Grand National Hero to Parade at the Great Yorkshire Show
One of the most famous racehorses in the world – Auroras Encore, the 2013 Grand National winner - will be a star guest at next month’s Great Yorkshire Show.
It costs around £3m each year to stage England’s premier agricultural event which celebrates the best of British farming and provides an insight into rural life. Dates for this year are Tuesday 9 – Thursday 11 July when around 130,000 people are expected to attend.
The 11 year old Yorkshire-trained superstar will make his debut in a parade around the Main Ring on Thursday 11 July. The parade comes immediately before the event’s top show jumping competition, the Ripon Select Foods Cock o’the North championships.
In April, Auroras Encore ran a brilliant race to take first place in The John Smiths Grand National, delighting his equally famous Yorkshire based trainers, Sue and Harvey Smith.
The Main Ring is very familiar to Harvey. To the delight of the crowds, the Yorkshireman took the Cock o’ the North trophy in 1977 and again in 1982, and he’s been a frequent and loyal supporter of the event over many years. Auroras Encore is currently taking a well earned break before coming back into training later in the year, and is a familiar sight hacking around Baildon Moor as part of his training regime.
Bill Cowling, Show Director said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have Auroras Encore and indeed our friends the Smiths with us. I can’t think of a more fitting setting than our Main Ring to celebrate the success of this amazing horse. I’m sure there will be a phenomenal reception from the grandstand crowds.”
Each year the event attracts some of country’s finest show jumpers to the classes which run over the three days. Members of the Whitaker family including Michael – the current British number one, John and Steven are competing, as is Guy Williams, William Funnell and one of the world’s top lady show jumpers, Tina Fletcher. The action begins on Tuesday with the Barber Titleys William Hanson Stakes followed by The Badsworth Stakes Accumulator. On Wednesday there’s the International Stairway competition and The Rudding Park Great Yorkshire Championship. The final day sees The Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream Mini Major Whip Round followed by the climax – The Ripon Select Foods Cock O’the North.
Elsewhere on the showground highlights include a mock battle staged by The Yorkshire Regiment each day in the Main Ring and displays by The White Helmets, The Royal Signals’ Motor Cycle Display Team. Around 5,000 animals will compete for the championship prizes, there is also an extensive food hall, and around 1,200 stands selling everything from combine harvesters to designer clothes and demonstrations of country skills.
Tickets bought on the gate
Adult £24
Concession: £23
Children: £11
Family: £62
Parking is free and extensive. Free buses will run from Harrogate Railway Station.
Please be aware, dogs, other than assistance dogs, are not allowed on the showground.
For the latest information see www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk.
Media Opportunity at the Great Yorkshire Show:
Auroras Encore and trainers Sue and Harvey Smith will be available for photographs at 3.30pm on Thursday 11 July when they will be officially welcomed to the Great Yorkshire Show by Bill Cowling, Honorary Show Director on behalf of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
ENDS
28 June, 2013
Media contact – Charlotte Russell, Marketing Manager on 01423 546281 or charlotter@yas.co.uk
If you wish to apply for press passes to the Great Yorkshire Show, please complete the online application form on our website, by 3rd July 2013 - http://greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/media/press-passes
Background Information: Auroras Encore from Sue and Harvey Smith
Auroras Encore was born in Ireland in 2002. He was then bought unbroken from Doncaster Sales by Harvey Smith in 2005 and then sold to Mr and Mrs Skene who kept him at Harvey’s yard near Baildon for training.
Auroras first ran in February 2007 and came 2ndin a National Hunt Flat Race at Market Rasen. He won his first race in a Novice Hurdle at Sedgefield later that year and went on to win The John Smiths Handicap Hurdle at Aintree in 2008. Continuing to win and be placed, he then had a break before running a fantastic race in the Scottish National at Ayr in 2012 taking 2ndplace. In late 2012 Auroras was sold to Mr Pryde, Mr Beaumont and Mr Van Der Hoeven and leading up to the 2013 Grand National his best placing was fourth out of seven. It perhaps seemed odd to enter him in the Grand National when he appeared not to be running his best. However Sue and Harvey knew that he was a 4 miler horse and that if he ran the race they knew he was capable of, then he would not let them down.
After a very difficult winter of often frozen gallops and being snowed in for weeks it seemed a difficult task but after all the hard work of preparing him, it was not one they were going to shy away from. So with 45 runs, 18 placings and 7 wins behind him, Auroras Encore ran an absolutely brilliant race to take first place in The John Smiths Grand National.
Auroras is now taking a well earned break before he comes back into training later this year. Always a pleasure to look after, he enjoys hacking around Baildon Moor as part of his training regime; Sue and Harvey say he is lovely to ride and a real class horse.
YORKSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY:
The Yorkshire Agricultural Society was formed in 1837 and is a charity dedicated to supporting the farming industry and rural life. This ranges from educational initiatives to the Society’s Nuffield Scholarships to hosting the Yorkshire Rural Support Network. The Society is based at the Regional Agricultural Centre, Harrogate; the RAC includes Fodder, the Society’s award winning regional food shop and café which opened in June 2009.
The Society is the organiser of the annual farming and country showcase, the Great Yorkshire Show and its sister event, Countryside Live. Both take place at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire and are flagship events for agriculture and rural life. Dates for the 2013 Great Yorkshire Show are Tuesday 9 – Thursday 11 July, and Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October are the dates for Countryside Live. See also www.yas.co.uk and www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk
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