MANY agricultural shows have a long history in the UK and northern farmers, producers and growers take great pride in participation in the many Lake District and Cumbrian shows - the Westmorland County Show one of them.

Agriculture continues to play a vital part of the Cumbrian economy in a predominantly rural landscape much of which due to its geography and geology has remained unchanged for centuries.

The shows provide important and valued networking opportunities for farmers to meet and share their stories and get help and advice, as well as being great social events.

Some farmers work using traditional methods for managing their livestock, such as the hefting of Herdwick sheep.

Young farmers of the future can also talk to the experts and find out about courses and schemes that can encourage them when starting out.

This is the case at the Westmorland County Show, which draws crowds of around 27,000 visitors and is one of the largest annual-one day events in Britain.

It has at its core the judging of livestock and like almost all other county shows, has on its programme Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling - a hugely entertaining sport that has been traced back to the Viking invasion.