She attended her first Tockwith Show nearly six decades ago, and now Dee Alton has been announced as its new president.
Dee went to the show for the first time in 1959, when she rode a pony called Silver belonging to local breeder, Miss Machin. Tockwith Show now has its permanent ground on the very site of Miss Machin’s stud farm.
Dee said:
Sixty years after I rode Miss Machin’s pony at Tockwith Show, I am honoured to be the president of ‘the greatest little show in Yorkshire’ and I will try to support the event to the best of my abilities.
At the recent AGM of the Tockwith & District Agricultural Society, Dee was elected for the 2018/19 year and presented with the ‘ceremonial crook’ by outgoing president Fiona Harris.
Dee said:
Fiona has been a brilliant president and is going to be a hard act to follow.
Each year, the new show president nominates a chosen charity, and Dee will be supporting Cancer Research UK.
“Both my parents died from cancer, and I suspect that most of us in our villages have been affected in some way by the disease,” she said.
“I am hoping to organise a progressive coffee event and a summer barbecue to raise funds for the charity, and to spread friendship throughout our community.
Outgoing president Fiona Harris said:
I know Dee will be a fabulous president and I hope she enjoys the role as much as I did. My year has been amazing and, as always, the support from the committee has been superb.
It was delightful on the day to meet regular show attendees, family, friends and prize winners, but the greatest pleasure was speaking to those that hadn’t visited before and who’d had such a wonderful day that they’ll be coming back next year.
Fiona thanked everyone who had helped her raise an amazing £4,743 for her chosen charity the British Heart Foundation, through donations as well as a variety of events including a car boot sale, cycle ride from Bramham to Bridlington, quiz night, Pilates classes and a charity auction at Tockwith Show itself.
