A dairy farmer who has been coming to the county show for as long as he can remember had reason to smile after scooping the supreme inter-breed title on the first day of the event.

As entries were short this year, the dairy breeds competitions were followed by the inter-breed finals on day one.

Scooping the top title was John Cawston of Woodton, Bungay, on the Norfolk/Suffolk border with his Holstein, Poringland Ina 2. He also took the Jersey breed championship title with Poringland Joan 22.

"We have had a very good year," he said, adding: "We have been coming here as long as I can remember.

"We had a marvellous year. It's a shame there are not quite as many entries. We are getting less and less dairy cattle in East Anglia. "

The farmer keeps around 120 mainly Holstein and Jersey cattle, and sells his milk to Arla. Like many livestock farmers, he is facing steeply rising costs.

"The prices have gone just sky-high. £150/200/t extra on feed. Fertiliser is just ridiculous. It's made things a bit tight - we are managing," he said.

But the top inter-breed accolade was very welcome, he said. "That cheers you up, doesn't it? It makes you smile a bit with all the doom and gloom. I don't think you'll see prices coming down because everything has gone up."

Judge Luke Harris said: "The winner had a lot of ring presence, a lovely spine, openness, cleanliness and dairy quality and a beautiful clean leg. The full udder gave it over the reserve."

John Smith of Smith Farms, Clacton-on-Sea, scooped the reserve inter-breed title with his Ayrshire, Wigboro Wick Burdette Poker, his own cow. "She's home-bred. We were really pleased at the way she looked," he said. "I'm really pleased to have come second to the Holstein."