ISLE of Wight farmers gathered at Rookley this morning (Monday) for the annual Gilten Market.

At the market, farmers bring their cattle and sheep to be judged and auctioned off ready for Christmas.

The winner of the competition — coined 'best beast' — is then painted gold by the High Sheriff before auction.

The High Sheriff, Gioia Minghella-Giddens, said: "I think it's an enormous honour to paint the winning animal and to be here with the crema de la creme of our Island farming community.

"I've had one-to-one lessons with some experts in the farming world on the Island and I've learnt so much just this morning."

Laurie Calloway, chairman of the Gilten Market committee, said the market was a wonderful tradition that helped bring together the farming community on the Island.

"We have a lovely quality of animals here on show, too. A great thanks to the family for hosting it here in Rookley and all the hard work they do for the event."

Richard Dennis of Borthwood Farms, Alverstone, was the owner of the 'best beast'.

He said: "It's a great honour to come here and to win is a fantastic achievement. We put a lot of work into it — we'll start preparing for next year's event in January.

"The animals are judged on how well covered they are, that they have a good amount of flesh and that in general, they are well-formed."

Richard said he thought the win was mainly down to food. "You've got to have the right animal to start with a spot the potential," he said. "But then, it's down to nourishment."

Watch the High Sheriff paint the cow below: