THERE is a certain something about the Chagford Show. One person I spoke to put their finger on it. It just has so much charm. With a fun dog show, where ‘if your dog has a bright eye or a waggy tail then he’s catered for’ and horse classes for everything from miniature Shetlands to huge Shires, the show last Thursday on the River Teign was a real celebration of rural life.

Animals are a big part of the show, with the curly-coated traditional breeds of sheep that originate on Dartmoor well represented, as well as other upland traditional breeds, including the North Country Cheviot flock which won owner Sam Pethick of Bovey Tracey the title of Supreme Sheep Champion.

Janet Rogers, who farms the oldest flock of Greyface Dartmoor sheep near Tavistock, was looking on with an expert’s eye as the judge made her way up the line of curly coated sheep, assessing form.

‘At Chagford you have got all the native breeds, Scotch, Greyface and Whiteface Dartmoors,’ she said. ‘The shows generate interest, that is the great thing, and this is one of the few shows where you can see all the native breeds. The native breeds have still got a lot to offer.

‘Years ago the majority of farms around here would have had the Dartmoor. Now there are a lot of smallholders who keep a few. They have just got so much personality.’

There was friendly rivalry in the Whiteface Dartmoor classes, which saw Arthur and Rosemary Wrayford of Denbury near Newton Abbot and Philip Abel of Peter Tavy up against each other in nearly every class. ‘We like to have some banter between us,’ said Arthur, as they all posed for a photo together.

Hannah Payne and daughter Zoe King, 11, of Bridestowe were at the show with their Blue Texel sheep and by mid morning had already received a Reserve Champion for their shearling ram.

‘He is my favourite,’ confessed Zoe, as she posed for a picture with him. ‘He is a nice quiet sheep; he’ll just stand there quite still without a halter or anything.

Mum Hannah added: ‘I like the Blue Texels because they are quiet and they all have personalities.’

There is also a strong equine section at the Chagford Show, with everything from elegant Arab pure-breds to miniature Shetland ponies and with Dartmoor ponies being well represented.

Amanda McKie of Lewdown was the judge of the Arab pure-bred classes. When it came to picking a winner she said she looked for ‘the one that comes into the ring and you say wow, look at that one. It has to be correct to type’.

It was a good show, too, for Keith Locke of Jacobstowe near Okehampton who won Supreme Dartmoor Registered Champion with his 12-year-old mare Okeleat Quintette ‘She is a bit of a star in my eye,’ he said. ‘She’s been champion before but this is the first time that she’s won here.’Pick up today's Okehampton Times for full results, report and pictures