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One of the highlights of my summer calendar is spending time at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The four-day event celebrates agricultural excellence and attracts spectators who buy up all the tickets during the weeks leading up to the show’s opening.
The showground covers 250 acres of grassland, with several permanent exhibition halls and pavilions that can be used for smaller events throughout the year. At its heart is the grandstand and main ring, where a full programme of great activities takes place every day.
With 140,000 visitors over four days you might think there would be huge traffic jams getting into the showground but because the event is so well organised with multiple entrances delays are minimal. Directions to the showground are signposted from the edge of town and there is large free car parking around each gate. The show opens from 8am each day so I would suggest starting early to make the most of your time as there is plenty to see and do. Please note that only assistance dogs are allowed into the showground. For visitors using public transport a free shuttle bus operates from outside Harrogate railway station which works really well as when one bus is full another comes straight on. An alternative option is to leave the train at Hornbeam Park and walk the one mile greenway
This year, the Great Yorkshire Show celebrated its 165th year, showcasing the best of farming, food and the countryside as always. The showground is so huge that it is almost impossible to see everything in one day. I attended all four days, arriving just after 9am each morning and wasn’t bored for a minute.
With over 2,000 horses and ponies competing, the equestrian classes have always been an integral part of the show, and this year was no different, with two new classes introduced. The main ring hosts many of the country’s top show jumping events, with the winners progressing to the Horse of the Year Show in London. I love watching equestrian events on television, but nothing compares to sitting ringside and watching these events take place. Army cadets sit on benches at strategic points, ready to rebuild any fences that may have fallen down before the next rider starts.
Other attractions in the main ring included the Grand Cattle Parade, Scurry Driving, Heavy Horses and of course the Brass Band.
The daily spectacle for 2024 was the Paul Hannam Quad Bike Stunt Show, which astonished the crowds each day with jumps, trick riding and multiple rolls.
Paul Hannam Quad Bike Display Team
There is so much on offer that it is a good idea to study the programme and plan your timing and route around the site carefully. Over the week I averaged 18,000 steps a day which was probably as good as it could get with the amount of tempting food on offer that I needed to down.
Heading to the animal rings, where the United Kingdom’s finest cattle, pigs, sheep and goats compete for prizes, it’s a delight for the whole family. This year the show received over 12,000 entries across 21 classes.
Show Director Charles Mills said: “Great Yorkshire is where the best of farming, food and the countryside come together for farmers and ordinary people. Where else can you find cattle alongside the best show jumpers in the country? The competition was fierce in all classes and the pride of winning in Great Yorkshire was huge.”
The People’s Choice competition is back for the first time since 2019. The People’s Choice traditionally takes place in the cattle section, with exhibitors often in fancy dress and where the whole act of describing and evaluating the cattle is done in a light-hearted manner. My favourite was the Barbie themed Highland cattle.
The fast and furious sheep shearing competition is always great fun to watch, with spectators standing behind the shearers cheering and clapping. Shearers compete in a range of categories from novice to senior and come from as far afield as New Zealand. The Farm to Fashion Show shows the journey from sheep to woollen clothing, with two fashion shows each day.
Food and drink also plays a key role at the show each year, with the country’s biggest cheese competitions and judging of yoghurt, honey and cakes. There’s also a charity cheese auction on Thursday afternoon to raise money for The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), which provides vital support to the farming community.
Of course, a show like this wouldn’t be complete without plenty of places to buy food and drink, country-inspired clothing and gifts and, best of all, plenty of free samples as you wander around. Naturally, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sample some local gin and I definitely loved the gin made from locally grown rhubarb, which was served with their suggested mixer of dried ginger instead of tonic water.
This was followed by a visit to the Great Yorkshire Food Theatre where head chefs from award winning local restaurants as well as celebrity chefs were taking part in 30 minute demonstrations. One demonstration had just started so I took a seat and watched the experts in action, making it look so easy and inspiring the audience to replicate the dish at home. The best part was getting the chance to sample the finished dish which was absolutely delicious.
The Food Hall also features the Battle of the Butchers, which rewards craftsmanship, creativity and innovation. This new competition is held in conjunction with the Meat Institute, in which nine teams of butchers compete to create the best dishes in six different meat categories.
At the Garden Show, flower growers from across the North East came together to create a flower display for the new bandstand in the Discovery Zone. The Garden Competition displays were spectacular as usual and although we all loved a bit of sunshine, the cool, rainy weather kept the flowers fresh all week.
Famous agricultural faces from the world of TV could be seen on the Vertu Motors GYS Stage, where Helen Skelton, Adam Hansen, Peter Wright of The Yorkshire Vet and Rob and Dave Nicholson of Cannon Hall Farm all appeared on the chat show hosted by TV’s Christine Talbot.
Talking about agricultural machinery, tractors of all shapes and sizes, cultivators, lawn mowers, milking machines and everything related to farming were on display here. Visitors are welcome to climb into some of the cabs, it is every little kid’s dream to sit on top of a combine harvester.
The Forestry Arena hosted the heats of the Great Britain Pole Climbing Championships. The competitors climb the pole so quickly it’s unbelievable. If they took that long to get to the top I would probably only have touched the first step. In the adjoining woodcrafts area a giant chipper was working for all to see and in the nearby marquee visitors could try their hand at leaf painting.
The sun may not have shone for us in Harrogate this year but our spirits remained high and it didn’t matter as we had the best time ever. I hope you enjoyed my tour of The Great Yorkshire Show 2024.
It was as usual a real celebration of the countryside, food and farming, with something for all ages and I certainly had a great day, in fact four people had a very good day!
If I’ve inspired you to experience the show yourself it’s taking place in Harrogate, North Yorkshire next year from 8-11 July. I’ve only just returned home but I’m already looking forward to it and have the 2025 dates in my diary!
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The Three Counties Show, Malvern
I was a guest of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and, as always, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
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