Near record year for Great Yorkshire Show as visitor numbers revealed

Visitor numbers at this year's Great Yorkshire Show were just shy of an all-time record, it has been revealed, making it one of the biggest in its 161-year-history.
By Ruby Kitchen
Published 12th Jul 2019, 17:04 BST
Updated 12th Jul 2019, 18:04 BST
Visitors on the Presidents Lawn, the bandstand and the cattle parade in the main ring at the Great Yorkshire Show. Picture Tony Johnson.Visitors on the Presidents Lawn, the bandstand and the cattle parade in the main ring at the Great Yorkshire Show. Picture Tony Johnson.
Visitors on the Presidents Lawn, the bandstand and the cattle parade in the main ring at the Great Yorkshire Show. Picture Tony Johnson.

A total of 135,095 attended the event at the Harrogate showground over the course of three-days this week, just 16 shy of the record set in 2006.

And as entries reached a peak across sections including cattle classes, sheep shearing and hives and honey, jubilant show organisers have spoken of their delight.

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“I was so proud to see each section looking great," said show director Charles Mills.

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"The competitions were exhilarating, the entertainment, the visitors which spanned every generation – I think the show just keeps getting better and better, and the attendance numbers really reflect this.”

Among the highlights of the Great Yorkshire Show 2019 were the prestigious Cock O’ The North showjumping in the Main Ring, which ended in a win for Wetherby's Richard Howley.

Guest star was HRH The Duke of York, while there were further attendances from Farming Minister Robert Goodwill and Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay.

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And sporting soprano Lizzie Jones rounded off the show by performing in the Main Ring before the traditional President's Handover, which saw Tom Ramsden pass the baton to Charlotte Bromet to lead the Yorkshire Aguricultural Society for the coming year.

Final numbers have now been confirmed for some of the record-breaking classes, with 1,247 entries across beef and dairy, 2,597 sheep entries, 241 in sheep shearing and 801 in hives and honey.

In the equine section was the Cuddy Supreme In Hand Championship Qualifier was won by home-bred Dartmoor broodmare Springwater Anna with foal at foot, owned by Mr and Mrs PD Tyler of Thirsk and shown by daughter Katie Mickle.

The Great Yorkshire Show Supreme Beef winner was a British Simmental from High Heath Farm, Hertfordshire. The Supreme Dairy winner was Jersey Saxown Precision Cash 89 owned by the Saxby family from Bawtry, South Yorkshire. The Supreme Sheep winner was a Dutch Spotted Sheep owned by Ali Jackson from Annan, Scotland.

The 162nd Great Yorkshire Show will be held on from July 14 to 16 next year.

Related topics:Stephen BarclayRobert Goodwill