Sun-blessed show pulls 14,000 visitors

Following the cancellation of the Great Yorkshire Show earlier this month as fields became swamped in the unseasonable downpours, the organisers of the 126th Malton Show have been casting worried looks at the sky.

However yesterday’s event at Scampston Park has been hailed as a major success, with visitor numbers also being swelled by daytrippers heading to the coast, as Yorkshire finally witnessed the sun coming out.

Michael Cleary, chairman of the show and of the Malton Agricultural Society, said: “It could not have been better.

“We have been very lucky over the last few days and yesterday we had some high cloud but no rain – it was fantastic.

“For the past week we have been hoping not for a repeat of the Great Yorkshire Show.

“The weather is the one thing that you cannot control as organisers.

“Last year we got a pretty low turn-out of visitors to the show because of the rainy conditions.

“The general public throughout the area really want to come and see an agricultural show this summer, and this really gave them a chance.

“We don’t like to be revolutionary with the show.

“We are an agricultural show, but what we do we try and make bigger and better every year.”

Last week it was announced that hundreds of Great Yorkshire Show traders will get refunds following the cancellation of the region’s showpiece agricultural event.

Around £700,000 will be returned to stand holders from the show’s organisers, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

It is writing to around 600 businesses to offer to pay back two-thirds of the costs.

The final two days of the show were cancelled after wet weather led to the car parks being unsafe.