Otley Show: 'Grand old lady' that could be world's oldest agricultural show returns to begin Yorkshire season

Otley Show is the grand old lady of them all. It started in 1796, although there is talk of it having started even earlier this is the recognised date it was founded, and it is run by Wharfedale Agricultural Society.

This year will be its 213th show and local horsewoman and environmental consultant Jane Crossley has been Show chair for the past five years.

“I started as a general steward on the mounted and moorland classes in the horse section when I was in my mid-teens,” says Jane.

“I grew up in Weston and the then owner of Weston Hall Col Dawson was Show President. He and Frank Lofthouse, the show’s vet, both suggested me when the committee was looking for young blood. They knew I was keen with horses and that I had wanted to be a vet. I sat on my first horse at 10 months old and have ridden all my life.

“When I bought Pepper, the first horse I ever owned, after leaving university and coming home, I used to do Otley Show with her when we had a working hunter class. My highest finish was fifth. I used to bring Pepper with my Land Rover and trailer, steward, get changed to compete, then go back to my stewarding.

“I eventually became vice chair and then chair of the horse section. Once you become a chair you are invited on to the show’s executive committee and I’ve somehow ended up as chair. I’ve done a longer spell than the usual three years because of Covid and as a result of there being no vice chair for a while.

“Since I’ve been chair I’ve seen the rest of the show, as normally I’m stuck by rings 2 and 3. We have a fabulous show of cattle, sheep and horses but being able to go around the show I’ve seen just how amazing our handicraft and produce sections really are.

Jane admits to a concern over how inclement the weather has been over the first four months of the year and how that may affect the showground.

“My biggest worry this year, is it going to stop raining in time? Nobody is screaming at the moment that things are unbearable and as long as we don’t get a lot of rain in these final two weeks we should be okay, as it dries out really well, but I read somewhere that we might get another ten days’ continuous rain.

“I have been giving serious consideration to what we would have to do if that happened. My big field at home has had standing water in it and soft spots that I have never known and that tells me how wet it is. I would pull the horse classes in rings 2 and 3 if I had to, to save the rest of the show. I hope that is not necessary of course, but if it gets too bad I could make myself very unpopular because I would push to cancel. I don’t believe it is correct to wreck the ground. There has already been a lot of British Eventing cancelled this year because of the ground and the weather.

While Jane isn’t afraid of making tough decisions she admits that she has found another area of her life with horses much more difficult.

“I’m hopeless when it comes to selling them. I’ve bred some really great horses and I’ve tried, but emotionally I just can’t cope.

“I’m married, to Michael McDonald who is on car parking duty at the show, but all of my children have four legs. I did a lot of riding club, local one day events and unaffiliated competitions, mainly cross country, working hunter and show jumping with Pepper and would go off every weekend competing in either showjumping or working hunters.

“When I wanted a replacement for Pepper, and having taking guidance from some very good and wise horse people, I found a Thorougbred stallion, Revolution who had gone to advanced in the eventing world in three years before damaging a tendon putting his foot down a rabbit hole. He was one of the first crop of youngsters from Lucinda Broad’s stud.

“I decided I’d like to have a foal by him and put Pepper in foal. The first foal I got was a colt, which I named Darcy, with his posh name Spring Revolution, because of his mother’s posh name being Spring Dancer.

“My intention was, because I’d wanted a filly, to try for another foal and sell Darcy but I got too emotional over the idea of selling him and still have him today. Lucinda had started to compete Darcy who was very successful and had a fourth place in the 4-year old British Championship for eventing and a seventh place at Blair Castle in the equivalent 4-star.

Having already found her emotional attachment to her horses overarching in terms of getting her head around selling them, she tried again with her next horse, Herbie, also bred by the same combination of Pepper and Revolution.

“I spent most of the time on the phone in tears to the guy that was going to buy him,” says Jane. I still have Herbie too. He has gone on to win as the Sports Horse Breeding Yearling at Bramham, became an advance eventer and had successes with two riders from Scotland whom he taught the ropes at novice and intermediate levels. He then came back home and went back to Lucinda at Yafforth. He qualified to run in the short format of Bramham. Lucinda’s daughter Chloe who has just turned 12 has now kidnapped him.

Consequently, Jane now still has Darcy, now 18 years old, Herbie at 16 and their full sister Salt who is now 13.

“Salt never went out to compete because she was for me,” says Jane. “She has nearly always been at home and I hack her out. Salt is the sharpest of the lot, she is quick.

Despite Jane’s current concerns over the ground condition at Otley Show’s showground she is looking forward to another great show, with everything taking place as it should.