Yorkshire Game Fair announces series of new events

The two-day show, starting tomorrow at Harewood House near Leeds, will launch the North of England Country Pursuits Pentathlon Championship.

The pentathlon will include clay pigeon shooting, fly-casting, bait casting, gundog scurry and Land Rover and trailer manoeuvring.

A national championship, made up from the winners of the north and south of England championships, will be held at the Great North Country Fair in September.

The fair will also see the Falcon 500 Time Trials – a speed trial where individual birds are flown over a distance of 500 metres. The National Falcon 500 Time Trial Championship will be held at the Great North Country Fair in September and the competitors will be selected from the top performing birds at the Yorkshire and Royal County Game Fairs.

A spokesman for the fair said: "We are proud to announce the launch of a series of new competitions for 2010.

"These will enhance an already healthy range of competitions and give visitors the chance to be more involved in the fair."

The highlight events of previous years will also be returning, such as the lurcher racing and coursing event. The course is a testing 400 metres and attracts some of the fittest and fastest lurchers in the country.

New to the Devoted to Dogs section for 2010 is the Yorkshire Open Plummer Terrier Championships to be held on Sunday. There will also be a two day Retriever Working Test Competition.

The fair will showcase a Grand Champion Ferret competition. Ferrets from all over the UK have qualified to take part in the final, taking place on Monday. Open showing and racing will also take part on both days.

The packed central arena will include Katy Cropper's Sheepdog Display, Patanavac Gundogs, Vale of York Polo Club, Chris Green the Cornish Countryman, the Parade of Hounds with the Airedale Beagles, Ben Potter flying his vultures, eagles and other birds of prey and lots more.

The Yorkshire Game Fair will be open from 9am to 6pm each day. The car park will open at 8am and competitor admission is from 8am.