Cattle, sheep, performing horses and catwalk-strutting vets... the Great Yorkshire Show had it all this year, reports MAXINE GORDON

THERE was plenty of animal magic at this year's Great Yorkshire Show.

After a rain-soaked first day, the sun came out and the crowds flocked to the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate for this year's event – the 159th in its history.

Tuesday saw some of the biggest titles of the day decided in the cattle rings, with two national breed society shows naming their champions and the top animals battling it out for the coveted Supreme Beef title.

Away from the competitiveness of the show rings, a host of other attractions from television stunt horses to cookery and fashion demonstrations delighted the crowds.

Equines from Atkinson’s Action Horses, based in East Yorkshire, staged a thrilling show in the main ring, complete with fire torches, kneeling horses and riders being dragged along the floor by their stirrups. It was a first GYS appearance for the talented horses who are TV stars in their own right, having featured in hit shows such as Poldark, Peaky Blinders and Victoria.

Harrogate crowds were wowed by their daring stunts, although the show did need some minor last-minute revisions on Tuesday because of the wet conditions.

Meanwhile over in the fashion pavilion, a clutch of celebrities strutted their stuff on the catwalk including Thirsk’s own Peter Wright and Julian Norton of the Channel 5 series The Yorkshire Vet.

The pair, who work from the Skeldale Vet Centre, are being filmed for the series throughout the GYS and Mr Wright joked that he took part in the fashion parade because as a true Yorkshireman he couldn’t turn down the chance of a free jacket.

He added: “I have never strutted my stuff in my life and it was very nerve-wracking.

“I would rather castrate 20 bulls than do that again!”

The duo were joined onstage in the Fashion Pavillion by cricketer Ryan Sidebottom, Leeds Rhinos rugby player Keith Senior and BBC weather presenter Abbie Dewhurst.