Pets also win prizes at county’s big show

This will be its 34th year – nothing like as impressive as some of the venerable agricultural shows in this region which have clocked up centuries or in some cases double centuries.

But this is deceptive as the show president, Ralph Pattison, explains. Ralph knows the history because he’s one of the longest-serving officers, having been chairman for 25 years prior to his present role.

‘Northallerton Show dates back to 1840,” he says.

“We changed the name as Northallerton had become the county town and we felt it would be more appropriate to rename it. I’ve been involved since 1968.”

Some of those who volunteer their services fear for the future because becoming involved in the show does not seem to appeal to younger people. Others who take the long view point out that this has always been the case, even in the 1840s when it all started.

For a time the show venue shifted between the outskirts of Thirsk and Northallerton, but that was over a decade ago. It’s now at Otterington Hall thanks to its owners, Richard and Elizabeth Preston and switched from a Saturday event to a Sunday.

Martin Brown took over the running of the sheep classes a dozen years ago. He’s one of farming’s larger-than-life personalities and is a regular competitor in the Mule and Beltex classes at a number of shows throughout Yorkshire. He farms at Beechwood Farm, Newton-le-Willows, near Bedale, with his wife Val.

“When Val and I took over the sheep section the show was attracting around 250 to 300 entries in the classes,” says Martin. “This year we’ve hit a new record with 550. We will have over 60 Beltex entries and the numbers are also very strong in the Charollais, Texel and Suffolk classes.

“We also have new classes for the White Faced Woodland, which is a breed that I know Skipton Mart’s auctioneer Jeremy Eaton is very enthusiastic about. The breeders were keen to come along and all I said was that if they could get enough entries we would run a class. We also have a number of Hampshire Down and Ryeland sheep entered.

“The organisation for an event like this goes on all year. Sometimes, when there are only four or five of us in a meeting you wonder how the show ever gets put on. Everyone puts in their time for nothing and some have come around 50 miles this week just to put up the sheep pens and help around the show ground. What is noticeable is that when we were putting them up there were only three of us under 65 years of age.

“Cec Hutchinson, who’s been coming here for years has been down this week despite retiring from showing at the end of last year’s show. “Val does all the computer work because I’m useless but together we get everything sorted from rosettes to judges, trophies to entries. We’re also fortunate to have attracted sponsorship from the likes of Graham Taylor, who used to show here and Chris Jeffery at Green Farm Health. Local machinery companies such as Kevin Walker and Brian Robinson also support the show.”

Alan Andrew, the show secretary, comes from a line of background blacksmiths but actually had a career in local government. He has since had to work his way back into the farming way of thinking.

“When I took on the role of show secretary, my first lesson was ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. I’m now really good at being told what to do, and if I want to try something new I have to work it in gradually without people noticing I’ve done it.

“It’s interesting to see that the same causes for concern back in the show literature from 1840 are still evident today.

“In 1840 they were bemoaning that not many young people were coming through. That is still the case.”

One of those bucking the trend is Hannah Brown, Martin and Val’s daughter, who is halfway through her studies at Bishop Burton College. She has been successful with both sheep and cattle and is earning a solid reputation on the circuit.

“She’s been coming here ever since she was born,” says Martin who is also a sheep judge in demand both in Yorkshire and further afield. But he’s not about to hang up his showman’s crook just yet.

“I still enjoy showing our sheep and I’ll be around the pens for a long time yet. Having said that I’ll be glad when two o’clock comes around on Sunday and all the sheep classes are completed here.”

North Yorkshire County Show also attracts a strong following in its commercial cattle classes. Its light horse sections and show jumping competitions are also showing record entries.

The poultry classes at Otterington Hall provide the largest summer show in the north of England with over 1100 entries.

There will also be over 200 rabbits and another marquee houses the ferrets and rats. Yes, rats.

It seems the rats have to have a separate location because the others don’t like sharing with them.