Great Yorkshire Show bosses hope for better weather
Organisers of the Great Yorkshire Show are praying for better luck than last year when the event was cancelled because of bad weather.
More than 130,000 visitors are expected to flock through the gates for the three-day show from 11-13 July at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Last year the show was cancelled after day one after unprecedented wet weather turned the car park into a bog, making the area unsafe.
Some £500,000 has since been set aside for measures aimed at ensuring England’s premier agricultural show does not fall victim to bad weather. Car park capacity has also been increased to 5,000 spaces.
Organiser the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS) has tried to make the event as “weatherproof” as possible.
“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,” said Nigel Pulling, YAS chief executive.
“Groundworks are already under way 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 is as ‘weatherproof’ as we can.”
Schedules for the competition classes are currently being 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, about 92% of exhibitors have rebooked, which is a marvellous vote of confidence in the show,” added Mr Pulling.
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.
Among many attractions, show visitors this year can enjoy 5,000 of Britain’s finest cattle, sheep and pigs, international sheep shearing competitions and demonstrations of country skills – including dry stone walling, fly fishing and gundog training.
Tickets are available either online or by calling 01423 541 222 or from the show’s office at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate.
Wet weather in 2012 cost agricultural shows an estimated £243m in lost revenue.