North Yorkshire County Show rings in the changes with new venue and date

Gladys Gouldthorpe, who is a nurse at Friarage Hospital in Northallerton has been responsible for the sheep section for the past decade.

Gladys said she and the rest of the North Yorkshire County Show team have worked hard to ensure this year’s show is on.

“It has been a difficult year. We’ve not just changed the venue from where we were last time there was a show, we’ve also had to change the date to September.

“We will be back at Otterington Hall in South Otterngton tomorrow. The show was held there for a number of years before we moved to Camphill at Kirklington.

“We had to shift our date from our regular time of June to September because the gentleman who rents the land requested we change the date because of haytime. When we looked around the only viable date available without clashing with other shows in North Yorkshire was this one.

Gladys had built up her sheep entries to a consistent 700 prior to the pandemic and admits it has been incredibly difficult attempting to match those numbers this year, but she’s philosophical about it.

“We won’t have anywhere near that number this time, but you have to start again and aim to build those numbers back in years to come. We had encouraging signs when we moved the entry deadline with a flurry of entries that took us a little closer.

“We are now having the show at a time when the annual sheep sales are just starting and as yet we don’t know whether that will be a good thing or a bad thing for our classes. I’ve kept the same classes as what I had planned for 2020. I’ll have to take a look at them for 2023.

Gladys said that the commitment from those involved in organising the show through all of the sections is something that has never been in doubt.

“We now have a lot of new committee members and many who had been with the show a number of years have stepped up to take on larger roles. It has been a real effort from all to say ‘right, let’s get this show back going again’.

“We have a new show secretary Tricia Lovell, a new show chairman Glenys Rowe and we are all pulling together in the right way to make this year’s show a great success. There have certainly been more meetings, but since I work shifts as a nurse I’ve been unable to make most of them myself. Everyone has really stepped up to the show back on this year.

“I enjoy getting everything together for the sheep section. I’ll admit it has been a struggle sometimes this year after two years off particularly in getting everything organised especially with the change in date but come show day I’m sure everyone will have a great day.

Gladys first started on North Yorkshire County Show duties when she began helping with junior section for arts and crafts before taking on the sheep section and also for a while all of the cattle entries.

But North Yorkshire County Show isn’t Gladys’ local show from when she was growing up and her family had show management pedigree.

“I was born to a farming family in Kirby Sigston that my mum Jillian still owns and that my son Liam now runs.

“We went to North Yorkshire County Show as children but our local show was Osmotherley. My dad Don and my granddad Bob were both heavily involved and had been show president. Dad was chairman and beef secretary. Mum was secretary. We also went to Borrowby Show and Sutton Show.

“My brother Bernard who is now sadly passed away and I used to take part in show jumping and pony club games at shows through Hurworth Pony Club. I have a horse that I ride out at the family farm. Liam will also be involved with equine at this year’s North Yorkshire County Show.

Gladys said the move back to Otterington Hall has come about through changes wrought from the days of the pandemic.

“We had three good years at Camphill and there was never anything but good that came from being there but the pandemic changed the course of Mr & Mrs Ropner’s business and we were fortunate to be able to go back to South Otterington on land owned by Mr & Mrs Preston. We were very grateful for our time at Camphill and to be able to return to Otterington Hall.

The show has faced up to a lot of changes, but perspective can be brought to the changes through Gladys’ work as a staff nurse with the NHS at Friarage.

“I’ve been a staff nurse at Friarage Hospital for 16 years and while the show has faced up to its own challenges they have been nothing compared to that faced by many through Covid. We used to just take it one day at a time. Two of my colleagues contracted Covid while serving others and it is still impacting on staff wellbeing today.

“I worked on a non-Covid ward and we never saw the girls off the Covid ward as they were isolated. It is still an ongoing thing now.

“Maybe that’s all worth remembering while we bring North Yorkshire County Show back to life this year.

PANEL

Gladys pays tribute to those who have pulled together to get this year’s show on but is also fully respectful of the part played by those who have given so much of themselves previously and who have now stepped back from their former roles, such as former show chairman Colin Johnson, former show secretary Alan Andrews and such as Len Craggs and Ralph Pattinson.

“Everyone has contributed so much over the years and now we have lots more who are also doing the same. It’s another new era and another time to start moving forward again.” said Gladys.

Gladys’ daughter Amy studied agriculture and animal science at Harper Adams and as well as considering a career in animal health has recently taken on some MV accredited Hampshire sheep. It may be that in years to come Amy may also be taking part in North Yorkshire County Show, but as an exhibitor.