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One of my favourite summer activities is to attend 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. This year’s show which took place between 8th – 11th July was blessed with fine weather with hot, sunny conditions each day.  The show is England’s premier agricultural event organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

This year, the Great Yorkshire Show celebrated its 166th year showcasing as always the best of farming, food and the countryside. Although most people just attend on one of the days, the showground is so big that it’s almost impossible to see everything in detail in one day. I attended on all four days arriving just after 9.00 a.m. each morning and not leaving until around 5.00 p.m. and I wasn’t bored for one minute.

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.

The first ever Great Yorkshire Show was held in York in 1838 with the first attendance figures being collected in 1842 when 6,044 visitors were recorded.  Since its early days the show has steadily grown in size with annual attendance now 140,000 over its four days.  The showground covers a whopping 250 acre grassland site with numerous permanent exhibition halls and pavilions that are used for smaller events and functions throughout the year.  At its heart is the grandstand and main ring where a full programme of top class activities take place each day.

A major focus of the Great Yorkshire Show is of the many animals competing, all aiming to become Supreme Champions. Some 8,500 animals were exhibited this year in pursuit of all important prize rosettes.

I began my tour of the livestock to view some pigs being judged before making my way over to the sheep enclosures.  There were so many breeds of sheep to inspect ranging from Blue Texels to Herdwicks.  I stopped to watch a sheep standing patiently on a table whilst its handler gave it a final trim just before entering the judging ring.

I adored viewing all the breeds of sheep at the show with my personal favourite being this Valais Blacknose sheep which I’m sure you would agree is an absolute cutie with its fluffy coat and adorable black nose. The breed’s small black faces combined with soft white fleece earned them the reputation of ‘cutest sheep in the world’, with many doubting on first seeing them whether they were actually real. Accustomed to harsh mountain environments, the sheep are strong and easily adaptable animals. Their Harrogate owner told me that they also loved a stroke so naturally, I couldn’t resist.

Over in the cattle pens, we were treated to the rare sight of a cow with her triplet calves. It was a one in a 800,000 chance of The Barlow Brothers’ Simmental Denizes Trixie-Bell 16 giving birth to triplets. Not only that but she also went on to be awarded the breed championship.

Next, it was over to the Hound rings with beagles and harriers being judged on the Tuesday and foxhounds the following day. I settled down in the stands and watched some of the dogs going through their paces in the ring, with the handlers all looking very colourful in their bright red coats.

Wandering around the showground I watched a drystone wall building display.  These walls are commonplace around the edges of fields in Yorkshire and are held together without the need for mortar.  The structures are stable because of the traditional method used of carefully selecting stones that fit together.  It’s a dying art but one which will hopefully continue.

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.  Taking place on the Thursday afternoon was the annual charity cheese auction to raise money for The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), which provides crucial support for the farming community.

The Food Theatre was located in the same building so I timed my visit to perfection as celebrity farmers Rob and Dave Nicholson of Cannon Hall Farm fame were taking part in a live competitive demonstration. It was really fun to watch and the best bit of course was the sampling afterwards which the audience were invited to try.

I’ve had the pleasure of attending the Great Yorkshire Show numerous times with new things to enjoy each year. This year included something quite unique as I was invited into the press zone to observe a wedding taking place in the Forestry area. It was only fitting that I should attend the actual ceremony as this time last year I was watching the pole climbing competition when Peri Dunford got down on one knee to propose while Mark Jones was 100ft (30m) up in the air during the show’s competition.

Fast forward to this year Peri Dunford and Mark Jones who are both involved in the Forestry section of the Great Yorkshire Show were married in a secluded part of the woodlands accompanied by logging horses Stig and Tyne.

Ms Dunford takes part in the show’s horse logging demonstrations and her working horses served as her bridesmaids for the occasion and with Mark Jones being a regular pole climbing competitor, getting married at the show was their dream venue. Show director Rachel Coates said: “Although this is not the first wedding we have hosted during the show, it is in a unique location which is completely appropriate for a couple with such strong links to our forestry section.  We are honoured that they have chosen this space to tie the knot, and we wish them a long and happy future together.”

After the joyful marriage ceremony I then paused to watch some pole climbing heats taking place close by. It always amazes me how fit the competitors are as they seem to scale the poles in hardly any time at all.

It was then time to slow things down and to enjoy a relaxing break sat out on the President’s Lawn listening to the uplifting music. The showground boasts two bandstands with splendid live music taking place on each of them throughout the four day’s of the show.

There are no end of options when it comes to dining at the showground with street food trucks to food courts and the ever favourite Women’s Institute pavilion, there’s something for everyone. Bringing your own picnic into the showground is permitted and with chilled water stations dotted around the site one can easily refill water bottles.

I’m a big fan of showjumping and so made it to the main ring for each of the horse riding events taking place over the course of the week. The Cock O’ the North showjumping championship took place on the Thursday and provided a nail biting finish to the day in the main ring. It featured three of Yorkshire’s Whitaker showjumping dynasty and last year’s Wetherby based winner among the six in the jump-off against the clock. Final honours going to William Whitaker on Millfield Quickstep.

The second day started a little overcast with the sun breaking through towards lunchtime. I spent part of the morning watching the sheepdog trials. Around 50 top handlers took part in this year’s trials with entries from as far afield as the USA. The trials are organised by the International Sheep Dog Society and showcasing the characteristics of a good working dog is always a delight for the handler, and a pleasure to watch.

I love the flavour of honey so made time to take a look at what was going on in the hives and honey pavilion. An outdoor demonstration was underway as I approached with a beekeeper dressed in full protective gear with the see-through mesh veil giving him a strange appearance.  Viewing was from behind a mesh fence so thankfully there was no danger of getting stung.  It was interesting to learn a little about how the bees make honey and of its many uses. The Best in Show title went to Graham Browster who has a 45-year career in beekeeping. His prize-winning dark honey has also earned him an entry to the National Honey Show but says, “the Great Yorkshire Show is the best of them all” and few could disagree with him.

Shopping is another popular activity at the Great Yorkshire Show with trade stands offering country clothing, footwear, garden furniture and probably everything else you could think of loosely connected with rural life.  In the Country Life pavilion small stands showcased talented artisans and craftspeople from around the country.

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.

Making an appearance in the main ring each afternoon, the Atkinson Action Horses consists of a team of highly skilled horses and stunt riders from the UK. Led by Ben Atkinson the choreographed spectacle thrilled audiences with their high energy, breathtaking, death defying stunt shows.

The stunt team last appeared at the show in 2021, when Ben Atkinson proposed to his wife (then girlfriend) and co-stunt rider, Georgie, during an equestrian act. This year has seen them perform at shows in both the UK and the USA. The team has also provided horses for television shows, including All Creatures Great and Small and Emmerdale.

Well, what a wonderful week we’d all enjoyed at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show. With warm, sunny days in North Yorkshire, the best of farming, food and the countryside was celebrated in style.

Dates for your diaries: The Great Yorkshire Show will be taking place in Harrogate next year from Tuesday 14th to Friday 17th July and will be on sale from November 2025.

I was a guest of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and as always all views and opinions are entirely my own.

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