One of the highlight’s of my summer calendar is to spend time at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The four day event celebrates agricultural excellence and attracts a sell out audience who snap up all the tickets during the weeks prior to the show’s opening.
The showground covers a whopping 250 acre grassland site with numerous 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 top class activities take place each day.
With 140,000 visitors over four days you might think that there would be huge traffic jams getting into the showground but as the event is so well organised with multiple entrance gates, delays are minimal. Directions to the showground are signposted from the edge of town with large free car parks surrounding each of the gates. The show is open each day from 8.00 a.m. so I’d suggest an early start to make the most of your time as there is so much to see and do. Please note that only assistance dogs are admitted onto 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 fills up another one arrives straightaway. An alternate option is to leave the train at Hornbeam Park and follow the one mile greenway walking route to the nearest gate which takes around 20 minutes.
This year, the Great Yorkshire Show celebrated its 165th year showcasing as always the best of farming, food and the countryside. The showground is so big that it’s almost impossible to see everything in one day. I attended on all four days arriving just after 9.00 a.m. each morning and wasn’t bored for one minute.
With more than 2,000 horses and ponies competing, equine classes have always been an integral part of the Show, and this year was no different, with two new classes introduced. The main ring stages several of the country’s top show jumping events with winners going forward to the Horse of the Year Show in London. I enjoy watching equestrian events on television but there is no comparison to actually being ringside and watching these events take place. Army cadets sit on benches at strategic points ready to dash out to rebuild any of the fences that might have got knocked over in readiness for the next rider to start.
Other highlights in the main ring included the Grand Cattle Parade, scurry driving, the heavy horses and of course the brass band.
The daily spectacle for 2024 was the Paul Hannam Quad Bike Stunt Show who wowed the crowds each day performing jumps, trick riding and doing multiple rolls.
There’s so much on offer that it’s a good idea to study the programme and plan your time and way around the site carefully. Over the week I averaged 18,000 steps each day which was probably just as well with the amount of tempting food on offer that I needed to work off.
Moving on to the animal rings where the finest cattle, pigs, sheep and goats in the United Kingdom compete for prizes, it’s a joy for the entire family. This year the show received over 12,000 entries across 21 sections.
Charles Mills, Show Director said “The Great Yorkshire is where the best of farming, food and the countryside comes together for farmers and the public. Where else could you find cattle alongside the best show jumpers in the country?” Competition was fierce in all classes with the accolade of winning at the Great Yorkshire being huge.
The People’s Choice competition was back for the first time since 2019. People’s Choice traditionally takes place in the cattle classes with exhibitors often in fancy dress and where there is a light-hearted approach to the whole business of describing and judging the cattle. My favourites were the Barbie themed Highland cattle.
Watching the fast and furious sheep shearing competition is always great fun too with the audience getting behind the shearers with much clapping and cheering. Shearers compete in numerous classes from novice to senior and come from as far afield as New Zealand. Farm to Fashion Shows then reflect the journey from sheep to woollen clothes with two fashion shows taking place each day.
Food also plays a huge part in the show every year with one of the country’s largest cheese competitions taking place and judging of yoghurts, honey and cakes to name just a few. There was also a charity cheese auction on the Thursday afternoon to raise money for The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) which provides crucial support for the farming community.
Of course, a show like this wouldn’t be the same without lots of places to buy food and drink, shop for country inspired clothes and gifts and best of all partake of lots of free samples as you stroll around. Naturally, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity of sampling some local gin and the one infused with locally grown rhubarb was a definite hit with me, served with their suggested mixer of dry ginger rather than tonic water.
Next it was a visit to the Great Yorkshire food theatre where celebrity chefs along with head chefs from award winning local restaurants were taking part in 30 minute demonstrations. One had just begun, so I took a seat and watched the experts at work making it all look so easy and inspiring the audience to replicate the dish at home. Best of all, there was a chance to sample the finished dish which was absolutely delicious.
Also in the Food Hall is the Battle of the Butchers where craftsmanship, creativity and innovation is rewarded. This new competition has been organised in conjunction with the Institute of Meat, seeing nine teams of butchers compete to produce the best dishes in six different meat categories.
Over at the Garden Show, flower growers from all over the North East came together to create floral displays for the new bandstand in the Discovery Zone. Garden competition displays were outstanding as always and although we would have all preferred some sunshine, the cool, rainy weather kept the flowers looking fresh throughout the week.
Famous farming faces from the world of TV were to be found on The Vertu Motors GYS Stage where Helen Skelton, Adam Henson, Peter Wright of The Yorkshire Vet and Rob and Dave Nicholson from Cannon Hall Farm were all appearing in chat shows hosted by TV’s Christine Talbot.
Moving on to farm machinery, on display were tractors of every shape and size, cultivators, hay balers, milking machines and, in fact everything agricultural. Visitors are welcome to climb on board some of the cabs which must be every young child’s dream to sit at the helm of a combine harvester.
The Forestry arena hosted heats of the Great Britain Pole Climbing championships. The competitors whizz up the poles so fast, it’s unbelievable. I would probably have just managed the first rung if that in the time they reached the top. In the adjacent Woodcrafts area a monster chipper was at work 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 this year in Harrogate but our spirits remained high and it didn’t matter a jot as we had the best time ever. I hope you have enjoyed my tour of The Great Yorkshire Show 2024.
It was as ever a real celebration of the countryside, food and agriculture, offering something for all ages and I definitely had a gorgeous day, four of them in fact!
If I may have inspired you to experience the show for yourself then it will be taking place in Harrogate, North Yorkshire between the 8th – 11th July next year. I’ve only just returned home but I’m already looking forward to it with the dates firmly in my diary for 2025!
