Sunny spectacle of cattle led a merry dance around show's main parade ring

The Grand Parade took place on the second afternoon, under an almost cloudless sky and in conditions challenging for animals and handlers alike – as evidenced when a Dairy Shorthorn made a run for the privet on the boundary.

Cattle have been at the heart of the show since its earliest days, and the parade past the President’s Box in the centre of the grandstand is seen as a celebration not only of its heritage but also its future – with many young handlers among those leading the animals on their lap of honour.

In front of each class, an army cadet carried a label aloft for those in the crowd who would not otherwise have known a Belted Galloway from a Belgian Blue.

“The quality on display here is almost beyond words,” said the ring commentator, Christine Barber.

“It’s the result of a great deal of time and a lot of sheer, hard work.”

Those who might have struggled to reconcile their affection for the beasts with their appetites would have been eased to hear her describe the breeds according to their “ease of carving” and “high level of marbling in the meat”.

Around 100 animals – each weighing up to a ton and a half – had been selected for the parade, which marks the culmination of the main judging in the cattle competition.

They represent the best in class beef, continental, dairy and native sections.