Countryside Live 2008 - A Record Breaker

A new equine ring and the return of the cattle and sheep
classes proved a huge attraction for visitors to Countryside
Live, at the weekend (Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th October)
with a record breaking 10,127 people through the gates.

Now in its sixth year, the two-day event at the Great
Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate offered the perfect mix of a
fun day out with a showcase for the farming industry. Bill
Cowling, Honorary Show Director said he was delighted with
the record breaking figure and said the event was “the best
yet”.

“It’s had a real buzz with the crowds pouring in from early
morning on both days. The judges have all commented on the
exceptional quality of our cattle and sheep and the new
equestrian section has been a huge success. We are already
looking forward to next year,” said Mr Cowling. Countryside
Live is organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and
is the little sister event of the annual Great Yorkshire
Show.

The Supreme Beef Championship went to Phil Sellers of
Belper, Derbyshire with a British Blue sired heifer,
‘Limited Edition’ and 14 year old Dylan Jones of Conwy,
Wales showed the Reserve - the steer champion, ‘Black Jack’,
also a British Blue X.

North Yorkshire exhibitors swept the board in the sheep
section with the Brown family from near Bedale taking home
armfuls of silverware with their Beltex sheep. Martin Brown
won four of the five championship awards, and daughter
Hannah won the young handlers section. The trophy for the
Champion Native was taken by Mike Allen of Staithes, near
Whitby, North Yorkshire with a pair of Suffolk X Texel
lambs.

This was the first year for equine classes with strong
support from competitors. The winner of the Winter Heritage
Mountain and Moorland Lead Rein and First Ridden
Championship was nine-year-old Oliver Shuttleworth of Ben
Rhydding, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, riding a six-year-old grey
gelding, Waxwing Thumbs Up.

The Open Ridden Mountain and Moorland Champion was Mrs D
Roberts of Stanley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, with
Fallfield Honey Buzzard, a bay gelding, while the Mountain &
Moorland Open and Restricted Working Hunter Pony Champion
was Harriet Etchells on Mrs J Stockdale’s Micklehill Apsara
of Easingwold, North Yorkshire.  Kirsty Farren of Ripon,
North Yorkshire, riding Skylo, took the Open Working Hunter
Pony Championship. There was also a strong showing in the
Veteran Horse or Pony classes, with the championship going
to Alison Yates of Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Highlander.
The Champion Ridden Coloured Horse or Pony was Jade Hind of
Stokesley on Diamond Onyx.

Lincolnshire took the honours in the Royal Smithfield Club
National Festival of Meat, with Michael Read of Hemingby,
Horncastle, winning the Ribs of Beef section, with R E
Needham & Son of Gayton le Wold, Louth, taking Best Sired by
British Native Breed. In the Saddle of Lamb section, the
Supreme Championship was taken by W Evans of Bordorgan,
Anglesey, with a Beltex x Texel male.

The new sausage tasting competition was won by Hinchcliffes
Butchers of Huddersfield with Ellisons Butchers of
Cullingworth, Bradford as runners up.

Doncaster beekeeper Dave Shannon took the champion’s trophy
in the Honey Show, winning the Yorkshire Herald Cup by just
one point.

In the Poultry Section, the Champion, a rare breed black
Sumatra, was shown by Geoff Tinson and Louise Hidden of
Glossop, Derbyshire, while the Supreme Champion honours in
the Fancy Pigeon section going to Andy Hopkins of
Chesterfield, Derbyshire, with his Old German Owl. Keith and
Gillian Robson of Darlington, Co Durham, won Best Fancy
Flying Pigeon with a Flying Tippler and Best Fancy Homer
with a Grizzler, and Best Show Racer went to Paul Yates of
Harrogate.

Around the event, masterclasses by former Olympic showjumper
Graham Fletcher and dog agility demonstrations proved hugely
popular. In addition, hundreds of children enjoyed a range
of activities including bread making, face painting and
learning how to recycle waste. Amongst them were members of
local Brownie and Cub packs who completed a number of set
tasks around the event to gain their special Countryside
Live badges.