The best of country life was on show at the weekend as the CLA Game Fair came to Oxfordshire.

Some 144,000 visitors descended on the Blenheim Palace estate in Woodstock for the famed countryside event, which ran from Friday to yesterday.

The show was expected to bring an extra 20,000 cars on the county’s roads but the weekend passed without any major hold-ups – a contrast to three years ago when the fair brought roads to a standstill.

This year organisers spent about £100,000 on plans to prevent congest-ion, including traffic officers, a CCTV network, a helicopter, and opening the Swinford Toll Bridge for free.

Visitor John Brown, 74, from Long Compton, said: “We were warned the traffic would be a problem but it was a dream. It was extremely well organised.”

Grand-daughter Emily Halliday, 14, said: “We love the countryside and it is the perfect atmosphere.”

The outdoors extravaganza featured more than 1,000 exhibitors with visitors treated to activities and displays including clay pigeon shooting and fishing in the palace’s lake.

Harriet Edgell, 36, from Henley, said: “It is the first day of the holidays, it is on our doorstep, and we are having a lovely time.” Husband Piers, 36, added: “We are amazed at what a big event it is.”

Oxford Polo Club coach Chris Davis said: “The game show is an opportun-ity to meet a lot of like-minded people who enjoy country sports and it just seems really popular.”

Graham Payne, 25, from East Sussex, said: “Blenheim is definitely the best site for it. There’s bargains as well – everything is cheap.”

PC Paul Gregory, of the Thame neighbourhood team, brought the Thames Valley Police tractor to raise awareness about an increase in farm crime.

He said: “Agricultural vehicles like tractors and quad bikes have become highly stealable in recent years.”

The Highways Agency expected other high-profile events to bring 200,000 extra people into the county over the weekend with The Truck Festival music extravaganza in Steventon and The Silverstone Classic car rally also attracting a lot of traffic.

CLA Game Fair spokesman Fiona Eastman said: “Inevitably some will have found their journey slower than normal but considering the traffic coming through to this major national event, it never came to a grinding halt and that is a tribute to the traffic plans.”