Brilliant sunshine greeted the opening of the 58th annual Agricultural Exhibition yesterday boding well for a record turnout this year.

Close to 3,000 people flocked to the first day of the show to see who won what and to admire the best plants, animals, handiwork and culinary skills the Island has to offer.

Traditionally the quietest of the three days over which the exhibition is held, yesterday was the preferred day for school children.

Pre-schoolers also arrived en masse -- brightly coloured groups perching under trees and ambling along in slow, amorphous groups.

But kids of every age were riveted by this year's entertainment highlight -- the Jesse White Tumbling team from Chicago.

"We in society are the winners when our young people are involved in something positive,'' group founder Mr. Jesse White told the audience before introducing his team of lean and muscled tumblers. "We want to keep them growing straight and tall.'' Agricultural Show delights crowd The tumblers, singly and in pairs executed breathtakingly graceful "flip-flaps'', spins and rolls more airborne than earthbound.

At times they appeared suspended in air -- as streamlined and smooth as dolphins.

With every new feat the audience cheered wildly.

Trampoline leaps drew roars and whistles from the crowd as the 14 and 15- year-old athletes from inner city Chicago flew, rolled and spun over the heads of fellow tumblers standing one on top of the other.

"It was awesome,'' enthused one boy afterwards.

Did they inspire him to try tumbling? "I don't know about that,'' was the cautious answer.

Rival attraction was the open air Bobby Hunt Show that also drew large crowds yesterday.

Kids especially were delighted with the toilet style humour verging on the lewd.

Don't try it, Hunt told kids as he popped orange ping pong balls one after the other out of his mouth with accompanying sound affects.

"If I pass gas I could poke someone's eye out,'' he said as kids squealed in horrified delight.

The usual fare of variety show stunts, juggling, balancing and riding a "pygmy bike'' became a framework for jokes at the expense of his "volunteers'', the audience ("I'll only stop if you clap'') and himself.

"What a couple of good-looking kids,'' he remarked, plucking two enthusiastic volunteers from the crowd.

"Yuk'', yelled back a merciless audience.

Nevertheless, hands shot up at each new request for volunteers.

Another hapless young volunteer covered in green face paint found himself spinning a plate on a stick in one hand and a beach ball on the index finger of the other.

"What happened to your teeth?'' the comedian quipped. "Does your mother beat you?'' Nearby, Bamboo, a member of the Beagle Brigade, demonstrated his acute sniffing skills by successfully "pointing'' at the only suitcase of three containing an apple.

The beagles are trained to detect agricultural produce, meat, animals and even soil through suitcases at New York's JFK airport.

Bamboo's trainer Ms Lori Kroft explained why beagles are used for the job.

"They are hound dogs and great sniffers but they also get along with people,'' she said.

It takes six to 12 weeks to train the dogs and their "repertoire'' is gradually increased to include exotic fruits and animals.

Hot dog and hamburger stands manned by charities and clubs were doing a steady trade during the afternoon, as people picnicked on the grass around the main ring and satellite attractions.

Many exhibits reflected the Earth Day theme promoted by exhibition organisers this year.

These included entries by culinary artists from Bermuda's top hotels and restaurants who used flowers and animals to decorate their cakes.

Even bread rolls were shaped as critters in one case.

But the message was best brought out by school educational exhibits that mostly focused on the Earth Day theme of conservation.

St. George's Preparatory students won first prize for their Mangrove study.

The school was also awarded "best educational display by a primary school''.

Recycled ornaments adorned a Christmas tree also by St. George's Preparatory and St. George's East End won a first prize for its display entitled "Fauna in our school's back yard''.

"Overall Government schools creamed the others this year,'' said Mrs. Mary Lodge of the Department of Education.

Particularly impressive, she said, were the efforts of Prospect Primary students who suffered a double set back last year when vandals twice pulled up plants from their school garden near Camden.

The students, who replanted their garden three times, nevertheless went on to win the Curators Cup for best school garden. They also received third prize for their educational display: "What is a frog and what is a toad?''.