P88 - New attractions in place for this year's event

There are a number of changes and additions to the Great Yorkshire Show which will once again be held over four days.

Following the success of last years Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate which was held over four days for the first time due to Covid-19 restrictions, show organisers have decided to continue with the same format and will take place from Tuesday July 12 to Friday July 15.

Charles Mills, show director says: Last years decision to move to four days and cap capacity was met with an overwhelmingly positive response. It meant we could control visitor numbers much more effectively which led to a much more comfortable experience for everyone at the show.

Although Covid forced the change, this particular change was a real positive one for the show and it is here to stay.

The numbers of people allowed onsite this year will be higher, with numbers capped at 35,000 per day. Tickets are selling fast and they must be bought in advance and will not be sold on the gates so we would advise everyone to get theirs booked now either online or over the phone.

The show will be hosting the delegations of farmers from Europe, Australia, America and Canada as well as all parts of the UK as they attend the Charolais Cattle World Congress and the Shorthorn Breed Society World Congress which are being held in the UK this year and have events planned at the show.
Mr Mills says: We are absolutely delighted to welcome the two World Congresses to the Great Yorkshire Show where they will see the best cattle in the country on display with the finest exhibitors. This is a real coup for us and we are proud to be part of their visit to the UK.
The Shorthorn Congress celebrates 200 years since the formation of its breed register, making it the oldest registered breed in the world. The anniversary will be marked with 200 Shorthorn cattle at the showground. On Tuesday there will be a Dairy Shorthorn celebration parade, the Beef Shorthorn judging and special awards and presentations.
Wednesday evening, there will be a celebration dinner held in the Pavilions of Harrogate and on Thursday the National Show of Dairy Shorthorns will take place.
Guest of honour will be the patron of the Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society and of the Shorthorn Society of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, The Princess Royal.
Sheep entries are at a record high this year of 3,045 the previous record was 2,597 in 2019. The show will also host the Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset Sheep national show as well as the Valais Blacknose Sheep Society breed show with classes being held at the event for the first time.
The British Pig Association Pig of the Year final will once again be held at the show, but there will be no poultry classes due to avian influenza.
For the first time, there will be sheep dog trials taking place twice a day in the main ring with competitors England, Scotland Wales and Ireland. They are being organised by the International Sheep Dog Society and there will be junior and senior semi-finals taking place from Tuesday to Thursday, culminating in a championship on the Friday.

Another new addition is the GYS Stage which will be hosted by Yorkshire television presenter, Christine Talbot in a chat show style with a different celebrity each day. All celebrities will meet fans after their interviews in a meet and greet zone.

Peter Wright from Channel 5s the Yorkshire Vet will be there each day. Countryfile presenter, Adam Henson with appear on Tuesday, JB Gill from the boy band JLS who now runs an smallholding in Kent, will be there on Wednesday, TV presenter, Matt Baker on Thursday and Yorkshire Shepherdess, Amanda Owen on Friday.

The Cheese and Dairy Show has been absent for the last two years because of the Covid pandemic. It will return this year, with a new chief steward, Caroline Bell, who is stepping into the place of her mother, Judy Bell, who sadly died earlier this year and as chair and chief steward had built it up to being a key part of the show, culminating in annual cheese auction which raised thousands of pounds for charity every year.
The cheese and dairy classes will be judged on the Tuesday, with the awards presented on the Wednesday and the cheese auction on the Thursday.

• EVENT DETAILS
  When: Tuesday July to Friday July 15, 2022.
• Where: The Great Yorkshire Showground,Railway Road,Harrogate,HG2 8NZ
• As visitor numbers are capped for this year, tickets are day specific and only available to purchase in advance.
• Members of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society do not need to buy tickets and will have access on all four days but will need to bring a membership card on each day attending.
• Tickets: Adults - 29; children 5-18 13; under 5 free and no ticket needed.
• Tickets can bebooked onlineor by calling the ticket line01423 541222(9am-5pm, Mon-Fri).