Finishing touches – Making sure the Main Ring is perfect for next week’s Great Yorkshire Show is Honorary Show Director Bill Cowling with groundsmen Jonny Richardson, left, and Marc Harris.
With just days to go until the 2009 Great Yorkshire Show, the finishing touches are being carried out to ensure the Showground looks as good as possible.
Hundreds of farmers, traders and exhibitors – not to mention thousands of animals – will converge on the Showground in Harrogate this weekend, ready to welcome the crowds on Tuesday 14 July.
The Main Ring is a focal point of the Show, hosting the showjumping competitions and main displays. Honorary Show Director Bill Cowling is on hand in the final countdown to help make sure everything looks just right.
“Everyone works hard to get the Showground ready each year – it’s a major operation,” he said.
“With only a few days left until we welcome this year’s visitors, we’re all happy to pitch in and make sure everything gets done. We’re a showcase for farming and agriculture in Yorkshire, so of course it’s important we get it right.”
Along with top-class international showjumping, which culminates on the Thursday afternoon with the prestigious Ripon Select Foods Cock o’ the North championship, there are hundreds of trade stands and thousands of animals, demonstrations of rural crafts, mouth-watering arrays of regional food and drink, fabulous floral displays and the chance to get hands-on with countryside activities.
This year is a record-breaking show, with more entries in competitive classes than ever before – 2009 sees a total of 12,189 entries compared with the previous best of 11,789 two years ago. The variety of classes ranges from driving four-in-hand coaches to honey, poultry, dairy and the backbone of the event – the cattle, pig and sheep sections.