THE deadline is fast approaching for entries for one of the the big cattle competitions of the summer - the Hanbury Countryside Show near Droitwich.

Along with two other shows, Burwarton in Shropshire in August and Moreton Show in the Cotswolds in September, Hanbury will be taking part in the Three Shires Cattle Trophy, which will go to the exhibitor who gains the most points across all three shows.

The new award, with a £1,000 top prize, is sponsored by Moreton in Marsh-based Nimrod Veterinary Products,

Donna Renney, Nimrod’s operations director said: "We are thrilled to be supporting this new partnership between three of the best agricultural shows in the country. We hope this will be a great incentive for owners to show off all their hard work and their fabulous cattle."

Exhibitors will accumulate points by showing their cattle at all three shows and the running total will be kept secret until the finale at Moreton Show. As well as the £1000 top prize, the runner-up will receive £350 while £150 will go to third place.

Richard Heath, secretary at the Hanbury Countryside Show, said: "We think it’s a great idea to form a partnership in cattle showing and I’m looking forward to seeing how the cattle progress through the classes at each show. It’s going to be pretty exciting by the time we get to Moreton in September to see who is our first Three Shires Cattle Trophy Triple Crown winner."

Lynne Parkes, Moreton Show livestock secretary said: ‘It’ll be a bit like revealing the results of the X Factor for cattle. Our treble, involving all three shows, is aiming to attract some of the best cattle from across the country and we’d like to encourage handlers to compete for what will be the equivalent of a premier league title in cattle showing."

The Hanbury show is on Saturday, July 1, and entries must be in by Wednesday, June 21.