Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Hilary Benn to attend Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate (From Gazette & Herald)

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Hilary Benn to attend Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate

12:01pm Thursday 9th July 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

ENVIRONMENT, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Hilary Benn is due to attend next week’s record-breaking Great Yorkshire Show.

Mr Benn, who attended last year’s show, will not be the only high-ranking politician at the show. The Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber, Rosie Winterton, will also be there.

Celebrity chefs Rosemary Shrager and Brian Turner will also be attending with demonstrations at the game cookery theatre.

In the showjumping section, no fewer than nine members of the famous Yorkshire-based Whitaker family will be in action.

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, One of the main features of this year’s show is a rare chance to see the ‘Hull and Humber’ – the 68-foot round-the-world clipper yacht sponsored by Yorkshire Forward.

As reported by the Gazette & Herald last week, the show has attracted a record number of entries – 12,189 compared with the previous best of 11,789 set two years ago.

Held at the showground at Harrogate, the 151st show takes place from Tuesday to Thursday and showcases the very best of British agriculture and rural life.

Show director Bill Cowling said: “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.

“As well as offering a superb platform for the farming and agricultural industry, we also give the public the opportunity to learn more about rural life and have an enjoyable day out. The Great Yorkshire Show is one of the premier shows on the English calendar and has such a diverse range of attractions – we genuinely have something for all ages.”

Yorkshire food producers are staging a big exhibition, with scores of trade stands.

Other highlights will include the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s annual awards, and the winner of the 2009 Farming Wildlife Advisory Group Tye Trophy for conservation will also be announced on the Wednesday of the show.

For further information visit www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)