New stars, unsung heroes and fresh entertainment gave the last day of the 167th Great Yorkshire Show a fitting finale, as the President’s Handover drew another successful show to a close.
Nick Lane Fox handed over the Presidency of show organisers, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society as Rodrica Straker stepped forward to take over for 2026-27.
Show Director Rachel Coates said:
It has been an incredible four days at the Great Yorkshire Show. We’ve had fine weather, the highest standards of competition and some really thrilling moments. I hope everyone who visited the Show has taken away a little bit of extra appreciation for British food and how it is produced, and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2027.
I would like to thank our outgoing President, Nick Lane Fox for his invaluable contributions over the last 12 months.
The Show’s success really is the sum of all of the contributions made by our volunteers, staff and stewards, and I’m hugely grateful to everyone, including our visitors, who have made this record-breaking Great Yorkshire Show such a wonderful occasion in its 167th year.
Friday’s chat show star Harriet Cowan, who has built up a huge following after appearing in Clarkson’s Farm, was a big hit with visitors, taking to the Ariat GYS Stage to talk about her farming life in Derbyshire, her previous career as a qualified nurse and her newfound fame with TV presenter Christine Talbot.
Harriet, whose partner James’ family run a Simmental herd, visited the cattle lines where she presented rosettes in the Beef Young Handlers class for exhibitors aged 12-14. First prize went to Abbie Jackson-Carr, 13, of Carlecotes near Sheffield, showing Hereford cow, JC1 Marigold. It was a victory backed up by further success at the Show for Abbie, winning the Hereford breed championship with Coley Malan as well as Female Champion.
Harriet also called in to meet the Field Nurse team, whose nurses offer free health checks to farmers and promote simple daily exercises to encourage farmers to take care of their physical health. Harriet had her own blood pressure checked and took a grip test, whilst also meeting Laura Copeland, Coordinator of the Yorkshire Rural Support Network at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
Yorkshire’s Best Young Farmer was crowned at the Show today. The competition, organised by the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, 22-year-old Emily Fretwell of Penistone was announced as the winner on the final day of the Show. The new Award was donated by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
The Margaret Chapman Beef Pairs were the culmination of the Beef Cattle section at the Show. The Native champions were Herefords, with Miss E Hodge’s bull, Rm 1 Blade, and Mr S Hartwright’s cow, Spartan 1 Victoria’s Secret. The Continental pair were British Simmentals, with Mr JHVG Wood’s bull, Denizes Nugget 22, and cow, Popes Princess Lumi.
The Champion Beef Group title went to a group of British Limousin, with AWJ Farms’ cow Whinfellpark Rebecca with calf, and heifers Whinfellpark Verdani, and Whinfellpark Vaila.
In the sheep section, the award for the Overall Pair of Lambs Championship was won by Katie Bachelor who had wanted to have Suffolk sheep all her life having come from a farming family. It is her first championship prize at the Great Yorkshire Show after having started with the flock in 2021.
Katie said:
I am from a farming family and always wanted to have Suffolks. I thought the Blue Texels would win so I am really pleased. It makes a long week worth it.
A pair of Texel sheep proved a hit with the judge when they won the Overall Sheep Pairs Championship. Belonging to Eammon Vaughan of Partridge Nest Farm Texels, in Staffordshire the duo were chosen by judge Mr Steve Smith as the best from a strong competition of pairs from both the Non MV and MV classes, which they won moments earlier.
Reserve pairs champion went to Cheviots presented by the Stones family from Nun Cote Nook Farm in Marrick in Richmond, North Yorkshire. They also won the best Non-MV pair.
While most goats have finished their showing career at nine-years-old, Dalestone Britney is in her prime.
The British Saanen was crowned Best Goat in Show on Friday. Earlier in the week, owner Mark Bond had also won dairy awards with milk and cheese from her.
Three years ago, Dalestone Britney also won Best Goat in Show. Based in Catterick, North Yorkshire, Mark said the win was “extra-special” because of Dalestone Britney’s age.
Mark said:
You always hope you win just once but twice, at nine, is extra-special. She has done tremendously and we are ecstatic.
In the Hives and Honey section there was triumph for retiring Chief Steward Ivor Flatman who took the Best in Show trophy, having also won the trophies for Best Light Honey, Best Mead and Best Comb Honey.
Supreme Champion Beekeeper went to Josephine Anderson, who also took the trophies for Best Miscellaneous Exhibit, Best Honey Preserve and Best Dipped Candles.
In the Junior section, where entries doubled this year, the prize for the best exhibit went to Eme Williams.
After coming second in the finals of the sheepdog trials last year, Michael Longton went one better this year and won it. After qualifiers each day of the show week, the top three from each session made it through to the final on Friday.
Michael, of Lancaster, won with his six-year-old dog, Max who he had bred as a puppy, sold, and bought back. Now he is Michael’s best trialling and working dog and he will be running Max at the World Sheepdog Trials in September.
Michael said:
It is a very hard competition to win here. The sheep are tremendous and there are some great dogs and handlers.
The final competitive section of the show, the Great Yorkshire Pole Climbing championship, saw last year’s winner retaining his title.
Tree-surgeon, Dan Whelan, from Shropshire, raced to the top of the pole in 9.16 seconds. He is a regular competitor in pole climbing contests having been inspired to enter by his grandfather.
As a child, Dan came to the Great Yorkshire Show and watched his grandfather pole climb. He started when he was 65 and did it until he was 85 in aid of Marie Curie, while Dan was going around with collection buckets.
Dan said:
Now my granddad comes to watch me.
Competing is completely different to the job and I love coming to the show and catching up with friends.
There was plenty of Friday entertainment on the sheep shearing stage, where prize-winning choir Knot Another Choir from Knaresborough and there were line-dancing sessions with the Boot Scootin’ Cow Girls from The Dance Studio Leeds.
Next year’s Great Yorkshire Show will take place from Tuesday July 13 to Friday July 16, 2027.
