The Great Yorkshire Show kicked off in scorching temperatures yesterday.

Basking in the sun, thousands flocked to the three-day agricultural festival at the Great Yorkshire Showground, near Harrogate.

And farmers from the Bradford district were triumphing in many of the show categories.

Four years ago, John Varley, of Queenshead Farm, Queensbury, could only watch as foot and mouth wiped out his family's entire heard of cattle.

But yesterday came triumph as two of his cattle, Queenshead Varley and Van Nistelroy, took prizes in the Limousin class.

Mr Varley said: "We were taken out by foot and mouth and had to start from scratch. Now we are bringing our own breeds which have been born and bred on our land to the show and they are winning.

"It is particularly nice to compete against farmers from all over the country and win something to remind people that Bradford farms are still here."

In the same class, Steven and Ruth Priestley of Hill Top Farm in Denholme, took a second rosette in three years with Seaview Upstart.

Mr Priestley, who has been entering at the show since 1992, rated this year's one of the best. "They come from far and wide to compete here," he said. "The quality gets better each year."

But farming veterans were not the only ones enjoying success. Simon Kavanagh, owner of The Old Corn Mill farm in Eldwick, near Bingley, only began farming six years ago.

He entered for the first time this year in the Lleyn sheep category, taking first and two seconds.

Also representing Bradford were three of the Bradford Industrial Museum's shire horses, Henry, Murdoch and Noble - who was second in the hand-show class.

This year's Great Yorkshire has already proved a record-breaker, with more sheep, cattle and horses than ever.

Christopher Hall, in his last year as show director, was expecting a record crowd. He said: "The public are coming in ever growing numbers. They are very interested in food and everything that is going on in the country."

There were a wide range of stalls on offer, too. Food lovers delighted in produce including pork from Lishman's butchers of Ilkley and the Great Yorkshire Cheese and Dairy show, sponsored by Bradford based Morrisons.