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Great Yorkshire Show facts for kids

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The Great Yorkshire Show (GYS) is a huge farming event held every year in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in the north of England. It runs from the second Tuesday of July until the following Friday. The Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS) organises and runs this popular show. It's the biggest farming show in England, though the Royal Welsh Show and Royal Highland Show in the UK are even larger. The show is very successful, bringing in lots of money for the society. For example, in 2016, it made £9.6 million! A new hall, which cost £11 million, opened in 2016 and earned over £1 million in its first year.

History of the Show

The story of the Great Yorkshire Show is closely linked to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS).

  • 1837: The YAS was started. Its main goal was to hold a yearly meeting to show off farm animals, tools, and to help farming in general.
  • 1838: The very first YAS Show happened in Fulford, near York. Many people came, and it was a big success! Police even had to step in to help manage the crowds.
  • Moving Around: At first, the show moved to different towns each year, like Leeds, Northallerton, and Kingston upon Hull.
  • 1842: The show returned to York. This year, over 6,000 people paid to attend. By 1843, people started calling it the "Great Yorkshire Show."
  • Until 1950: The GYS kept moving to different places around Yorkshire.
  • 1915–1919: The show was cancelled because of the First World War.
  • 1920: The GYS teamed up with the Royal Agricultural Society of England for a show in Darlington.
  • 1940–1948: The show was cancelled again due to the Second World War.
  • 1948: The YAS realised it was getting too expensive to set up a new showground every year.
  • 1949: They decided to buy a permanent home for the show.
  • 1950: The last show that moved around was held in Malton. The YAS then bought a site in Harrogate for £16,500.
  • 1951: From this year onwards, the show has always been held at Hook Oval in Harrogate. Nearly 54,000 people visited that year.
  • 2001: The show was cancelled because of an outbreak of Foot and mouth disease in Britain.
  • 2006: This was the most popular show ever, with 135,111 visitors!
  • 2008: The Queen visited the show to celebrate its 150th event.
  • 2012: This show was cancelled after just one day because of heavy rain. The car parks became too muddy and unsafe. This was the first time the show was cancelled due to weather.
  • 2020: The show was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first full cancellation since 2001.
  • 2021: For the first time, the show ran for four days instead of three.
  • 2023: The show introduced a new "Innovation Zone" to highlight new ideas.

The Showground

Great Yorkshire Show Ground - geograph.org.uk - 265052
The showground

The Great Yorkshire Showground is located just outside Harrogate. It's a huge area, about 250 acres, mostly covered in grass. It has several permanent buildings and areas, including:

  • A main grandstand and show-ring where events take place.
  • A Country Pursuits arena for activities like Hound displays and bird of prey shows.
  • A special area for the Flower Show.
  • Another grandstand and show-ring called the "White Rose."
  • Buildings to house cattle, sheep, pigs, and other farm livestock.
  • Large halls for conferences and exhibitions, known as the "Yorkshire Event Centre."
  • Dining and event spaces called "Pavilions of Harrogate."
  • Offices for the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, which is based here.

The showground is used all year round for many different events. These include antique fairs, trade shows, business meetings, and even wedding receptions. About one million people visit the showground every year!

Royal Visits

The British Royal Family has had a special connection with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society since it began in 1837. Many members of the Royal Family have visited the show over the years, and some have even been patrons (supporters) of the Society.

Queen Elizabeth II was the first female Patron of the Society, serving for 45 years from 1952 to 1997. King Charles III has been the Society’s Patron since 1998.

List of Royal Visits

Many members of the Royal Family have attended the Great Yorkshire Show:

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