THE late summer weather ensured an increased crowd attending this year's annual Usk Show – an agricultural event held at the show­ground in Gwernesney where visitors get the chance to see livestock and produce competitions along with a wide range of attractions.

Some 20,000 visitors passed through the turnstiles at this year's event, up around 2,000 on the previous year, which saw cattle and sheep competitions run alongside goat, pig and horse classes.

There were local winners at the show which included Emma Jones from Magor who won the Interbreed Champion Dairy class, which enabled her to show off her prize winning cow in the event's grand parade.

The event is run by Usk Farmers' Club, and other hotly fought competitions were had in the homecraft and horticultural sections with classes for the best cakes, jams and home-made wines as well as flowers, fruit and vegetables.

Usk Youth Brass Band entertained visitors while the visitors walked around the many trade and exhibition stands sur­rounding the main arena.

The young and old alike took the opportunity to see an array of vintage farming machinery in action which included old tractors and a vintage cider press. Many children took the opportunity to join with Meirion Owen and his Quack Pack in the main ring as he gave a demonstration of border collies taking on the role of sheep dog to control the ducks.

The event also signals the end of an era for Fiona Jenkins, who as Usk show's general secretary is bowing out after 12 years of organising the event. She is being replaced by Faye Mear who has been shadowing Mrs Jenkins for much of the past year, and it's a role her family are familiar with as Faye's mother, Diane Watkins, was the show's general secretary between 1986 to 1989.