THE second day of the Great Yorkshire Show has got underway today, with crowds and exhibitors alike hoping the day stays bright after yesterday's showers.
Highlights today include the cheese and dairy awards and Supreme Sheep Championship.
CLA president Tim Breitmeyer will be chairing an event with North Yorkshire Police about taking back control over rural crime at 11am.
The Red Shepherdess Hannah Jackson will present awards to young sheep handlers, as well as taking to the stage in the Discovery Zone to promote agriculture to teens.
Show director Charles Mills said: "We are thrilled to have Hannah at the show, she is a perfect ambassador for speaking to the thousands of school pupils we have coming to the show about her life as a shepherdess and considering agriculture as a career."
Rosemary Shrager will be cooking up a storm in the Food Theatre over the three days of the show.
At the close of the day, spectators will be treated to an RAF parachute jump at 4.45pm.
11.45am - Tough competition in the sheep championship
This year there were 2,979 sheep entries at the show, which were whittled down to just four for the Supreme Championship.
One of those four was Adrian Helm and Pam Morrish's Teeswater ewe, from Tunstall, near Great Ayton.
Sadly, the couple missed out on the coveted top spot but were delighted with their haul of rosettes.
Mr Helm said: "We have ten breeding females after starting with just two.
"We chose the breed because it is rare and local, and we are incredibly proud to have done so well."
The couple won longwool champion, and five first places, including group of three, best of breed male champion and reserve champion.
12.30pm - Long standing commitment awards
Long service awards have been presented to agricultural workers, who have worked for 35 years or more continuously for the same family, or same farm or estate.
Michael James Bean, the first recipient from Great Burdon Farm, Darlington, has 40 years' service as a farm worker; Todd Conway Walsh, from Brandsby Agricultural Trading Association, Malton, has worked as head of finance for 41 years; David Crane from West Moor Farm, West Harlsey, Northallerton, has 39 years' experience as a craftsman.
Peter Nelson Greenwood has 42 years' service as the resident agent at Newby Hall Estate, Ripon; and Keith Martin Hopwood, also from Brandsby Agricultural Trading Association, has been HGV garage engineer for 42 years.
12.50pm - Guests invited to enjoy the Tees Valley
Enjoy Tees Valley has this week (week commencing July 8) begun showcasing the fantastic activities and attractions the region has to offer by attending the Great Yorkshire Show.
To target would-be sightseers, the Enjoy team have taken the popular flower wall, recently rolled out for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Take That’s Middlesbrough concert, as well as their Tees Valley Mini-Guides which show everything the region has to offer.
It is the latest in a long line of exhibitions attended by Enjoy, which has also marketed the region globally, as an international walking and cycling destination, at shows in Belgium and Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Our region has a wealth of things to see and do, and we need to be shouting about the fantastic attractions that makes the Tees Valley a great place to live and visit.
5pm - Show director Charles Mills
Show director Charles Mills said he was incredibly proud of what everyone involved with the show had achieved this year to make it better than ever.
But he said he was disappointed that farming minister Robert Goodwill MP had made a last-minute change to his schedule, moving his visit from Tuesday to Thursday – clashing with a royal visit.
With regard to the cancellation of pig classes this year due to a health scare at another event, he said it was disappointing but a necessary precaution.
He said: “It has been disappointing for exhibitors who prepare all year to come, and there are people who come here just to see the pigs. But we have to protect the pig industry and the future of the show.
“Animal welfare is paramount to us – it would be irresponsible to allow exhibitors to bring animals that were not 100 per cent fit.”
He said a major focus for the show was to showcase farming and agriculture to the younger generation, with the Discovery Zone, and the new Gen Z area for teens.
Mr Mills said: “If we don’t have young people coming forward then we won’t have people with fresh ideas to sustain the future.
“There will be a lot of changes in agriculture in the next five years.”
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