After a long year in lockdown, exhibitors, spectators and organisers are all looking forward to returning to the Great Yorkshire Show as it returns to Harrogate this year, and this time taking place over four days instead of three, for the first time in its history, and with a capped attendance.

The show is set to take place between Tuesday and Friday July 13-16, from 8am to 5pm each day, with tickets to the public sold in advance and already sold out for all four days. Members will have access to all four days as long as they bring their membership card along. Restrictions will be in place to welcome 25,000 visitors per day.

The show has been planned under social distancing measures and is continuing to work closely with North Yorkshire County Council Public Health to deliver a Covid-safe event.

A series of measures to ensure the safety of all have been put into force by adapting the show to use as much outdoor space as possible. There are also various sanitiser points, track and trace and changing layouts to avoid pinch points. Grandstand capacity has been reduced by 30% and there is extra security to disperse any crowding.

While there is a packed timetable of competitions and displays, due to Covid restrictions some areas have changed or won’t take place this year.

There is however, a new woodland trail with demonstrations in the Forestry section and for the first time, there will be demonstrations from Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) on the Thursday morning.

Although there will not be any woodcraft, cheese, rabbits, hives and honey and cheese and dairy competitions this year, there will be displays.

Unfortunately, there will not be a cheese auction and there won't be any fashion shows, or WI Stand, or pole climbing competitions. The Game Cookery Theatre will nevertheless, go ahead as usual.

There is however an abundance of entertainment taking place in the main ring throughout the four days of the show.

“We have always planned a Covid-safe Great Yorkshire Show and we continue to work closely with North Yorkshire County Council Public Health to deliver this with the constantly changing restrictions.

“We are discussing some of the details which may require additional measures to be put in place but we have already adapted the show so that most of it is held outdoors this year,” said Yorkshire Agricultural Society CEO, Nigel Pulling.

Charles Mills, honorary show director added: “We are thrilled by the response to our plans for the show this year in what we know will not quite be normal circumstances and although there are some changes this year, we want to deliver as much of a normal show as restrictions allow.

“We understand there is an element of risk in planning for an event of such scale given the potential for restrictions to change, however we accept this and firmly believe it is well worth planning for the show to take place.

“We know the Great Yorkshire Show means so much to so many people and we want to give them something exciting to look forward to at the end of a testing time for us all,” he concluded.

Timetable of events

Cattle

Tuesday – Commercial beef young stock handlers, dairy and supreme dairy championship

Wednesday – Commercial beef, dairy young stock handlers, dairy maiden heifer, Blythewood dairy pairs, Dairy exhibitor bred pairs and championship, Dairy junior championship, grand parade of commercial beef and dairy cattle

Thursday – Pedigree beef

Friday – Beef young stock handlers, supreme beef championship, Blythewood beef pairs, junior beef championship

Sheep

Tuesday – MV accredited sheep breed classes

Wednesday – Wool fleece classes from accredited breeds, inter-breed MV supreme and pairs championship, wool on the hoof MV accredited, young handlers MV accredited

Thursday – Non accredited sheep breed classes, wool fleece classes from non accredited breeds

Friday – Commercial female championship, inter-breed non accredited supreme championship, inter-breed non accredited sheep pairs championship, wool on the hoof non accredited competition, young handlers non accredited classes

Goats

Tuesday – Milking competitions, goatlings and female kids

Wednesday – Novice goat handler classes

Thursday – Milking competitions, goatlings and female kids – Yorkshire dairy goats

Friday – Novice goat handler classes

Pigs

Tuesday – Modern pig breed classes

Wednesday – Modern pig breed championships

Thursday – Traditional pig breed classes

Friday – Traditional pig breed championships

Equine

Topspec White Rose Ring hosts equestrian classes

Tuesday – Ridden coloureds horses, open working hunters, novice working hunters, working hunter championship

Wednesday – Hunter breeding and youngstock, riding pony breeding and youngstock, ladies side-saddle, ridden maxi cob, riding horses, retrained racehorse

Thursday – Ridden Mountain and Moorland small and large breeds, Welsh A, Welsh B, Welsh C, Welsh D, Dartmoor/Exmoor/Shetlands, Connemara, Highlands, Dales, Fells, small and large breeds championships, overall breed championship

Friday – Ridden show ponies and championship, intermediate show riding type and championship, Cuddy supreme, Show hunter ponies and championship, intermediate show hunter

Ridings Ring hosts equestrian classes

Tuesday – Clydesdales, Shires, Cleveland Bays, Irish Draught – Breeding

Wednesday – Coloured Youngstock, Mixed Mountain and Moorland in-hand, Miniature Shetlands, Donkeys, Dartmoors

Thursday – Mountain and Moorland lead rein, Mountain and Moorland first ridden, Mountain and Moorland mini championship, riding for the disabled

Friday – Shetlands, Lead Rein, First Ridden, Mini Championship, Lead Reid of Hunter Type, Side Saddle Demonstration