The Great Yorkshire Show has been called off this year due to rain, but fortunately it managed to go ahead yesterday. MATT CLARKE was there to report and take photographs.

THERE were no blue skies at the 154th Great Yorkshire Show.

Instead, a dank misty morning greeted visitors on the opening day, but at least England’s premier agricultural show was given the go-ahead, despite the recent foul weather, thanks to a round-the-clock vigil of hay-scattering and road-building.

The biggest headache for organisers was how to park the 45,000 cars expected with much of the land being waterlogged.

Car parks were full by 9.30am and tractor crews were on standby to help stranded motorists stuck in the mud.

But it wasn't just getting out that caused problems. Bulldozers had to tow queuing horseboxes on to the main carpark in deep mud.

Nigel Pulling, chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said: “There is a kind of Dunkirk spirit going on, with contractors and exhibitors working hard to keep the show on the road and out of the puddles.”

Last year’s show attracted a near-record 135,000 visitors and although numbers will inevitably be down this year, yesterday saw a promising start with large crowds, despite the threat of rain.

The weather was cool all day, something of a blessing, said many of the livestock owners and it takes more than a few showers to take the shine off this shop window for the farming and countryside industries.

Highlights included the show’s first shark display and a giant beach made from 15 tonnes of Scarborough sand.

Then there was the usual feast of country activities with parade after parade of the country’s finest cattle, pigs and sheep. Elsewhere, judging of a more glamorous nature took place in the now annual fashion shows.

Crowds were treated to demonstrations in everything from rope making to cake baking, while many headed for the main ring’s programme of showjumping, heavy horses and scurrying.

But thrills and spills were also on offer with the Ukrainian Cossacks threatening to steal the show.

Unfortunately, the bad weather meant the Red Devils were unable to perform.

But love was in the air for Yorkshire sheep handlers Anne Duckworth and Kevin Robinson who tied the knot at the showground's pavillion, Anne wearing wellies with her wedding dress.

The Yorkshire Regiment parade is another annual favourite and this year was even more poignant as 185 soldiers marched in full combat dress with colours flying and bayonets fixed as it became tourism organisation Welcome To Yorkshire’s first honorary Yorkshire champions.

There was a period of silence to remember recently fallen comrades.

As reported elsewhere in today’s paper the rest of the show has been cancelled due to the bad weather.