A Royal Visit Rounds Off 161st Great Yorkshire Show

HRH the Duke of York visited the final day of the Great Yorkshire Show seeing everything from fashion to the latest in farming innovations.

And Show organisers were celebrating terrific viewing figures for the first episode of Today at the Great Yorkshire Show, when 1.6 million people across the UK tuned in at peak time last night. The second part will air tonight at 8pm on Channel 5.

There was also a thrilling end with the prestigious Cock O’ The North showjumping competition ending in a win for jubilant Wetherby rider Richard Howley. A class field saw 11 through to the second round with nine going clear to reach the timed jump off. The packed grandstand roared Richard home clear on Sarah Borthwick’s Chinook in 49.22, beating James Wilson Imagine de Muze on 53.31 and the legendary John Whitaker taking third on 53.40 with Unick du Francport.

The competition came after the traditional President’s Handover which saw Tom Ramsden hand to Charlotte Bromet the new President of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society for the coming year.

Charles Mills, Show Director, said: “We were proud to host HRH The Duke of York today to the Show. It’s been a spectacular three days, with some of the finest animals in the country competing in the judging rings, finishing with an exhilarating Cock O’The North showjumping competition.”

Prince Andrew was presented with a gift by five-year-old Hannah Fox, who attends a primary school near Thirsk. He saw part of the hugely-popular fashion show with clothes from Yorkshire designers showcased on the Kuoni Catwalk in the new-look GYS Fashion Pavilion. This included Sarina Dean, whose fashion firm Galijah is run from her family’s 190-acre farm at Oldstead near York, producing individually hand-crafted tweed capes which are now selling as far afield as Japan and America.

Prince Andrew met two of the region’s leading agricultural machinery suppliers, Geoff Brown of Ripon Farm Machinery and Paul Russell of the Russell Group of Malton.

He watched showjumping in the main ring and met sculptor Emma Stothard who has created the Fodder 10 Hen to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s farm shop and café.

Prince Andrew also visited the Lely robotic milking demonstration before going on to meet renowned chef Steph Moon at the Game Cookery Theatre. The trip finished in the Military Village, where he met members of the Yorkshire Regiment.

Another high-profile visitor today was Farming Minister Robert Goodwill who attended the show to meet exhibitors and farmers, seeing the NFU and CLA stands as well as the cattle lines and the food hall.

In the equine section was the prestigious Cuddy Supreme In Hand Championship Qualifier which 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. Reserve went to Mrs J Day of Cheshire’s three-year-old hunter gelding, Greenhall Treasure Island, shown by Robert Walker.