A Sidbury competitor beat a world champion when farm hands from across the country put their skills to the test in the village on Sunday.

Wool hander Gwenann Paewai won out against Bovey Tracy’s Hilary Bond when the Devon County Show event came to Home Farm.

The shearing competitions saw 85 contenders from across the UK relieve 788 sheep of their fleeces during the day, with Dorchester’s Dean Nelmes coming out as victor after he sheared 15 lambs in just over 15 minutes.

Show secretary Ollie Allen said the event had attracted more shearers than for many years, including a keen contingent of younger participants. In the sheepdog trails, Dartmoor farmer Jed Watson took first place.

Competition organiser and working sheep farmer Victor Pitts, from Exminster, said: “The weather was a lot better than anticipated, thank goodness, and Hurricane Bertha didn’t disrupt the trials.”

Trialling dates back nearly 150 years to a time when shepherds set about devising a test to reflect tasks that a sheepdog and shepherd undertake in everyday work.

The Devon County Show organisers thanked Alan Derryman of Home Farm for hosting the event, by permission of Sir John and Lady Cave of Sidbury Manor.