MALVERN'S Three Counties Showground welcomed a very special guest yesterday as the Princess Royal paid a visit to the venue for the National Pony Society's Centenary Summer Show.

The princess - dressed in a tweed checked jacket, brown skirt and matching brown shoes and gloves and clutching dark shades - arrived at the showground shortly after 11am in a Land Rover which she drove herself.

She was greeted by Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire Michael Brinton and his wife Angela.

She was visiting the show as patron of the National Pony Society and presented winners of the society's competitions with their prizes before touring the rest of the show.

It included a visit to the NFU Marquee where she viewed a display depicting the history of British riding ponies and native breeds.

Earlier in the day she toured the National Sheep Association's show with NSA event chairman David Smith and NSA policy adviser John Thorley.

There the Princess - who has a flock of Wiltshire horn sheep herself - viewed their sheepdog sales, toured the various exhibitors including the Shetland Sheep Society, with whom she spoke about the quality of wool, and students from Hereford's Holme Lacey College, who were entering the association's Young Shepherd of the Year Competition.

Lesley Beazer of the Shetland Sheep Society said: "She was very knowledgable about Shetland sheep and seemed very pleasant and interested in knowing about our work."

It was the Princess' first visit to the showground since 1997, when she came to celebrate the bicentenary year of the Three Counties Show.