Supreme Champions and the hugely popular Ripon Select Foods Cock O’ the North showjumping took centre stage at the Great Yorkshire Show today as the very best animals were awarded.
There were visits from The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, and Robbie Moore MP for Keighley and Ilkley. Peter Wright of Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Vet was a special guest on the Vertu Motors GYS Stage and in the Garden Show.
Competition was fierce in the show rings, with cattle, sheep, pigs and horses all challenging for the titles of Supreme Champion in their sections.
This year also saw the return of the poultry classes and the Supreme Champion title went to a Blue Leghorn bantam.
For winners, Joe and Paul Heeley, who keep bantam Leghorns and Light Sussex at their farm in Drighlington, West Yorkshire, being able to return to showing was just as important as the victory:
This means everything to us. To be back after such a long spell is fantastic and it’s great to be able to see everyone again. We’ve been showing since 2008 and we won at Countryside Live here in 2019. It’s great to have now won both titles.
We’ve been wanting to win this for years and, being from Yorkshire makes this win mean so much more.
The show’s top showjumping class, the Ripon Select Foods Cock O’ the North, gave the packed Main Ring its usual nail-biting finish with a win for local hero, Richard Howley from Wetherby with HK Horses’ Zodiac Du Buisson Z with treble clears. Richard also took the title in 2019.
The Blythewood Dairy Pairs title in the Main Ring went to a pair of Jersey heifers, Guillyhill Webcam Daisy, owned by Messrs TAML Jackson and shown by Katie Jackson, and Messrs RAM Scott’s Nethervalley Oliver Regina shown by Gregor Brown.
A pair of Holsteins took reserve, with the Coates family’s intermediate cow Bailmoor Bhc Crushabull B Abbiene shown by Ben Coates, and Messrs RAM Scott’s junior cow Clydeview Sidekick Matilda shown by Robbie Scott.
The Dairy Supreme Championship went to Johnny Adamson’s senior cow Ayrshire Swaites Bracken. He said he had decided to come to the Great Yorkshire Show for the first time because he wanted to support the World Ayrshire Federation Conference 2024 which was visiting the show with farmers from Kenya, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and America.
Judge Jonny Lochhead said:
The standard was really high. I felt the champion and reserve made themselves stand out but when you get a cow that has had five calves and comes out looking like that then it deserves a bit more.
The Supreme Beef Champion title went to British Limousin heifer Maraiscole Tangerine, owned by Ian Nimmo of Wishaw, Lanarkshire, who has 120 cows and has been showing at the Great Yorkshire Show for 12 years. It was the second title of the day for Ian who also took the Interbreed Junior Beef Championship with his younger heifer Maraiscole Urprincess.
Judge Boomer Birch pulled out two native breeds and two continentals before making his final decision and said:
The standard of cattle was exceptional. You would have to travel a long way around the world to find such a high standard.
Reserve went to a Charolais cow, Teme Poshtotty, with calf Teme Uptown Girl, owned by Vince Corbett.
The Supreme In Hand Championship saw the culmination of the equine showing classes. Judge Jane Holderness-Roddam pulled six out of the line before choosing Highland mare Perburn Annabella, owned by Mike and Catherine Taylor of Lancashire as her
Champion. Catherine said:
It is beyond a dream. As a breeder you dream it but at 34, you don’t believe you will do it with your first home bred.
Reserve went to Jaki Atrrill’s coloured youngstock winner Willowsway Mr Brightside.
In the sheep rings, both MV and non-MV sheep competed for their own Supreme titles, before going head-to-head in the Overall Supreme Championship. The Overall Supreme Sheep Champion trophy went to a homebred Kerry Hill shearling ewe from Chris Adamson’s Whitfield flock, which beat off competition from more than 3,000 sheep entries at this year’s show.
The ewe, named Whitfield Double Diamond, was first named Supreme Non-MV Champion before taking the top prize.
Chris, from Littleborough in Lancashire, said:
I’ve been trying to win this title for 15 years. It’s absolutely unbelievable to have won – I’m absolutely over the moon.
Ali Jackson’s shearling Suffolk gimmer was named Supreme MV Champion and was also reserve Supreme.
The Supreme Pig Championship was won by Duroc gilt Hazeway Havnbjerg 6, who was also female champion, owned by Hayley Loveless, of Bridport in Dorset
Hayley said:
I’ve been coming probably since I was 10-years-old. It’s good competition, quality pigs.
Reserve went to Jim Farrington of Shipton-by-Beningborough with Tamworth Beechwood Princess 25th.
Ayrshire Heifer Mariscote Tangerine. and Sophie Harvey
The Collins family made it back-to-back wins in the prestigious BPA Pig Of The Year contest, claiming victory with a Welsh pig.
Women butchers Elsie Yardley and Mia Tamburrini from Suffolk were one of nine teams going head-to-head in the Battle of Butchers competition. Heats have taken place each day culminating in a champion announced tomorrow.
Women shearers also took to the stage in sheep shearing today along with veterans and blade. Yesterday saw champions crowned including open shearing champion – New Zealand Shearer Jack Fagan and Yorkshire shearer of the year- Anthony Rooke.
It was a special day for one visitor, Gwen Meggison of Marton-cum-Grafton, who celebrated her 102nd birthday at the Show. Gwen, from a Wensleydale farming family, still lives independently with support from her family and enjoyed watching the equine competitors in action.
Seven students studying for land-based careers at universities and colleges across the north had their efforts recognised in the Best Agricultural Student Awards, while ten people who have dedicated their working lives to farming in the region were recognised with Long Service Awards.
There were talks and debates throughout the day in the Innovation Zone including “Climate and the Environment – Building a Resilient Showground” with YAS CEO Allister Nixon, James Bush from GSC Grays and Paul Brown from Fera Science Ltd.
