LIVESTOCK breeders are demonstrating their support for the Three Counties Countryside Show by returning to compete on the Three Counties Showground after an absence of two years.

In spite of Defra's six-day standstill rule restricting the movement of animals between shows and the continuing threat of bovine tuberculosis, livestock entries for the showcase event from Friday to Sunday, June 13 to 15, are much healthier than anticipated.

Entries for cattle, sheep, pig, goat and alpaca classes already stand at 1,800 and there is a bumper equestrian entry of more than 1,600 horses.

The Malvern show manager Doreen Smillie said: "We are delighted to see our flagship event with pedigree livestock back in place and we would like to thank all those exhibitors supporting us this year. We are confident that the show will be a great success."

Dairy farmers will actually be back for the first time since 1999, when falling milk prices, TB and the wettest April on record forced the society to withdraw all dairy classes from the event.

The new All-Breeds Dairy Calf Show and Young Handlers' Competition has proved to be a welcome addition to the livestock section and, for the first time, there will be a grand parade of livestock on all three days.

Sunday is the chosen day for the first rare Breeds Survival Trust National One-Day Show and Members Day to be opened by poet and rare breeds keeper Pam Ayres.

The equestrian programme will feature a Costume Concours D'Elegance side-saddle competition and some prestigious qualifiers for both the Horse Of The Year Show and the Royal International Horse Show.

Other features alongside a host of quality tradestands include a dedicated countryside area with hands-on activities and demonstrations, competitive sheep shearing, regional produce, a poultry show, bees and honey and a flower show.