Volunteers Recognised
Volunteer stewards and supporters were recognised for their outstanding contribution and service to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society when they are presented with a special award by YAS President Elect Simon Theakston.
The prestigious annual awards are designed to thank the recipients for their professionalism and their important roles in ensuring the high standards of the Great Yorkshire Show are maintained.
This year, the awards were presented to:
- Alan Belgian, a member of the Rabbit section committee who has stewarded at the Show for 22 years.
- Jerry Bloxwich who has worked as a committee member and services steward at the Great Yorkshire Show for 15 years.
- Jarvis Browning who has been a Shoeing Steward for 39 years.
- Alison Dalby who has been a Shoeing steward for 15 years.
- Sara Haigh who has been a committee member for 10 years and has stewarded at the Show for 16 years.
- John Lazenby who has been a steward in the Equine section for over 45 years. John and Elizabeth Orr who have between them been stewarding for 35 years in the Goat section. John was also a committee member of this section for 19 years.
- Jean Richardson who has recently retired after eight years as a steward of the Sheep section. Before Jean officially stewarded in this section, she had worked in the background helping her husband, Bob, in the Sheep Sheering section since 2004.
- Bella Scott who has been an Equine steward for the past 16 years.
- Richard Strike who has been stewarding on the Sheep section for 18 years and has also been a member of the committee for six years.
- Peter Townley who has stewarded for the Beagle section for 10 years.
- Charlotte Walker who has been stewarding the Harriers for 11 years and was one of the first stewards to be invited when the Harriers Section was introduced at the 2010 Great Yorkshire Show.
There were also awards for those who had supported the Society, rather than the Great Yorkshire Show.
- John Fielden who has been on the Charitable Activities Committee since 2016, contributing to the effectiveness of the group and how the Society now looks at reviewing applications and the giving of grants.
- Bernadette Gledhill who has coordinated the Fashion Show since 2002, having worked with the Yorkshire Post at other shows from 1997.
- John Warburton who was first involved with the Fashion Show in 2005 as National Director of Training for the Textile Industry. He launched the first “Fashion Idol” contest as a sponsor and a judge, making all of the patterns and garments for the finalists. John continued sponsoring this through the Textile Centre of Excellence until 2008. After retirement John continued stewarding at the Fashion Show.
The Great Yorkshire Show has become a four-day event after a raft of changes were implemented at the 2021 show due to Covid 19 regulations.
Tickets for the show have now sold out. Tickets will not be available on the gate. The opening times are 8am to 6pm on all four days. To see what is happening on which day, go to: https://greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/whats-on/

GYS22_ Long Service award winners Bernadette Gledhill and John Warburton
EDITOR’S NOTES
- The Great Yorkshire Show is England’s premier agricultural event, organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), a registered charity supporting rural Yorkshire.
- YAS supports and promotes the farming industry through health care, business, education and scientific research.
- The Society is supported by its family of businesses including Fodder, Yorkshire Event Centre, Pavilions of Harrogate and the Harrogate Caravan Park as well as events Great Yorkshire Show and Springtime Live.
- Businesses and events held at the Great Yorkshire Showground in 2019 contributed £73.7 million to the economy.
CONTACT
Jo Francisco
PR Manager
Direct Line: 01423 546215 | Mobile: 07954 007414
Email: jof@yas.co.uk
Sara Lamper Press officer
Mobile: 07759 795990
Email: sara@saralamper.co.uk