Thousands of visitors experienced the broad appeal of the countryside's sports and pastimes – along with the full spectrum of its spring weather – at an annual rural showcase this weekend.

The East Anglian Game and Country Fair, held at the Norfolk Showground, featured a diverse array of food stalls and trade stands, as well as entertainment ranging from dancing sheep to diving dogs, including horse-boarders, stunt bikers, clay shooting, falconry and forestry.

The unpredictable weather was no less diverse, mingling bright April sunshine with biting wintry showers of rain, sleet and hail.

But organiser Andy Grand said the initial signs were that this had not unduly affected the attendance, which he expected to be on a par with previous years – helped by a record number of advance ticket sales for the two-day event.

'We have seen four seasons in one day, but it has not stopped people coming,' he said. 'I don't have the final figures yet, but it will be in the tens of thousands.

'This is a show for everybody. It is the people's show. We put on what people want to see and it is all driven by the feedback we get from visitors and on social media, so the show features what they want to see and we try to improve it year on year.

'The arenas have been absolutely packed, and there has been lots of interest in the have-a-go attractions, which have introduced people to new activities and countryside sports like clay shooting and archery, which they may not get around to on a normal weekend.'

Mr Grand said one of the major highlights for the arena audience was the first appearance at the show by the Royal Signals White Helmets, a team of 25 serving soldiers from the Royal Corps of Signals whose motorcycling skills display featured fire jumps and a 21-rider pyramid stack.

For more photos, see www.edp24.co.uk.