TWO years on from the foot and mouth epidemic that wiped out its traditional complement of livestock competitions, one of the biggest rural events in the Midlands is finally back on track and opens on Friday.

The long-running Three Counties Countryside Show, at Malvern (June 13, 14, and 15), which went ahead in 2001 and 2002 without cattle, sheep, pig and goat classes for the first time since the 1950's, has reinstated livestock.

The show's organiser has decided to arrange the bulk of the competitions over the first two days instead of the usual three, which means that exhibitors will be back home by Saturday evening.