New manager of Yorkshire Agricultural Society is named

Following this year’s Great Yorkshire Show, which is organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), David will join the YAS CEO, Allister Nixon, and new Show Director Rachel Coates to ensure the Great Yorkshire Show remains exciting and relevant to visitors and a mainstay in the national events calendar.

However, despite their new posts, both men have committed to delivering their own shows before leaving as the Great Yorkshire Show is taking place between July 9 and 12 and Driffield Show is on Monday July 17.

The role with YAS will see Mr Tite working with Mr Nixon on new opportunities and initiatives to drive YAS forward in the future.

He said: “This is a fantastic next step for me and whilst I’m saddened to leave Driffield this was an opportunity not to be missed and I’m looking forward to joining a great team and working on the Great Yorkshire Show amongst the other events held on the Showground.”

Mr Tite has worked at the Driffield Showground for more than 30 years after starting off clearing the site as a 13-year-old.

Ms Coates said she was very much looking forward to working with him when she takes over as Show Director directly after this year’s Great Yorkshire Show and Mr Nixon said it was testament to them both that they remain committed to their respective shows.

He said: “Mark and David are hugely passionate about the agricultural show industry having both been past National Chairs of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO).

"We thank Mark for his passion and commitment to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and the Great Yorkshire Show over the last 20 years and we are delighted to welcome David with his wealth of show experience from another highly respected agricultural society.

“It is a testament to both Mark and David that they are deeply committed to delivering the Great Yorkshire Show and the Driffield Show before moving into their new roles.”

The YAS was founded in 1837, to promote agriculture in Yorkshire and its first objective was to run a major agricultural event.

This year will see the 165th Great Yorkshire Show taking place at the Showground in Harrogate but in addition to the show, YAS runs a number of farmer networks to support the communities within agriculture.

They are The Yorkshire Food, Farming & Rural Network; The Yorkshire Rural Support Network; Women in Farming Network; Future Farmers of Yorkshire and the Farmer Scientist network.

The work YAS is supported by its family of businesses including Fodder, Yorkshire Event Centre, Pavilions of Harrogate and the Harrogate Caravan Park while businesses and events held at the Great Yorkshire Showground in 2019 contributed £73.7m to the economy.