Wiltshire County Show returned after nearly 40 years at the weekend and it was such a resounding success it will become a fixture on the calendar.

More than 10,000 people turned up at the show held in tandem with Barbury Castle International Trials at Rockley.

The event has been revived by Minette Batters, who is chairman of Wiltshire National Farmers’ Union.

“We think we had over 10,000 visitors, so we were absolutely delighted because we would have been extremely grateful if we had got to 5,000,” said Mrs Batters. “The turn-out was helped by the fantastic weather.”

As well as Barbury Castle horse trials, the county show had showjumping classes in its own arenas, including the national hunt scurry championships and Stonar School top score competition.

It was a typical county show with livestock including sheep, pigs and poultry and there were sheep handling and shearing exhibitions. Next year, said Mrs Batters, it was intended to add cattle classes.

The Mayor of Marlborough, Coun Andrew Ross, with his wife Gillian, performed the opening before touring its exhibits.

A big attractions was the Wiltshire Farm Market with a host of stands selling everything from traditionally-baked bread, meat and sausages, including produce from Vowley farm at Wootton Bassett, wine from the Bow-in-the-Cloud Vineyard at Garsdon, Malmesbury, and shooting and fishing equipment.

There were numerous crafts displays including thatching by Bob Boulton from Hungerford; woodcrafts by Dave Seabourne from Devizes and walking sticks made by Paul Mitchell from Melksham, who took up the craft after retiring as a sale rep “to keep me out of mischief”.

Shepherd Ben Pike from Great Shefford gave shearing demonstrations taking seconds to remove a fleece. This year he has sheared 40,000 sheep.

Wessex Bird of Prey Rescue Centre displayed falcons and hawks while Deborah Mortimer and Bill Oram from Wiltshire Hurdles at Market Lavington, showed how to make hurdles from coppiced hazel spars.

There were static army displays, artillery displays in the ring by soldiers, and one of the highlights was the arrival in the main arena of the Black Knights parachute display team.

Mrs Batters said any profit would go to the Soldiers, Sailors and Air Force Families’ Association.

Plans have already been laid, she said, for a bigger and better show next year when profits will go to the Army Benevolent Fund, also called the Soldiers’ Charity.