Another Successful Year!
The Great Yorkshire Show 2008

The 150th Great Yorkshire Show proved to be a resounding success with both the gate figure competitive entries amongst the highest in the events history. Some 126,376 visitors attended the regions largest annual countryside event. The figure was one of the highest of the last decade. The record of 135,111 was established in 2006.

Crowds flocked to the Showground at Harrogate over the three days (Tuesday 8 Thursday 10 July) with the highlight being a visit by HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Show Director Bill Cowling, who escorted the Queen during her visit, said: We have had an excellent show and it was a real honour, not just for the show but for Yorkshire, to have a visit from the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. They spent five hours with us and thoroughly enjoyed their stay. They were able to get a real sense of the regions agriculture and our heritage generally. It was clear that they have genuine interest and empathy with country life, and that showed throughout the day. The 2008 Show has been hugely successful and were now looking forward to next year.

The royal couple toured the Showground separately in the morning. The Queen toured the show rings, seeing cattle, sheep and equestrian exhibitors as well show personnel. She then unveiled a plaque at the site of the new Regional Agricultural Centre. Meanwhile, he Duke of Edinburgh visited the Renewable Energy area and Education zone as well as the machinery lines, chatting to exhibitors. After lunch, the Royal couple watched the judging of main equestrian class - the Cuddy Supreme Championship and then the Parade of Cattle in the Main Ring before leaving the Showground.

The weather stayed predominantly dry throughout the three days, though heavy rain on the Wednesday night forced the cancellation of some equine classes on the Thursday. The crowds made the most of the many attractions, including the hundreds of trade stands, enjoying music from the Black Dyke Band and watching horse master Lorenzo in the Main Ring.

The winner of the Hornbeam Park Cock o the North Championship, the culmination of shows show jumping classes, was Laura Stephenson of Keighley on Harvey Smiths Sultano whilst Mrs Enid Lord of Preston, Lancs. took the top equestrian title - the Cuddy Supreme In-Hand Championship.                                              

In the cattle classes, this years Individual Interbreed Beef Champion was a beef shorthorn, Cairnsmore Thrasher, from Mark Holmes of Wolverhampton. The six-year old bull also took the Native Breed award. The Supreme Dairy Championship was won by an Ayrshire, Sandyford Clover 10, bred and shown by Mr Blaise Tomlinson of Loughborough.

The Pig of the Year Award went to Chris Impey of Mid Glamorgan with a year-old Berkshire gilt, Fairoaks Farwell 18, while the Supreme Sheep was a British Charollais, Sulwood Gracious Lady, bred and shown by Geoff Watson of Kettering, Northamptonshire.

The Flower Show boasted a stunning display of arrangements, from arrays of local produce to a Peter Rabbit themed entry in the new Small Gardens competition. The inaugural winner of this contest was Askham Bryan College of York with their Urban Life display, while both the Millennium Best in Show Award and the Best Exhibit Excluding Roses prize went to the National Farmers Union.

The prestigious Tye Trophy, organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and the Farming and Wildlife Group (FWAG) was won by Mr Michael Willoughby of the Birdsall Estate near Malton, North Yorkshire. The trophy recognises the contribution of farmers in the region to wildlife conservation and environmental protection.

The title of Yorkshire Fashion Idol 2008 went to Ryan Heard of Huddersfield with an outfit inspired by Victorian coal miners and the Industrial Revolution. His outfit was modelled on the catwalk in the Skipton Building Society Fashion Pavilion along with stunning clothing from a number of designers and fashion students. Hannah Custance of Huddersfield won the Yorkshire Fashion Idol Designer of the Day award on the Tuesday, while Hayley Foster of Shipley was Wednesdays Designer of the Day.

Dates for next years Great Yorkshire Show are Tuesday 14 Thursday 16 July 2009.