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14
Jul
Here's what happened on the first day of the 2026 Great Yorkshire Show
Britain’s best livestock and cutting edge agri-technology were bathed in sunshine today for the opening day of the 167th Great Yorkshire Show.
The four-day event is always sold out, and this year a record-breaking 150,000 visitors are expected to attend the show, which closes on Friday (July 17).
TV stars Kelvin and Liz Fletcher joined the show this morning as celebrity guests, attracting huge audiences for chat shows with TV presenter Christine Talbot at the Ariat GYS Stage, where they talked about their life on the family farm, as documented in the popular ITV series Fletchers on the Farm.
Celebrity farmers Kelvin and Liz Fletcher tried their hand at spoon-carving.
Kelvin and Liz visited the Woodcraft section, which has a record 436 entries this year. They both tried their hands at spoon-carving under the expert eye of exhibitor Mike Craig, before they took to the sheep rings to present rosettes, including to class winners Peter and Susanne Addison from Mickleton, Co Durham, with their Zwartbles ewe.
Livestock judging
Some 8,500 animals will be exhibited in pursuit of prize rosettes over the fourdays, and the show hosts two national livestock shows this year, for Zwartbles sheep today and Charolais cattle tomorrow.
The Zwartbles National Championship went to a shearling ewe owned by Mrs H Jackson from Dumfries, with an ewe from Peter and Susanne Addison in reserve.
The zwartbles sheep being judged.
Trophies
The first competitive trophy awarded at the show was Doncaster Cup for the Best in Show at the Garden Show, which went to Harden Clough Nursery of Bolton-by-Bowland in Lancashire.
Ann Rycroft of Harden Clough said:
We came to show the type of garden we can create for everybody. It was a fantastic acknowledgement of the work of the whole team. To come away with a Gold Medal was brilliant but then to win Best Nursery and Best in Show was amazing.
Ann Rycroft of Harden Clough Nursery, which won this year's Doncaster Cup.
Entries were up by 140 in the pigeon section, with nearly 500 birds vying for the Supreme Pigeon title. Chief steward Keith Robson said the standard was also exceptionally high, and the title went to Sean Morrow of Durham with a four-year-old English Long Faced Tumbler hen.
Sean, who has 800 fancy pigeons, said it was only the second time he had won in 40 years of exhibiting at the show.
Sean Morrow and his prize-winning pigeon.
The Ridden Hunter championship was won by Robert Walker with Ms J Day’s Full Cry. In reserve was Mrs S Tennant’s Waterfall.
Apart from the animals...
A new Wildfire Response Team which will provide additional assistance in emergency response to wildfires across the northern uplands was at the Show to share its plans. The new charity, supported by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, was set up following last year’s fires which devastated Langdale Moor on the North York Moors.
The much-loved Fashion Show returned with twice-daily shows at the Ariat GYS Stage. Models took to the catwalk in examples from eight brands, all of which are available at the show.
More people are expected to come to the show this year than ever before.
The Innovation Awards showcased some of the latest technology for agriculture, and the Overall Award went to Bennamann for its scalable solution to upgrade biogas produced on farms into transport-grade biomethane fuel. Its Biocycle upgrader can output 140,000kg of biomethane annually, with 1kg being similar to 1l of diesel and can be seen in the Agri-Innovation Village all week.
Bennamann chief executive Mike Simpson said:
This is a win for renewable energy in the UK and it really supports the UK strategy towards energy security.
Victoria Atkins MP, shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, with Dom Cuthbert in the Innovation Village.
Best Agricultural Trade Stand was won by Lely Center Longtown, which supports farms across the North with robotic technology.
The RABI/Yorkshire Agricultural Society Outstanding Contribution Award went to a farmer whose work has helped bring greater visibility and understanding to modern farming. Tom Carlisle, known as The Dales Farmer, is a farmer, educator and advocate. Working in the Yorkshire Dales, Tom has built a significant audience by sharing the realities of day-to-day agricultural life, offering an honest and accessible insight into the challenges, responsibilities and rewards of farming.
The heavy horses were also in the ring today.
Eight retiring stewards and other supporters were recognised in the Yorkshire Agricultural Society Awards for their outstanding contributions to making the show a success. Among them was show photographer Kate Mallender, who is in her 34th year of capturing the show.
Rachel Coates, show director, said:
We have had a tremendous start to the show, with so much for visitors to see and experience.
We have enjoyed seeing our first winners crowned in classes for everything from pigeons to pigs, and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors again tomorrow and for the rest of the week.
Free shuttle buses are operated by the Harrogate Bus Company every day of the Great Yorkshire Show. The buses run every 10 minutes from Harrogate bus station to the showground’s White Gate, starting at 7.20am. The last bus departs the showground at 7pm.
All images courtesy of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
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