THE man who helped to steer the Yorkshire Agricultural Society through several fraught months dogged by the foot-and-mouth crisis has taken up the reins as the new chief executive.

Nigel Pulling, a 42-year-old chartered accountant born in Bishop Auckland, faces the major responsibility of relaunching the Great Yorkshire Show in July, following its enforced cancellation last year.

Mr Pulling clearly remembers the traumatic day he joined the society in March last year as head of finance and commercial enterprises: "The day I walked through the door there was a meeting about cancelling the show. This was the first time, except for the war years, that the show had been cancelled since the society was founded in 1837.

"It was a big blow, both financially and from a morale point of view, for staff and everyone else involved in the show, which is a huge undertaking."

He was immediately thrust into the fast lane for another reason: the untimely death of the then chief executive, Robin Keigwin, of Masham.

Now, as he steps into the shoes of the much respected Mr Keigwin, Mr Pulling will play a key role, with show director Christopher Hall, in preparing for the event's return.

The after-effects of foot-and-mouth will still be felt on the 150-acre Harrogate showground. The inclusion of livestock classes means Defra is demanding rigorous biosecurity measures, and entries are expected to be only about half those in 2000.

Mr Pulling said, however, that the society would meet the extra cost of the biosecurity requirements. Admission prices would be held to the level due to have been charged last year.

He is also looking forward to reviving the cheese show, with an expected 300 entries. It will be staged in Hall 2, built and opened for last year, but never used. Other attractions will include, for the first time, an art show with a Yorkshire theme, and a fashion show.

Being in charge of a premier regional agricultural show seems an unlikely step for an insurance man's son who has broken a mould which saw his predecessors usually appointed from the military classes.

But he said he had always wanted to do a job which was not purely commercial and he had no regrets about leaving the accountancy world.

YAS chairman John Stoddart-Scott said: "Nigel brings to the post an understanding of the dynamics of agriculture, a concern for the countryside and farming, plus sound business acumen and experience."

Mr Pulling graduated from Newcastle University and, after qualifying as a chartered accountant, spent nine years at Ropner in Darlington, becoming finance director. He and his wife, Sharon, live in Harrogate and have two children.

While helping the YAS to cope with the effects of foot-and-mouth, he became the motivating force for the farmers' fund, set up by the society to channel much-needed support to those suffering because of the crisis.

The YAS is effectively a charitable business with 50 employees and a turnover of £3m. There are more than 1m visitors a year to its ground, which is host to a variety of public events as well as the July show.

Mr Pulling sees no major changes in the show, but envisages building on its achievements while seeing it develop.

"Everyone is keen to see the show relaunched," he said. "It has been very successful over the last few years and the format is well liked. It is still very popular, both with the agricultural community and in attracting the general public.

"The society is doing everything it can to promote and support farming. We want to try to keep the best bits of a traditional show while developing it."