While many farmers are only just recovering from a highly successful Royal Highland Show, a good number are also gearing up for their next big outing – The Great Yorkshire which, similar to the Ingliston event, is also synonymous for attracting top quality livestock.

This year's event – the 159th – kicks off on Tuesday, July 11 until Thursday July 13th, at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, and has again attracted a bumper line-up of stock to include the usual array of beef and dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses, but also poultry, beagles, foxhounds, working terriers, rabbits and harriers.

In addition, the Charolais Cattle Society is staging its National Show, while the prestigious Pig of the Year award will again be up for grabs.

In all, some 8500 head are expected in the livestock and equine classes, which will this year also see horse riders benefit from a £70,000 upgraded Olympic standard all-weather surface that could enable the show to host international events in future.

Head to the machinery lines and farmers will be able to see the latest in agricultural technology, from tractors to combines and every farming implement in between.

There are big celebrations for Fordson too which is commemorating it's 100-year anniversary with a range of agricultural machinery dating back to 1917 and across the years on display on the President's Lawn.

And for those who aim to see beyond the stock and machinery, their is a wealth of main ring attractions and hands on activities. These include daily displays, stunts and tricks from debut performers, Atkinson Action Horses from East Yorkshire whose TV stunt horses have appeared in Poldark, Victoria and Peaky Blinders.

Also in the main ring, military parachute display team RAF Falcons, based at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, will jump from the skies in their Great Yorkshire Show debut on the Tuesday at 12.35pm

Over at the fashion pavilion, there’s everything from John Lewis to James Steward to fashion students to Brook Taverner who is behind Yorkshire Agricultural Society tweed jackets. For the first time ever, the fashion show will raise money for Yorkshire Cancer Centre in Leeds as a thank you for its support for a team member.

Tuesday will see famous faces from the world of sport and TV take to the stage in a special one-off fashion show at 2.30pm. Four fashion shows a day are organised – 11am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm and 4pm – and all the action will be on Twitter, join in the conversation using #GYScatwalk.

Additional famous guests across the showground include Rosemary Shrager who will cook up a storm in the Food Theatre (Hall 1) and the Game Cookery Theatre every day. BBC gardening expert Carol Klein will also give talks in the Garden Show on Thursday.

Film crews will be at the event following the lives of some of the guests including the Yorkshire Vets who are filming a Great Yorkshire Show special with Julian Norton and Peter Wright. The public can meet their heroes at a special meet and greet stand at the entrance to the Home and Gift Hall and the hour-long Yorkshire Vet at the Great Yorkshire Show will be broadcast early October.

And the documentary “From Skye With Love” will see a crew follow Scottish Aberdeen-Angus competitor, Donald Rankin from North Skye, as he enters his cattle which have achieved success at several shows throughout Scotland, already this year.

Rugby AM and Leeds Rhinos TV will bring rugby stars to the show for the first time ever, many of whom are from farming families.

Add to that international shearers who go head to head in a thrilling England v New Zealand Sheep Shearing “Test Match” which takes place on Wednesday and there is more than enough to see and do. Representing England are Adam Berry, Dean Nelmes and Anthony Rook who go head to head against the current world champion Johnny Kirkpatrick and Rowland Smith who have flown in from New Zealand to compete.

For those looking to get more hands on, visitors can take a virtual pig tour every day (11am and 2pm) with sisters Vicky Scott and Kate Moore who run a family pig farm in East Yorkshire. Their indoor breeding unit at Pockthorpe Hall, near Driffield, houses 1700 sows while their outdoor unit at East Knapton is home to 1200 outdoor sows.

For the second year in succession, there will be live robotic milking too at the Lely stand where visitors will for the first time also be able to see calves being trained to feed on an automated calf feeder. A revolutionary robot designed for solid floor cleaning called Discovery 120 Collector will also be showcased.

This year, brother and sister duo, Edward and Victoria Goodall, Scarcroft, Leeds, will have 40 Holsteins forward that will be milked through a Lely robot in a shed close to the cattle lines.

The Great Yorkshire Show is a family affair for many including the Prest family who have clocked up more than 150 years stewarding the sheep section. There’s also a family of pole climbers heading for the show this year when Great British champion Daniel Whelan competes with girlfriend Emma Cakebread and grandad, 84-year-old George Tipping who has been the oldest competitor for many years!

Charles Mills, show director said: “We have such an exciting and eclectic mix of displays and demonstrations, seminars and shows, we can’t wait to welcome visitors again this year. Agriculture remains at the very heart of the Great Yorkshire Show and while we endeavour to showcase the very best of rural life, we try to do this in an interesting, fun and memorable way.

Ticket prices include: £28.00 per adult at the gate, or £24.00 in advance; students with student ID, £20.00; children (age 5-18) £14.00 or £11.00 in advance and family (two adults and three children £70.00 or £59.00 in advance. Car parking is free of charge.