A record breaking number of cattle, sheep and pigs are entered for the Great Yorkshire Show, organisers have announced.

Andrew Jennings of Ripon's Holstein heifer
was Supreme Dairy Champion in 2006.

With the region's leading agricultural event only weeks away, entries total some 1,122 cattle, 1,738 sheep which are both all time highs, and 350 pigs - one of the highest figures in the last decade. The Show, which is organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, runs from Tuesday 10 - Thursday 12 July and is held at Harrogate.

Honorary Show Director Bill Cowling said: "We are absolutely delighted to have such strong support from farmers across the UK and this re-enforces the fact that the Great Yorkshire Show is regarded as a top agricultural event."

He added: "We are committed to our agricultural roots. As a farmer myself I know that to attract the best, we have to be the best, and looking at our facilities, the standard of our judges and of course the quality as well as the quantity of livestock entered, this is certainly the case. The show provides a first rate platform to see British farming at its best and is a vital link between producer and customer. The prize winning cattle parading in our Main Ring will be the finest in Britain, our sheep show, with its record breaking numbers is a show within a show, and entries in the pig section are excellent. Everything is in place for a first class Great Yorkshire Show."

In the cattle there are individual records in no fewer than five sections - Belgian Blue (61 entries), Charolais (95), Dexters (45), Hereford (81) and Commercial Beef which stand at 157 compared with the 2005 record of 132.

There will be extra prize money in the Charolais section as the Show has been selected as a Breed Promotion Show for the Charolais Cattle Society - the Northern Area Premier Charolais Event of 2007 organised by the Yorkshire & North East Charolais Cattle Breeders Club. Prize money in the Commercial Beef section has increased, and the Championship is the highest it offered at any agricultural show.

In the sheep section, there are record entries in 7 breeds, and the overall total tops the previous record established in 2005 by almost 100 entries (1,738 this year compared with 1,655 two years ago).

Mr Cowling continued: "The sheep section has been growing year on year for the last two decades and is unrivalled in this country. It is a testament to all the hard work of the farmers who bring their stock to show year on year. And the future of showing looks rosy with the popularity of the young handlers' classes for cattle, sheep and pigs which bodes well for future Great Yorkshire Show."

"We are also delighted at the growth in the number of pigs - as we go to press there are some 357 entries across eight breeds. Once again we are delighted to host the final of the BPA's Pig of the Year which will be judged on Wednesday morning by the highly experienced William Gregory of Selby."

Cattle, Sheep & Pig Judging Timetable:

Tuesday
Supreme Beef Championship - judging begins at 4pm

Wednesday
Native Beef Breed Championship - judging begins at 10am
Supreme Pig Championships - judging begins at 9am
Sheep Interbreed Championships - judging begins at 9.30am followed by
Sheep: Terminal Sire Championships - followed by
Supreme Sheep Championship
Sheep: Young Handlers' Classes - 1.30pm
Supreme Dairy Championship - judging begins at 9.30am followed by
Interbreed Dairy Group Championships
Young Dairy Handlers Competition -judging follows dairy interbreed group
BPA Pig of the Year Final - judging begins at 10.30am
Interbreed Beef Group - judging begins at 11am
BPA Young Handlers' Competition (Pigs) - judging begins at 2.30pm


Advance tickets can be bought from the Great Yorkshire Show advance ticket office up to and including Wednesday 4 July. For more details telephone 01423 541222 or see the website at www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk for further details on travelling to the show.

Car parking is extensive and free. There are shuttle buses to and from the Showground from three railway stations close to the site - Hornbeam Park, Starbeck and Harrogate Railway Station.

Ticket prices:
Advance: Adults - £16; Concessions - £13; Children - £7; Family (two adults and up to three children) - £42.

On the gate: Adults - £19; Concessions - £15; Children - £8; Family (two adults and up to three children) - £47.

Tickets are also available through selected Morrison Supermarkets and Tourist Information Centres - please see the web site for details.

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