Hexham lawyer's rare breed love

Each of the bulls has put on a kilogram of weight every day since they were born and now weigh around 500 kilos each - the weight of around eight prop forwards on the rugby field, Mr Pennie says.

The 53-year-old, who lives in Beaufront, near Hexham, Northumberland, said: "All my life I've wanted to be either a farmer or a lawyer.

"My dream was really to be a farmer and in the last three years there has been the opportunity to enter that world.

"The delight is that it's a world completely different from the world I usually operate in - a world of seven-days-a-week commitment. It's an absolute privilege to get a glimpse of it.

"I have a lot of admiration for farmers."

A farmer called Robert Bakewell made the Longhorn breed very popular towards the end of the 18th Century.

His cattle were going for around 45 guineas while all the rest sold for around nine guineas.

But in the 1850s, with the emergence of the Shorthorn, there was a downturn in the numbers of Longhorn in the country.

Around 100 years later, they were virtually non-existent and in the 1970s - when Mr Pennie's interest in Longhorns was sparked - there were only 250 left in the world.

Since then, they have seen a resurgence and there are now around 5,000 in existence worldwide.

The beef is widely thought to be some of the best tasting in the world and renowned chef Heston Blumenthal is said to be a firm fan.

Father-of-six Mr Pennie, who keeps his cattle on land near the Traveller's Rest pub in Slaley, said the show would provide visitors with a unique opportunity.

"It is a chance for the public to get a glimpse of a very rare breed," he added.

"It is usually a very tough competition and I'm looking forward to it. The cattle are a delight."

The Northumberland County Show will take place this Bank Holiday Monday from 9am-6pm at Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge, Northumberland.