Building a Sustainable Future for the Horse Section
The Horse Section remains one of the largest and most important parts of the Ryedale Show, attracting competitors and visitors from across the region. We are committed to maintaining and improving these classes, but the move to our new site highlighted a number of challenges that must be addressed if we are to continue offering a horse section on its current scale.
Following extensive review, including feedback from competitors, officials, volunteers and spectators, we have identified three key areas for improvement.
Horse and Public Safety
The safety of horses, riders and members of the public is our highest priority. While the vast majority of the day ran successfully, it was clear that greater separation between equestrian areas and public routes is required.
For future shows, we will be introducing clearer layouts with connected competition and collecting rings, designated horse routes and manned crossing points. Additional post-and-rope fencing will be installed to create safer movement corridors, and ring layouts will be improved to provide a more structured flow between areas.
Delivering these improvements will require additional support from the equestrian community. We need experienced volunteers to assist with ring preparation, fencing installation, jump course setup and stewarding crossing points throughout the day. Without this support, it becomes increasingly difficult to operate a horse section of this size safely and effectively.
Horsebox and Trailer Parking
Feedback regarding parking has been carefully reviewed. Drone imagery taken throughout the day provided a valuable overview of how parking areas were utilised and highlighted that, although a similar amount of space was available to that provided at our previous venue, the absence of sufficient parking marshals resulted in inconsistent use of the available area.
For future events, we will be investing in professional parking management to help ensure horseboxes and trailers are parked considerately and efficiently. In addition, we will be trialling a dedicated parking area for Burghley Young Event Horse exhibitors within part of the public parking area to help reduce pressure on the main equestrian parking zones.
Traffic Management
We recognise that traffic delays affected some exhibitors and visitors. Significant work is already underway to improve traffic flow both into and around the showground.
As one of the largest one-day agricultural shows in the region, some waiting times are inevitable. The site is served by two entrance points connecting to single-carriageway roads, which naturally limits the volume of traffic that can enter at peak periods. However, we are implementing a number of measures designed to reduce congestion and improve the overall arrival experience.
Further details of these improvements can be found in the Traffic Management section of the website.
Working Together
The Ryedale Show is organised by a small team supported by a dedicated group of volunteers. The continued success of the Horse Section depends on the willingness of the wider equestrian community to become involved, whether by volunteering, stewarding, assisting with setup, or helping us develop practical solutions for the future.
We remain committed to providing high-quality equestrian competition at Ryedale Show, but doing so on the current scale will only be possible with greater cooperation and support from those who value and enjoy the section. We encourage anyone who would like to help shape its future to get in touch.
