The search has begun for the new leader of the Great Yorkshire Show and its sister event, Countryside Live.

The show has now become the biggest agricultural event in England and one of the most important in Europe and applications are now being sought for the role of Show Director.

The news follows the announcement that Bill Cowling would step down after this year’s Great Yorkshire. It runs from Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 July and is a major event on the rural calendar, attracting around 130,000 visitors each year and the country’s top livestock to its huge range of competitive classes.

Mr Cowling took on the role in 2005 after around four decades of involvement with the events organisers, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. Nigel Pulling, Chief Executive of the Society said: “Clearly an empathy with and knowledge of farming and the countryside are key factors as well as the drive to lead our flagship events into the future. Under Bill’s leadership our Shows have increased in prestige both nationally and closer to home so it follows that we are looking for someone to not only be the public face of our events, but to lead their further development.”

Mr Cowling said he had set out to do five years of running the show and had done ten and thought it was time to stand down and make way for someone new with fresh ideas. He said being Show Director had been his proudest achievement.

“It is a great wrench, however I have other things to do. It is an absolutely wonderful job, it is so interesting the people you meet and the work you do,” he added.