IT was sizzling Saturday for day two of the annual Royal Three Counties Show at Malvern.

Sales of suncream and ice cream soared along with the temperature as the sun pushed it over the 30C mark, baking the the thousands of visitors, including many from the local areas, and creating some problems for the huge numbers of livestock in the show's animal sheds and marquees.

It led to show officials having to issue urgent reminders to farmers with livestock entries to ensure their animals were kept well watered and cooled by the use of industrial-sized fans.

There have been a number of local successes in the livestock sections but one of the biggest came in the Highland cattle where the Temple Grafton, near Alcester-based Grafton Fold herd celebrated with the show’s breed champion and reserve breed champion.

Their two-year-old heifer Morag Dubh Third of Grafton claimed top spot while the reserve champion slot was claimed by yearling bull Hamish of Grafton.

It was a particularly sweet moment for the Grafton herd as it is quite small alongside many other enterprises having just 25 animals with 10 sucklers and one bull and they are kept on 40 acres, around half which is given over to wheat.

Herdsman Charlie Edwards, who has been working with the animals for five years, said everyone was delighted, especially as all animals are home bred.

“Since the demise of the Royal Show at Stoneleigh a few years ago and the switch to Malvern’s Three Counties event, the quality of livestock which comes from all over the UK has been on the up year after year. It makes winning here all the more prestigious.”

Meanwhile Mr and Mrs Paul and Chris Andrews from Belbroughton, near Bromsgrove, were celebrating having the breed champion with a three year old ewe in the Lleyn sheep section.

The couple have 35 sheep kept on a smallholding of just over 30 acres and established their flock back in 1998.

Chris said: “We opted for the Lleyn breed as they are sturdy, quite easy to handle and they make good mothers.”

There have been other successes too for local breeders with cattle and sheep entries, and also in the equine categories.

Awards for long service on farms around the three local counties have also been made at the show including a Silver and Silver bar to John Andrews who has worked for the past 55 years at Arnold Farms Limited of Ombersley, nr Droitwich.

Official figures haven’t been released yet but Friday’s opening day attendance was well up on last year when rain intervened and there is every reason to feel today’s figure will also show an increase.

With hot sunny weather again forecast for tomorrow’s third and final day show organisers believe that the overall crowd figure for the three days will nudge close the 100,000 mark.