Nearly £2,000 was raised for a riding for the disabled group at the popular Oaklands College’s lambing weekend, which attracted a record breaking 6,000 visitors.

Hospitality and catering students at last weekend’s event, held at Oaklands’ Smallford campus, Hatfield Road, sold kebabs, chutneys and cupcakes while those studying horticulture sold plants grown on site.

And right on cue for hardy visitors braving cold and damp weather, one of the ewes gave birth to twins on Saturday morning.

Their appearance gave college farm manager Del Knowles the perfect opportunity to explain the stages of lambing to a curious crowd.

Those who visited on Sunday were able to see new arrivals too, as seven British Saddleback piglets were born the previous night.

Apart from a range of entertainment, including equine demonstrations, people were able to see sheepdogs, goats, alpacas, wallabies and emus, along with reptiles, rabbits and birds.

Over £1,800 was raised for Oaklands Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) from donations and plant sales donated by Rochfords.

RDA group organiser Sarah Moreland said: “I am totally overwhelmed by the donation. The money will cover all expenses for the RDA National Championships which includes transport and stabling for the horses, entry fees and accommodation of the riders for the entire four days.

“It is such a relief to have this money secured ahead of the event.”

For those feeling peckish, stalls in a farmers’ market offered local honey, jams and preserves, locally produced pasties and porkpies and a very popular apple pressing stall which invited onlookers to press their own apples and sample their hard work.