ANIMAL exhibitors at next week's Great Yorkshire Show make it look so effortless that visitors could be forgiven for thinking they simply grab their cows, sheep, goats or whatever out of the field, put a halter on, give them a bit of a brush and all's tickety-boo.

Nothing, it seems, could be further from the truth.

Take James Cooper, who breeds pedigree Limousin cattle at Dacre, near Harrogate. His selection process started way back last autumn, when the calves were tied onto their mothers (who were previously already halter broken) and walked around the farmyard.

"We don't do anything else with them then until after Christmas," explains James, who grew up on a mainly arable farm in Lincolnshire but fell in love with the area (and his wife-to-be) while at school in Harrogate.

"Usually, around Christmas time they're ready to get a halter fitted and be tied up for the occasional half hour, and this continues on and off for a few weeks.

"Believe it or not they all have different personalities. Cassius, one of the bulls I'm taking to the Great Yorkshire, took to being led straight away and didn't put up any kind of fight when he was first tied up. He just stood there like an old pro. If only it was that easy with all of them. Some are stubborn, others are flighty. There's a very fine line. They have to know that you are the boss but you have to earn their respect."

Their education continues over the next few months with a full body wash under the pressure washer, coupled with drying by the supersized hairdryer and the clipping of their coats. They are even taken for rides in the trailer to get them used to the sensation .

"Some people will think I'm daft saying this, but I'm convinced they enjoy going out for a ride," says James.

"If ever we stop at a petrol station they'll be looking out of the slits in the side of the trailer. Their ears will be pricked – really interested in what's going on. If they didn't like it they'd let you know. After all, if a ton and-a-half of bull doesn't want to do something, it won't."

It's during April that James likes to make his final selection of which animals are going to be in his team for the coming season's shows. For the last six years he's had the help of Harrogate and District Young Farmers' Club.

"We lay a supper on and they come to practise their stock judging. On one level it's a marvellous rehearsal for the shows for the cattle to have 80 children prodding, poking, laughing and shouting. On a more serious note, some of the more senior members can make pretty astute observations."

This year's team consists of the farm's stock bull, Brontemoor Aceofspades (bought for £9,000 gns at Carlisle Auctions in October 2006) and two young (around 18 months) home-bred bulls called Cassius and Churchill. Two of their female contemporaries, Chanel and Cosmopolitan, also made the grade. Yes, all of last year's stock had to be named with the letter C. All the farm-bred animals are prefixed with the herd name Tomschoice, chosen after his friend Tom who used to help on the farm.

Preparation of the animals is a family affair, with James' 19-year-old son Ben becoming a dab-hand.

"He's been on a gap year where he was working with lions in Uganda and has returned with so much more confidence in handling the cattle," James reveals. His 22- year-old daughter Laura will be returning from Edinburgh University – where she's studying for a master's degree in chemistry – to help with the actual exhibiting.

"She's excellent at backcombing their tails," laughs James.

James' wife Sarah and her brother Martin Wood will be presenting prizes at the Great Yorkshire Show where their family company, Ripon Select Foods Ltd, is one of the sponsors.

James juggles a role as a director with the company with looking after the 60-head of pedigree cattle.

This morning he will be bathing the cattle. This afternoon a group of Irish cattle farmers (over for the show) will be visiting the Cooper family's herd. Tomorrow morning, the cattle will be taken to the showground.

James says: "They'll have a quiet day on Sunday, getting used to their new surroundings.

"Come Monday and they will be taken out for some exercise, a good shampoo and a tidy up of their coats with the clippers. Then there's more general preparation such as cleaning their leather halters, making sure we have the right numbers, and putting any last-minute preparations in their coats to make them shine on show day.

"Tuesday is showing day and it will be a 4am start. Firstly feeding and watering the cattle, then washing, drying and grooming and
a shower and breakfast for myself before final preparations are made.

"By 7.30am the public are starting to arrive and believe me that's what makes the Great Yorkshire. Most years the sheds will be full of people before we start to show at 9am. Farmers are learning to grasp the nettle and answer the public's questions.

"The cattle sheds are also, for me, a shop window. If farmers like what I'm exhibiting there's more chance they might buy animals from my herd."

Wednesday and Thursday bring the popular main ring parades. Will James, who is a council member of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, get to meet the Queen on Thursday? "It would be wonderful," he says. "But it will all depend on timings as the North East Limousin Breeders' Club is running a new stock judging competition."

Although numbers of livestock exhibitors have been hit by the bluetongue restrictions, James is convinced the competition will be as fierce as ever with some of the best cattle, breeders and stockmen from all over the country present.

And the final word?

"You can do all the preparation in the world but they still need that extra sparkle, a certain va va voom, to catch the judge's eye…"

For further information about Tomschoice Limousins, visit www.limousins.com.