Great Yorkshire Show Celebrates Best Young Farmer With New Award
Young Farmers who go the extra mile to serve the community will be celebrated with a new award at this year's Great Yorkshire Show, which takes place on Tuesday 14 – Friday 17 July.
The 2026 Great Yorkshire Show takes place on Tuesday 14 - Friday 17 July
Nominations for the Best Young Farmer Award are open now, specifically to Intermediate and Senior members of Young Farmers Clubs in Yorkshire, aged 17-28. The Award will shine a light on quietly remarkable young people who, often unseen, give so much to their local farming community.
The Award has been introduced by show organisers, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society in collaboration with the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (YFYFC), with the support of a generous donation by Baroness Anne McIntosh of Pickering. Nominations close on Tuesday 30 June and the award will be presented at the Show on Friday 17 July.
Tickets for the Great Yorkshire Show are on sale now and are available to purchase in advance only, with prices frozen at the same rate as last year.
Show Director Rachel Coates said: “Young Farmers is a phenomenal organisation which gives young people fantastic opportunities to develop their skills, including as active members of their communities. So much great work goes on by Young Farmers in rural areas, and this new award is a perfect way to celebrate it.”
Baroness Anne McIntosh, who will present a £250 prize fund to the winner, said: “I am delighted to launch the award for the Best Young Farmer 2026. This award recognises the nominee who goes the extra mile to help the local community over and above their busy everyday commitments. The winner will be a quiet, unsung hero, who makes a genuine difference and makes life easier for others along the way.”
Rebecca Keay, Chair of the YFYFC’s Promotions and Skills Committee said: “It’s exciting to celebrate Young Farmers with this new award at the Show. This award will recognise our members’ hard work within the agricultural and rural community and celebrate the time and effort put into their clubs, districts and communities which is at the heart of what we do. Hopefully this award will encourage our members going forward to get involved in everything Young Farmers, following our motto ‘by the members for the members’.”
Nomination forms for the Best Young Farmer Award are available at www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/competitions and completed forms should be returned to YFYFC by 30 June via email at office@yfyfc.org.uk or post to YFYFC, Regional Agricultural Centre, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, HG2 8NZ.
The Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs is a registered charity with more than 1,700 members, making it one of the largest rural youth organisations in Yorkshire. Members range from 10 to 28-years-old and are part of 42 clubs, organised into nine districts across Yorkshire. It gives young people opportunities to make lifelong friends, learn new skills and make a real difference to their local community. Visitors to the Great Yorkshire Show can find out more at the Young Farmers Pavilion (Stand 187).
The Great Yorkshire Show sells out every year with 140,000 visitors expected over four days and with some 8,500 animals exhibited in pursuit of prize rosettes. Tickets are priced Adults £36.50, Children £13 and Families £89, while YAS Membership is Single £95 and Joint £155. Go to www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/ticket-information
Farmer tickets are also available, offering those who work on-farm extra flexibility to attend. These tickets can be used to access any day of the Show and are strictly for purchase by the farming community only. Farmer ticket prices have also been held at the same rate as last year. For details see www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/farmers
Free shuttle buses are operated by The Harrogate Bus Company every day of the Great Yorkshire Show, running every 10 minutes from Harrogate Bus Station (next to the Railway Station) to the Showground’s White Gate, starting at 7.20am. The last bus departs the Showground at 7pm.
