwallis, Doncaster.

Best Dexter – H Hunt, Sowerby, Thirsk.

Best Commercial Beef – J Timm, Leeds.

Best Rare Breed – British White from A Fisher, Pateley Bridge.

Best Any Other – Longhorn from DR Walker, Huby.

SHEEP

Interbreed supreme champion – Teeswater from Mark Elliot, Knaresborough.

Reserve – Cheviot from KO & EA Stones, Marrick, Richmond.

Best Suffolk – AR Bulmer, Malton.

Best Texel – Andrew Chapman, Driffield.

Best Charollais – Charles Marwood, Whenby, York.

Best Scotch – P Turnbull, Pickering.

Best Masham – M&B Allen, Saltburn.

Best Mule – AM & HV Brown, Newton le Willows.

Best Swaledale – Sam Myers, Fadmoor, York.

Best Jacob – S Dodsworth, Nawton, York.

Best Bluefaced – J&D Stenton, Thornton Dale.

Best Leicester – ED & JD Glaves & Sons, Brompton, Scarborough.

Best Ryeland – SR Hipps, Bishop Thornton, Harrogate.

Best Crossbred – Suffolk/Scotch from M & B Watkinson, Sessay, Thirsk.

Best Rare Breed – Badger-faced Welsh Mountain ram from Shelley Rogerson, Wheldrake, York.

Best Pet Lamb & Best Fat Lamb – James Farrington, Helmsley.

PIGS

Best in show – Saddleback sow from John Wreakes, Thorne, Doncaster.

HEAVY HORSES

Show champion – Shire from P Bedford of Cawood.