The Farmers Mart Apr/May 2016 - Issue 45 | Page 19

Great Yorkshire Show The history Don’t miss England’s Premier Agricultural Show! »»THE GREAT YORKSHIRE Show features the best of British farming and is England’s premier agricultural show. Held at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate it gives first-hand experience of agriculture and rural life through demonstrations and exhibitions as well as a ‘not to be missed’ insight into the very latest in the agricultural industry. There are exciting ring displays, the main ring attraction for 2016 is the amazing Bolddog Lings Motorcycle Display Team! More than 1,200 stands with everything from country clothing to combine harvesters should ensure there is something for everyone. Organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), the Show is held each July and attracts around 130,000 visitors over the three days. Dates for the 2016 event are Tuesday 12 – Thursday 14 July which will be the 158th show. The competitive classes are at the heart of the event attracting around 13,000 entries, ranging from prize-winning bulls to poultry to international show jumpers. The large live robotic milking exhibition from Lely, Incorporating 40 cattle near the main cattle wash area will be a big draw - and there are cutting edge fashion shows, cookery demonstrations from top chefs, and the Discovery Zone which is a hive of activities aimed at young people. There will also be delicious regional food and a new food theatre in the new exhibition hall 1 which will contain the Food Show and the Cheese & Dairy Show with hall 2 becoming a Home & Gift Hall. LIVE ROBOTIC MILKING FROM LELY Bound to attract a lot of attention this year will be a live robotic milking exhibition from Lely with 40 cattle providing an opportunity to see how technology is changing the face of modern dairying. In addition, the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society is holding its Summer National Show with around 100 head of cattle expected. HRH the Prince of Wales is the Society’s Patron and is a frequent visitor along with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. Over the years the event has attracted many royal visitors including HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Stars of stage and screen can often be spotted amongst the crowds, as well as Government ministers and leaders of industry. The Yorkshire Agricultural Society runs a number of events at the showground across the year with last month’s Springtime Live held on Sunday 3 April 2016 – attracting the crowds with plenty of hands-on activities particularly aimed at young families. Later in the year, Countryside Live: Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 October 2016 – the Great Yorkshire Show’s little sister event, will take place – you can catch up with the programme in future issues of The Farmers Mart. »»THE GREAT YORKSHIRE Show was born in October 1837 when a group of leading agriculturalists, led by the third Earl Spencer, met at the Black Swan Hotel in Coney Street, York to discuss the future of the farming industry. British Home Stores now stands on the site of the original Black Swan Hotel in York but a plaque on the wall outside records the historical fact that the Society was formed at the Hotel. From that first meeting came the decision to form an organisation - the Yorkshire Agricultural Society - whose aims were to improve and develop agriculture and hold an annual agricultural show of excellence. Thus the wheels were set in motion and the first Yorkshire Show was held in Fulford, York, in 1838. Then, in 1950, the innovative decision was taken to build a permanent showground. The Harrogate site was purchased and its imaginative layout and excellent facilities quickly resulted in it becoming a role model for others. In 1992 the decision was made to remain on the Harrogate site and an ambitious £10m redevelopment programme began. Since then the Showground’s prestigious conference and events venue, the Yorkshire Events Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate have gone from strength to strength. In addition the number of events staged on the Showground year round has increased dramatically - it is now busy 12 months of the year. www.farmers-mart.co.uk Apr/May 2016 19