THE new man at the helm of Yorkshire's largest agricultural event is set to start steering his team through a busy year of office.

As new president of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Lord Gisborough is already launched into a hectic schedule of planning meetings for next year's Great Yorkshire Show.

Lord Gisborough succeeded outgoing president Warren Fenwicke-Clennell, on the last day of this year's show, when the official staff of office was handed over at the closing ceremony.

Planning meetings for all the show sections are held over the next few months, including the society's council meeting in October with its new president in the chair.

Lord Gisborough's 12-month term of office will culminate in the 2001 Great Yorkshire Show, which will be held between July 10 and 12 next year.

As the society's leading figure, he will welcome important guests and tour the event.

Born in 1927, Lord Gisborough was educated at Eton and the Royal Agricultural College.

He saw regular service with the Welsh Guards, the 16th/5th Lancers and later the Territorial Army.

His farming career began in 1958 and he now farms 1,000 acres in-hand with an indoor lambing hill sheep farm and arable unit.

In addition, there are 400 acres of forestry - mostly planted by himself - with which he won the national hardwood competition four years ago.

His interests range from bridge - he was captain of the House of Lords bridge team - to tennis, skiing and country sports.

A former Lord Lieutenant of Cleveland, he is now the Lieutenant of North Yorkshire. Lord Gisborough is married with two sons and lives at Gisborough House, Guisborough, in North Yorkshire.