Judith Knight (nee Burry), former Romsey Show President, champion Dexter cattle breeder and long-standing Director of Burry and Knight Ltd, died peacefully in her sleep at home on February 26, aged 78.

Judy, as she was known, was born in Bournemouth in 1935, and lived at Stagg’s Farm in Beckley with her parents, Phyllis and Herbert Alexander (Alec) Burry and her older brother John.

As a child she was a keen rider, enjoying the Pony Club more than school.

Later, as a boarder at Talbot Heath School, she missed the animals at the family farm so much that her mother had a pet mouse delivered to her in a cardboard box.

On leaving school, she wanted to farm, but was persuaded to study domestic science and then trained as a nursery nurse.

Aged 20, she found herself thousands of miles away after answering an advertisement for a nanny for the Director of the Shell Oil Company in Qatar.

She had only been there a few days when she met Richard, her future husband.

Following their wedding back in England, they moved to Brunei where Richard's career took him. They lived in a grass bungalow on stilts with praying mantises dropping from the ceiling into their food.

Soon after their first son was born, they returned to the UK and Mr Knight joined Hoburne Ltd, the family business, where he later became a senior director. The family was quickly completed with a daughter and then twin boys.

After moving to King’s Farm in Sway, where the children grew up with horses, cattle, chickens, dogs, guinea-pigs, ferrets, geese, mice and even a parrot, Mrs Knight began breeding donkeys to sell and at one time had almost 50.

With commoner’s rights, she also bred New Forest ponies and taught her four young children to ride.

As the children grew up, her interest in cattle intensified and she started showing them seriously. She purchased her first Dexter cow in 1977, when the breed was still little-known and from that first cow came her well-known Knightsway herd, which became the top show herd in the country.

People came from 27 counties across the UK when she sold the herd at auction in 2008 for record prices.

Mrs Knight then threw her energies into Canine Partners for Independence as a puppy parent and tireless fundraiser.

Two years ago, when her mobility began to fail, she was given her own Canine Partner – a Labrador called Violet.

She was a full member of the Romsey Show Committee for many years and was elected to be president in September 2010.

Due to a serious accident at the reception party the evening before the show she was unable to carry out her duties, but with her customary determination she made a surprising recovery and became president again in 2012, a first in the 169-year history of the show.

A popular and enthusiastic lady, a treasured friend to many and a much-loved mother to Martin, Pippa, Mike and Tim, and grandmother to their eleven children, she will be sadly missed and remembered always with a smile and admiration.

A service in celebration of her life will be held at Boldre Church on Tuesday, March 18, at 2.30 pm.