Support is strong for the Great Yorkshire Show as organisers ‘weatherproof’ the event

Tickets for this year’s Great Yorkshire Show have gone on sale with organisers, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, already planning to make the event as weatherproof as possible.

At least £500,000 has been set aside for measures aimed at ensuring that England’s premier agricultural show does not fall victim to bad weather. Last year the show lost two days after unprecedented wet weather made much of the car parking un-useable.

Chief executive Nigel Pulling, said: ‘We never want to be in that situation again, it was heartbreaking to have to cancel the show, so we’ll be doing as much as we can to maintain what is the country’s finest farming showcase.

‘Groundworks are already underway to put in extra roadways, drainage systems and hard standing around car park gateways. In addition we are looking at acquiring a number of pieces of land to boost our car parking capacity. We obviously can’t control the weather but we will be doing our level best to make the show as “weatherproof” as we can.’

Schedules for the competition classes are currently prepared and applications for exhibition space are being processed. ‘The response from our trade stand holders has been terrific. We’ve already got a waiting list of people who we’re trying to accommodate, around 92 per cent of exhibitors have re-booked, which is a marvellous vote of confidence in the show.’

This will be the 155th Great Yorkshire Show and it will be 175 years since the first Great Yorkshire was held. The discrepancy arrives due to shows being cancelled as a result of animal disease or not being held at all for example during the World Wars.

Visitors to the 2013 show taking place Tuesday, July 9th – Thursday, July 11th at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate,

can enjoy:

o 5,000 of Britain’s finest cattle, sheep and pigs

o 2,000 horses with top class show jumping and equine classes

o Displays by The Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team – The White Helmets

o Food Hall with some of the country’s finest food & drink

o Fashion shows featuring national and regional designers

o Music from a range of bands including The Yorkshire Volunteers Band

o Cookery theatres

o Garden Show with feature gardens

o International sheep shearing competitions

o Demonstrations of country skills – including dry stone walling, fly fishing, gundog training

o Hundreds of stands with plenty of shopping opportunities

Tickets are available either on line - greatyorkshireshow.co.uk or call 01423 541222 or in person from the show’s office at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate. Parking is free and extensive. Free buses will run from Harrogate Railway Station. Dogs, other than assistance dogs, are not allowed on the showground.