GREAT Yorkshire Show Director Bill Cowling is stepping down after a decade at the helm.

Mr Cowling took on the role in 2005 after four decades of involvement with the event's organisers, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

The 2015 Great Yorkshire Show, held in Harrogate, will be his 10th and final show as director.

Simon Theakston, chairman of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said: “It is impossible to over-state the contribution Bill has made to the Society, not only as our Honorary Show Director, but in the 30 years before. He has been a brilliant Show Director guiding the show through a challenging period not only for the country’s economy, but also for the world of agriculture. The fact that the Great Yorkshire Show is now one of the most important of its kind in the UK is a testimony to his success. He now leaves us with the very challenging task of finding a replacement to take on the mantle!”

Mr Cowling continues to be involved in the family farm near Harrogate – his interest in farming and rural life is very much reflected in the Show’s focus on maintaining its agricultural ethos.

In recognition of his services to agriculture, in July at the Great Yorkshire Show, he was made a Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire.