Great Yorkshire Show: Thousands attend first day of Harrogate event

The Princess Royal was guest of honour at the Harrogate event

Thousands of people are attending the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate.

Almost 140,000 visitors are expected to attend the sold-out event in North Yorkshire over four days this week.

The Princess Royal attended as guest of honour at the show, which celebrates agriculture, food, farming and the countryside, on Tuesday.

Sheep dog trials are taking place at the event for the first time this year as well as new show-jumping classes and a new stage.

The show was extended from three days to four in 2021

Visitors can watch sheep shearing at the showground

The GYS Stage will feature a different farming celebrity giving a talk each day.

The sheep dog trials are being organised by the International Sheep Dog Society, which holds national and international trials every year and a World Trial every three years.

Chairman Ian Fleming said: "Showcasing the characteristics of a good working dog is always a delight for the handler, and a pleasure to watch."

Tom Simpson, 18, will be displaying with his dog Moss, who works on his farm at Pateley Bridge.

Up to 140,000 people are expected to visit over four days

Livestock classes are a big draw at the event

Mr Moss said: "The atmosphere will be great, that feeling of coming off the field after doing it, I think it will be great, there will be nothing like it."

The show is in its 163rd year and was extended from three to four days last year to accommodate Covid safety measures.

Cattle and sheep are shown at the Great Yorkshire Show each year

Princess Anne also visited the Royal Norfolk Showground, near Norwich, this year