Harrogate's Great Yorkshire Show: Day 1 round-up

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A wedding, three national championships and a competition to find Britain’s fittest farmer were among the highlights of the opening day of the sell-out Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate.

Peri Dunford and Mark Jones who are both involved in the forestry section, tied the knot a year on from Peri’s proposal to Mark during the pole climbing competition last year. Accompanied by logging horses Stig and Tyne, they were married in the woodlands.

Following the ceremony, Peri said: “It’s been fantastic, everything has been perfect. We can’t thank these guys at the show enough. It’s been so good.”

The couple celebrated their vows with a short drinks reception before getting changed and returning to the forestry section. Peri took part in the horse logging demonstrations, while Mark was getting set to compete in pole climbing. The pair are spending the rest of the week at the show before taking a month off to travel around Iceland and Norway on honeymoon.

Farming minister Daniel Ziechner held talks with members of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Future Farmers of Yorkshire network and visited the field nurse stand as well as a number of farming organisations across the showground.

Prize winners

The first competitive trophy of the show, the Doncaster Cup for the best exhibit in the garden show went to Paul and Chris Turner of Garth Cottage Herbs of Northallerton. Paul said: “Winning is vindication for all the hard work you put in and we do try hard. The Great Yorkshire is ‘our’ show and it is good to win here.”

Television presenter Helen Skelton met Longhorn exhibitor David Blockley of Bradford who was showing his own bull, Southfield Viper, as part of the breed’s national championship.

Farming social media star Joe Seels took on some of the challenges faced by competitors in the Britain’s Fittest Farmer competition. There were three winners: Paul Harrison in the male under-40s heat, Emily Meakin in the female under-40s and Richard Scott in the male over-40s.

There was also a return to the stage for the fashion show, which also featured Joe Seels as well as BBC Radio York breakfast presenter Georgey Spanswick alongside professional models.

A group of organic beef farmers from Germany visited to learn more about the Eggs Port cattle embryo and semen supply and shipping business.

The Ridden Hunter Championship went to Ms J Day’s 24-year-old middleweight bay gelding, Greenhall Treasure Island, ridden by Robert Walker, with Mrs E Trembath’s lightweight gelding, Harbour Master, in reserve.

The best agricultural trade stand award went to Lely Center Longtown, with Ripon Farm Services as runner-up.

The four-day show continues tomorrow, when doors open at 8am. 

You can catch up with our live blog from day one here.