Fears that the Grantown show would face the same fate as its Keith counterpart were allayed yesterday as thousands of people turned out to enjoy the agricultural spectacle.
A record 90 stands featured this year, including one run by a new local young farmers group.
Around 4,000 people attended the show at Heathfield Park to enjoy cattle, sheep, horse and domestic competitions.
Secretary Julie Grant said: “The weather has actually turned out okay for us. But with Keith show being cancelled there was the potential that we would be cancelled as well.
“The horse numbers are down, maybe because people have been put off by the weather but we are known as the family friendly show so people really enjoy coming here anyway.
“Everyone seems to have had a good time. The umbrellas just go up and wellies go on and that’s how it goes.”
Danny Alexander MP, whose constituency includes the town, was among those attending. He said: “The Grantown show is one of my favourite events of the calendar and I like it because it’s a chance to pick up on some of the issues which farmers are having to deal with.”
This year’s show had a new element in the form of a young farmers’ calf competition for those aged between 14 and 26.
Calum Smith, who is chairman of the recently formed Strathspey Young Farmers club, said that the group now has about 25 members and is based at Auchernack Farm, Grantown.
The 19-year-old added: “It is important to have a group like this because if we can find more young farmers wanting to come into it then it will help the farms in the area.
“There is a lack of interest in farming these days and we are hoping that we can get more people into it. It is something the area is definitely needing. There was a big gap at these shows with mainly older members and less younger people, and we hope to change that.”
Andy Robertson, from Meikle Wartle, near Inverurie, attended yesterday’s event with his wife and three-year-old daughter, Isla.
He said that he had grown up on his dad’s Aberdeenshire farm and missed the lifestyle after training at college to become a joiner.
He said: “I grew up on the farm, and I have to say I do miss it. Everybody was on the farm back then and now it’s dying off, so it’s important that shows like this are there to encourage the youngsters.”
