TRADITIONAL countryside fun is the order of the day at the 119th annual Ashbourne Show on Saturday, August 21.

The emphasis is firmly on animal attractions with horses, livestock, working animals and pets all taking centre stage.

Highlight of the show is the grand parade of livestock. The prizegiving ceremony will take place mid-afternoon.

This year's main ring attraction will be the Cheshire Dog Display Team, "a brilliant display of canine wizardry".

Dogs of all shapes and sizes will demonstrate their talents in agility races and fire jumping.

The main ring will be busy all day, beginning with the judging of shire horses. A major event on the equestrian calendar, Ashbourne Show holds qualifying status for the overall winner to take part in the Shire Horse of the Year competition at the NEC in October.

While the shires compete at one end of the main ring, visitors can admire the elegant hunters from the light horse section competing at the other end for a place at the Horse of the Year Show.

The show will also welcome fox hounds, blood hounds and beagles, which are popular with children, who can enter the ring to met them.

Throughout the day, the popular light horse classes will be running, with a range of competitions, including local pony classes and side saddle competition. The competition is noted for being hot, as many of the events are Horse of the Year Show qualifiers.

A variety of breeds, both popular and rare, can be seen in the livestock section.

New this year will be a poultry section with classes for pure-bred poultry and eggs, run in conjunction with the Henmore Poultry Club. There will also be a pet section, which can be entered on the day, with classes for rabbits, guinea pigs, budgies and canaries and pet poultry. There's also an enter-on-the-day dog show, puppy, working dog, pet and rescue dog classes.

Away from the animals, there's a food hall featuring local delicacies, a busy craft marquee and trade stands. Around the ground, rural crafts will be demonstrated – including dry-stone walling and stick-making – and there will be lots of entertainment for the younger members of the family, including Punch and Judy shows and bouncy castles.

Add to this trade stands, club stands, homecrafts and horticulture and you have all the ingredients for a fun family day out.

Organised by the Ashbourne Shire Horse Society, the show will be held at the Polo Ground, Osmaston, near Ashbourne. Admission on the day is £8 adults, seniors £6, children £4, under-fives free, family (2+2) £22. Advance tickets are £1 cheaper and can be purchased from various venues including Ashbourne Tourist Information Centre and the Derbyshire Building Society in Belper. For more information about visiting or competing, visit the show website at www.ashbourneshow.co.uk