The Farmers Mart Apr-May 2018 - Issue 56 | Page 17

EVENTS 17
• APR/MAY 2018
Steel sculpture launched to celebrate
160th Great Yorkshire Show
A magnificent galvanised steel
sculpture of the Craven Heifer has
been unveiled today, to celebrate
the 160th Great Yorkshire Show
this summer.
Show organisers the Yorkshire
Agricultural Society commis-
sioned renowned Whitby-based
sculptor Emma Stothard to
recreate the Craven Heifer who
became a national phenomenon
in the 1800s. People would pay
to see the heifer who was put on
show on her way to Smithfield
Market, London, and remains
the largest heifer ever shown in
England and lived in the same era
as the first show.
Weighing more than half a
tonne and standing at 6 ft tall, the
GYSheifer sculpture was today
launched from the Craven Heifer’s
birthplace at the Bolton Abbey
Estate by the Duke of Devonshire
and the Show Director Charles
Mills.
The GYSheifer then travelled
nearly 50 miles aboard a specially
designed truck to Fulford, York
where she was met by police mo-
torcyclists and escorted into Im-
phal Barracks, adjacent to where
the very first Great Yorkshire
Show was held in the
Barrack Yard of the 5th
Dragoons in 1838.
There she was
met by military,
police, the Great
Yorkshire Show
team and local
school children in
front of the original Coat
of Arms of the 5th Dragoon
Guards, the only historic remains
of the Barrack Yard.
Today’s journey from Bolton
Abbey to Imphal Barracks marked
the launch of tickets for the show
which takes place
from Tuesday 10 to
Thursday 12 July. The
GYSheifer will now pop
up at locations across Yorkshire
to promote England’s biggest and
best agricultural show before
taking up position at the Great
Yorkshire Showground ready for
the event.
The GYSheifer is a one off,
bespoke, life-size sculpture in
steel which stands 6ft high, 4ft
wide and 11ft long. She was cre-
ated at sculptor Emma’s Whitby
studio before being galvanised
in Bradford and powder coated
in Middlesbrough. She was then
attached to a specially designed
Great Yorkshire Show truck by
HACS construction services in
Ripley.
The sculpture project has
been months in the planning and
involved research with experts at
Bolton Abbey Estate and the Great
Yorkshire’s Chief Cattle Steward
Margaret Chapman, whose family
have been part of the show for
more than 100 years, to ensure the
sculpture’s authenticity.
The GYSheifer will now go on
tour, appearing at the Yorkshire
Sculpture Park on Friday April 13
and travelling around the region
until her final visit to Our Cow Mol-
ly Farm Shop in Sheffield on June
10.The public are encouraged to
post their selfies with #GYSheifer
on Twitter. The best picture from
each location will win a family
ticket (2 adults & 3 children) worth
£75 on the door, £65 in advance.
CEREALS – THE ARABLE EVENT
THIS year will see a new look
Cereals Event return to the Cam-
bridgeshire site, with lots of fresh,
exciting features in response to
feedback from both the exhibi-
tor and farmer advisory boards,
which have been integral to
developing this year’s event. “By
changing our whole approach
this year, we are putting Cereals
firmly back on the map as the
leading technical arable event,”
says Jon Day, event director. “Our
collaborative approach, with
exhibitor and farmer advisory
boards driving the direction of
the event, will ensure it remains
relevant to the arable industry
both now and in the future.”
The experience will begin the
moment visitors set foot on the
site, thanks to the innovation
Entrances, which provide a
preview of some of the exciting
technology and ideas across the
event site.
For those wanting to keep up
with the latest industry news
and research, the popular Arable
Conference has benefited from
a fresh look – splitting into two
areas: Cereals Controversial and
Cereals Conversations. Cereals
Controversial will include panel
debates with politicians and
‘
Tickets are now on
sale for this year’s
Cereals Event (13-14
June) with visitors
able to make
savings by booking
in advance
’
leading industry officials – and
will be a hub for discussion of the
hottest topics in the sector. In the
Cereals Conversations marquee,
talks will take a more technical
and practical approach, arming
visitors with the latest scientific
knowledge and research to put
into action.
The site spans over 45ha, and
visitors will be able to take advan-
tage of new guided tours – with a
range of topics including variety
choice, managing soils, and weed
control techniques – as well
as ‘Here to help’ points featur-
ing dedicated staff to answer
questions and direct visitors to
exhibitors that can help.
Exhibitors will offer the latest
advice, products and services for
arable farmers and agronomists
looking to improve their busi-
nesses.
Another significant change to
this year’s event is a simplified
online ticket purchasing system
for advance tickets, and improve-
ments to the on-site box office,
based on visitor feedback –
meaning it’s now easier than ever
to attend.
Tickets are now on sale for this
year’s Cereals Event (13-14 June)
with visitors able to make savings
by booking in advance.
Tickets are on sale via the website
www.cerealsevent.co.uk/tickets