A SHOW which has become the highlight of the rural calendar is celebrating.

Honley Show will mark its 90th birthday this year.

The event returns to The Showground, Moor Lane, Farnley Tyas, on June 11, with a festival of animals, country sports, crafts and vintage collections.

The event, which first ran in 1921, attracts more than 10,000 visitors every year.

It aims to showcase the best in British farming and country crafts, together with family entertainment and competitions.

Honley Show this year will be raising cash for the Royal British Legion, which is also celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.

Over the years, the show has raised tens of thousands of pounds for local charities and organisations.

This year’s show includes a dog agility display, ferret racing, vintage cars, a Punch and Judy show, light railway rides, stilt walkers, magicians, wildlife displays, meerkat displays, balloon modelling, climbing wall, bungee trampolines, inflatable slides, children’s quad bikes and rides.

To coincide with the 150th anniversary of David Brown engineering a large collection of David Brown tractors will be on display.

The main ring will host family entertainment from the Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team, the Battling Cumberland Giants (the world’s largest wrestlers), a falconer, performing dogs, and a judo team.

The show will be packed full of pet, livestock and agricultural classes, including cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, horses, rabbits and other small animals.

Horses and riders will be put through their paces in the usual showjumping classes.

And it won’t just be horses doing the jumping. Rabbit jumping will be making a return to this year’s show with two displays.

The rabbit-friendly event, similar to show jumping, tests how fast, high and far rabbits can leap.

This year there will be classes for novices and more experienced trainers.

Trades on show will include stickmaking, beekeeping, rambling, fishing and dry stone walling together with National Trust, wildlife and tourism stands.

There will also be more than 150 trade and craft stalls across the showground.

Honley Show committee member Sheila Turner said: “We’re pleased to have reached our 90th anniversary.

“We think there’s something for everyone, from those who know their breeds of cow to those that have never seen one in the flesh before.

“There’s entertainment for everyone, free car parking and a free bus from Honley village.

“There’s lots of traditional stuff and new things too – that’s the balance we hope for.”

For more details on Honley Show or to register a stall visit: www.honleyshow.co.uk