SPIRITS were high as the Pembrokeshire County Show got underway on Tuesday.

Crowds enjoyed a number of new additions to the annual show’s programme, including displays by the Royal Navy Raiders Parachute Display Team and a demonstration by the Rockwood Dog Display Team, who have made a number of television appearances performing tight-rope walking and fire retrieving.

As well as regular attractions including the show jumping competitions, food hall and crafts to entertain the thousands of visitors, there were also appearances by Titan The Robot and cookery demonstrations by celebrity chef Angela Gray.

In the poultry building, record numbers of entries were on display, proving the section’s continued popularity.

Poultry Show secretary Alan Davies said: “We have had more than1,000 entries from across Britain for only the second time in our 29-year history, which is great.”

Today (Thursday) not only marks the final day of the popular agricultural show but it will also mark the end of an era as the show’s general manager Malcolm Crossman retires.

A group of Milford Haven youngsters enjoyed their first experience of exhibiting at the show this year.

The Mount Community Association entered a wide variety of exhibits including tomatoes, courgettes, and eggs from the community farm as well as a hen and cockerel reared from an incubation project completed by youngsters from the Mount Estate last year.

Association chairman, Kathy Gray, said the children had enjoyed the show preparation.

“They have learned how to prepare the poultry – washing, blow drying and oiling them ready for judging,” she said.

On Tuesday morning the youngsters discovered all their preparation had paid off as their cockerel picked up second place and the hen third place in the junior class.

The group is hoping for further show success today when it enters two pigs into competition.