The Yorkshire weather forecast for the week of the Great Yorkshire Show was a mixed bag and a couple of downpours pre-start of the Cleveland Bay classes certainly didn’t seem to dampen spirits or effect the glowing shiny polished coats of the horses put forward for the classes.

The classes got underway pretty much as scheduled at 2.45pm, with the Pure Bred youngsters taking the lead and a crowd had gathered to see the horses in the ring. I wasn’t in until class 5, and I did try my very best to live stream the classes, Mulgrave Snowdrop in 1 hand and IPhone in the other. Unfortunately, after umpteen attempts and lack of signal I gave up. I’ve since been told that additional to the poor signal around that ring the police had (due to an incident elsewhere) put a ‘coms down’ in effect and that could explain the lack of mobile coverage.

Anyway back to business and serious business it was. The standard of horses and turnout was 2^nd to none, some very nice horses were put forward across the 8 classes available and I think Maggie Brown, our judge this year had her work cut out. It was nice to see a couple of new and younger handlers taking to the ring, I hope they enjoyed the experience of the GYS environment.

The atmosphere was buzzing, the collection ring at the side of the Ridings ring is not particularly big, but was filled with a sea of bays, all handler’s chit chatting away, hoof oil and coat shine baskets lying around, as one by one competitors and horses went in the ring. As I looked around the on lookers, there were a number of breeders, old and new sitting in the crowd, I spotted Barbara Martindale, Steve Pullan, Liz Worthy, Sarah Ramsden to name a few and many from further afield from both higher North and the lower South. I chatted personally to a couple of new comers to the breed, who it was pleasing to hear had just purchased a Cleveland Bay and become members that day at the stand on the show field. Along with letting some excited on lookers have a pat of Mulgrave Snowdrop over the fence.

I personally thought that the horses put forward were of a particularly high standard and the turnout of both horse and handlers a credit to the breed. A very strong mare and foal class can only be a positive sign. 1^st and 2^nd place winners in the classes were invited to take part in their retrospective championships that took place back to back around 5.30pm and it was celebrations all round for the Braithwaite Stud, with a champion place for Braithwaite Mulsanne, followed by a reserve champion place for the Barbarian Stud, with Barbarian Maverick. Running on to the Part bred championship saw Jo Firth back in the winnings, with a champion placing for Barbarian Hot Gossip, accompanied in reserve by Mulgrave Stud and Harriet Potters Mulgrave Duke.

Friendly congratulations took place and smiles all round, with the odd bit of ringside banter which always makes for an enjoyable day.

Great Yorkshire you’ve been a blast, roll on 2024.