The Great Yorkshire Show 2023: Getting ready for the greatest show on turf

For farmer Charles Mills, it’s his eighth as show director, and he’s looking forward to it immensely.

Charles has been coming to the show since he was a young lad, and the lofty position he now finds himself in is an honour, he says.

Before becoming show director, he spent about 20 years as the cattle steward, responsible for getting the animals and their handlers in and out safely.

"My biggest interest and my biggest love is the people who come here,” he said.

"All the exhibitors, when you have been a cattle steward for a while you get to see the farmers and you see them maybe once a year, but you’re able to chat and talk to other farmers and the people who come to look at the animals. I love the people who come here.

"As a cattle steward you would see about 1,200 cattle on the showground, commercial breeds and pedigree. You’re getting them in in safely and then out to be shown, and then hopefully you’re seeing everyone off at the end and will see them come again.”

Exhibitors come from all extremes of the country. Charles said that he had spoken to a pig exhibitor who set off at 3 on Sunday morning from Cornwall to get to Harrogate.

"We get the best of the livestock in the country here from all over the UK, because people want to show their animals, people love coming here,” he said.

The show, says Charles, is in the blood, much like farming.

There truly is something for everyone at the Great Yorkshire Show, from the classes for cattle, pigs and sheep, to the politics of the day with members of the cross party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs parliamentary committee here this morning when chairman Sir Robert Goodwill MP will be launching a new report on the merits and risks involved in species reintroductions in England.

BBC Countryfile’s Adam Henson will also be here today who will chair a discussion on challenges and opportunities for the farming sector with Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers Union, DEFRA Minster Mark Spencer, and Sir Robert.

And all that is just for starters, later in the week, is the highly anticipated, Cock O’ the North showjumping competition, and TV presenter Matt Baker will be talking about the importance of food provenance with chief cheese and dairy steward Caroline Bell.

And then there’s the innovations, new farming equipment, parades, tree carving, you name it, if it’s a country pursuit, it will probably be here somewhere.

For Charles now, the day before the show, is not a time to get nervous.

"I don’t get nervous,” he said. “You’ve just got to crack up with the support of these wonderful people who I work with. We have a well oiled machine, a fantastic team of people.”

And, come Friday, he says there will be an element of sadness at the end of the day .

"We have worked hard for 12 months and hopefully we have had a successful show, but I’m a farmer, we’re not far off harvest, I don’t have time to sit down and think about it really.”