Huby & Sutton Show returns to Sutton Park with Gentleman Jack filming location as a backdrop

The Georgian splendour of Sutton Park provides one of the most exquisite backdrops of any of Yorkshire’s summer agricultural show season venues and Huby & Sutton Show makes its welcome return on Sunday July 3.

The show organisers of Huby & Sutton on the Forest Agricultural Society enjoy their moniker of being regarded as one of the best village shows in the north of England as it doesn’t overplay their hand, but it is far more than a village show attracting between 3,000-5,000 each year dependent on the weather.

Local arable farmer Graham Sparrow is the new show chairman. Graham said this year’s show will be the first time he has been involved on the show committee, but that he is looking forward to a great show and that many other local people are working to make it even better than ever. He also gave a personal tribute to the man who was regarded as Mr Huby & Sutton Show.

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“I used to come to the show as a kid and always looked forward to it. My uncle, Douglas Sparrow, was on the committee for a number of years and it was our former president Willie Anderson who invited me to come on to the committee and take over as chairman.

Huby & Sutton Show is held at Sutton ParkHuby & Sutton Show is held at Sutton Park
Huby & Sutton Show is held at Sutton Park
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“Willie was such a well-loved man, as a vet with local Tower Vets and had such an incredibly warm-hearted personality, but he sadly passed away in October last year. Willie loved Huby & Sutton Show and in his memory we will be awarding the Willie S Anderson Memorial Trophy for the Supreme Champion in the cattle classes starting this year.”

Graham said that the show is keen to encourage more cattle entries and that the prize money has been increased to attract even more than their already healthy number of 30-40 cattle in classes ranging from commercial beef to Aberdeen Angus and Any Other Native and Any Other Continental.

“We’re wanting to get as many cattle show people here as we can. They are such a draw for the crowds who really do get to know different breeds and what they provide by coming to a show. I’m quite new to the show but I know that if we get even more cattle entries people will love it all the more too.

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“Local Beef Shorthorn breeder Steve Johnson is coming back this year. It is an ideal time for him and others to give some of their teams a run out just before the Great Yorkshire Show, the next show after ours.

“We certainly have no shortage of sheep entries with classes for Texels, Hampshires, Zwartbles, Ryelands, Coloured Ryelands and Any Other Native and Continentals plus rare Breeds & Primitives.

“Geoff Singleton, a local sheep farmer, has been involved with the show for 30 years and another local man Andrew Grainger has just got involved on that side. They have quite a task on their hands with the numbers we attract.”

Barbara Jacobs is a local solicitor and is also chair of Sutton on the Forest Countrywoman’s Association, part of the YCA. Barbara said she has been involved with the show for around 20 years and on the show committee for the past four years.

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“I now help with the marketing side of the show. We are putting out more flyers, putting up more eco-friendly banners and we have younger people who are more clued up with our social media presence.

“We have such a beautiful setting for our lovely show that offers great car parking, but we are also on a bus route from York, which is only 20 minutes away. We have been getting our message out to local hoteliers and the tourist offices that if people are coming to York for a stay that we are only a short distance away and offer a lovely show experience.”

Barbara said the committee has moved with the times over card payment and offering children under 16 the opportunity to come to the show for free.

“At our last show held in 2019 there were many visitors who turned up with no cash. We’ve decided to offer card payment facility - and children under 16 can walk in provided they are with a fee-paying adult. We believe this, plus holding the entry fee at just £10 makes our day very competitively priced.”

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Huby & Sutton Show includes seven rings of horse classes with something for everyone, including Hunters, veteran horse classes, moor and mountain and many more, all run by local horsewoman Darryll Waines.

Barbara said that among the other main attractions this year will be The Hogg Show, vintage tractors and classic and vintage cars.

“The Hogg Show is a stage show of pigs, presented by Tom Hogg who travels all around the country with pigs called Will.I.Ham and Del Boy aka Harry Trotter. It’s fun and educational just the way we want Huby & Sutton show to be.

“We love our show and we are delighted that the Sheffield family of Sutton Park allow us to host it here. It’s a perfect setting.”

Sutton Park, the home of the Sheffield baronets, was used as a filming location in the first series of Gentleman Jack.