TELEVISION stunt horses, military parachute displays and thousands upon thousands of farm animals are set to herald the return of The Great Yorkshire Show.

The event - which attracts about 130,000 people - will run from Tuesday to Thursday.

Agriculture remains firmly at the heart of the event and as well as the thousands of cattle, sheep, pigs, pigeons and ponies expected, the Charolais Cattle Society is holding its Summer National Show at the event, with around 75 cattle expected.

For those with a passion for farm machinery, the Ford and Fordson Association is celebrating the 100th anniversary of tractor production with a large display of machinery on the President’s Lawn.

This includes early Ford and Fordson tractors spanning through to the current New Holland range supplied by Russells.

Meanwhile, Atkinson Action Horses from East Yorkshire whose TV stunt horses have appeared in Poldark, Victoria and Peaky Blinders, will make their debut and perform stunts and tricks in the main ring every afternoon.

They will be among the first users of the newly revamped Collecting Ring, which has seen the Yorkshire Agricultural Society invest £70,000 to improve conditions under the direction of Olympic show jumping legend Graham Fletcher.

Also in the main ring, military parachute display team RAF Falcons, based at RAF Brize Norton, will jump from the skies in their Great Yorkshire Show debut on Tuesday at 12.35pm.

In the fashion pavilion, there will be everything from fashion students to Brook Taverner, who is behind Yorkshire Agricultural Society tweed jackets.

The show will also welcome familiar faces from television with guests including Rosemary Shrager who will cook up a storm in the Food Theatre and the Game Cookery Theatre every day, while BBC gardening expert Carol Klein will give talks in the Garden Show on Thursday.

Film crews will also be onsite following the exploits of some of the show’s guests including the Yorkshire Vets who are filming a Great Yorkshire Show special with Julian Norton and Peter Wright.

Charles Mills, show director is looking forward to the action.

He said: “We have such an exciting and eclectic mix of displays and demonstrations, seminars and shows, we can’t wait to welcome visitors again this year.

“Agriculture remains at the very heart of the Great Yorkshire Show and while we endeavour to showcase the very best of rural life, we try to do this in an interesting, fun and memorable way.”

The show runs at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7.30am to 7.30pm and on Thursday from 7.30am to 6.30pm.