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Great Yorkshire Show 2010: Final day highlights PHOTO GALLERY
Exhausted farmers mucked out their stock for the final time as pouring rain failed to put a dampener on the last day of the Great Yorkshire Show.
The 152nd show saw more international visitors and increased media coverage following the demise of five agricultural shows across the UK in the last year.
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Thursday was the quietest day of the three-day event which saw 50,000 vistors through the doors on Wednesday – traditionally the busiest.
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It was wind-down day for many who had enjoyed three days of solid showmanship, networking, exhibiting and trading as well as night-time partying for those camping overnight.
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Ripon farmer Andrew Jennings, who had been at the show to exhibit cattle, said: "It's hard work and by the third day you are knackered.
"On Monday and Tuesday nights between all exhibitors we work it so there's someone up all night to make sure the cows are clean and ready for showing the next day.
"There's a big party after the show most nights and every year there's someone new exhibiting and they always always want to come back – and they do."
Meanwhile members of the Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Guild were putting the finishing touches to their S-shaped bench which they had been building over the three days.
Member Richard Laidler said: "This is what the secretary of the show asked us to do. Different craftsman have been here over those days building it and it will be a permanent feature here from now on."
For tree surgeon Fiona Crozier it was a glorious end to her first ever appearance at the show where she was the only female pole climber in a team of 19 males.
The 38-year-old from Somerset was racing to climb up the towering pole as fast as possible against other male competitors.
Fiona, who made it in 16.47secs, said: "That was the best time I've done. I only started pole climbing last year and this is my first time here – it's wonderful. I just wish there were more girls!"
Various cricketers have dropped in over the week to show their support for Welcome to Yorkshire which is one of the main sponsors for the Yorkshire Cricket Mela.
Yorkshire's Gerard Brophy, who lives in Leeds, was joined by England star Ajmal Shahzad, of Bradford, who said he was hoping to get picked for the squad after suffering a hamstring injury. Neither had been to the show before and were spending the day meeting fans and the public as well as signing a giant Yorkshire Mela Cricket Ball.
The day was rounded off with the highlight of the show, the Cock O'The North Show Jumping Championship.
Minister Caroline Spelman from Defra paid a visit to the showground before visitors began making their way out in the late afternoon.
Nigel Pulling, chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said that although visitor numbers were the same as 2009 – around 130,000 – there was much more coverage of the event this year.
He told the YEP: "The Royal Show not being here has meant that we now see ourselves as the premier show in England.
"There's been more international and national interest in the show which you can see through the media coverage. We have been on the BBC this morning and GMTV this week and BBC Radio 4 have been broadcasting from here this year."
He added that the mixture of sun and rain throughout the week had failed to deter visitors who are loyal to the show – whatever the weather.
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
