(no audio) (no audio) (lively music) - [Christopher] In the heart of glorious north Yorkshire lies the quaint market town of Thirsk.

Here, the world's most famous vet, James Herriot, lived, worked and wrote his best selling books.

His former surgery and home are now a museum, but his practice lives on nearby.

(telephone rings) - Good Morning Skeldale Veterinary Centre.

- It's a great privilege really working in this practice and it very much is in the footsteps really of James Herriot.

Makes me very proud really to be part of that heritage.

- [Christopher] Julian Norton is "The Yorkshire Vet."

- Ah ha.

We have a wide range of different species that come in to see us and that gives us this tremendous amount of satisfaction.

I don't think I'd have it any other way.

- [Christopher] Julian runs the practice alongside senior partner and former Herriot trainee, Peter Wright.

- [Julian] Everything's Yorkshire, isn't it?

- There's no finer view in England.

I've had a long relationship with the Herriot practice and I feel very privileged to work in the most famous veterinary practice in the world.

- [Christopher] Here together with Skeldale's dedicated team, (cat squeaks) They treat animals of all shapes.

- Steady on.

- [Christopher] Sizes.

(cow moos) - Go on!

- [Christopher] Types.

- Oh crikey!

Get off me.

- [Christopher] And temperaments.

(pig squeals) It's definitely not glamorous.

- Oh no.

- [Christopher] But it's varied.

- That going back in there like that.

- You're a little bobby dazzler, aren't you?

- [Christopher] It's rarely easy.

- She's a fast one.

- [Christopher] As "The Yorkshire Vet" carries on the Herriot tradition, treating all creatures great and small.

(gentle music) (birds chirping) (soft music) (sheep bleating) The longest day has come and gone.

The harvest will soon begin.

There's a warm stillness to late summer.

Julian's on his way to a local stables.

- I've been called out to see a horse got sore feet, which doesn't sound particularly an urgent emergency, but you never can tell with horses.

Things that don't seem at all serious can actually turn out to be some of the most serious problems that we have to deal with.

- [Christopher] Abby Thompson only recently bought Frank, a 17-year-old Hanoverian.

- He's quite lame in his back feet.

He's not picking them up properly and he doesn't want to weight bear.

So he's constantly changing hooves and they are actually really smelly as well.

He's a lovely character.

He's really cheeky.

So yeah, he is quite attached already.

Well, they always say no foot, no horse.

So it is really important that his feet are right.

Come on, Frankie.

- So who we got here.

- Frank.

- Frank is a fine specimen, isn't he?

You all right, Frank?

What have we been doing?

- It's his rear hooves.

Got maggots in there and all sorts.

- Oh, yuck.

Will he let us pick his feet up?

- Yeah, yeah.

- [Julian] Oh, there we are.

How obliging.

Looks like you've trained him to do that.

Oh God.

Oh yeah, yuck.

- [Abby] Got maggots and squirminess.

It's grim.

- [Julian] That is indeed grim.

- [Abby] Good lad, Frank.

- Just gonna cut that dead bit off.

Whenever you see maggots in animals, you always fear the worst.

And it is a pretty grim thing to see.

The fact is actually that they only really ever live on the dead tissue that's there.

So the the debris, the dead vegetation that's been pushed in.

Oh bloody hell.

- It's awful.

- He's being remarkably good.

This poor horse has got an infection called thrush in his feet and flies have been laying their eggs in that and there's actually maggots living in the dead tissue.

That's horrible.

This problem's clearly quite bad.

The underlying thrush will have been existing for some time.

But the maggots that have appeared, they can come on really quite quickly and it's just as well we've got here when we did because further down the line it would get worse and worse to treat and harder to mend.

Well, if we don't get all these maggots out and all the dead tissue away, I guess the maggots would eat into his hoof and I guess his foot would probably fall off.

(soft music) I'm really conscious that we're getting down to the blood and he's been so good that we, I don't want to get kicked.

So this will kill the maggots that are there and it'll kill the infection as well 'cause it's a strong antibiotic.

What's the other one like?

- All right, boy.

Right, hey, hey, hey.

Come on, Frank.

- I can't say I've ever seen anything quite as bad as this before in a horse's foot.

You do see, you know, thrush and canker and foot infections from time to time.

But this is something worse than I've ever seen.

I'm amazed he's not much more lame than this.

He's a really good patient, isn't he?

Poor old boy.

We'll get him right.

Can I come back tomorrow?

- [Abby] Yeah, of course, you can.

- It's gonna be a question of taking it away slowly but surely.

(lively music) (sheep bleating) (gentle piano music) (dogs barks) - [Christopher] Back at the practice, pedigree cat Freya's struggling in labor.

Peter and his team are prepping for an emergency cesarean.

- [Peter] I think she's been on under us a long time, hasn't she?

- I think she's been going since about seven this morning.

- Freya is a Siberian forest, which are quite nice cats and quite chunky cats.

So far she's given birth to two dead kittens.

So we're fearing the worst.

We fear that it's highly likely that the other kittens are going to be dead as well.

The best thing we can do for Freya is to go in as quickly as possible and hopefully some of the babies may be alive, but I'm fearing the worst.

- [Christopher] Assisting is nurse, Chloe.

- There we are, we're in.

Just hope that we're not too late.

- [Christopher] Nurse Zoe and student Hannah are on hand to help.

- If the kittens die inside, then Freya could become toxemic.

Then she's in trouble as well.

So the sooner we get them out, the better for all concerned.

So this is the womb that holds the babies in place.

Right, here it goes.

Let's hope we've got some live babies here.

(gentle music) Not good, not good, I'm not optimistic.

That's a beautiful little kitten.

I hope he's alive.

- [Nurse] We've got one breathing, Peter.

- [Peter] No!

I'm amazed.

(lively music) - [Christopher] Coming up.

- Hmm.

- [Christopher] Can Julian get to the bottom of Billy's latest health problem?

- He's got a lump under his tummy.

- [Julian] I dunno what it is.

- [Peter] All right, fella, all right.

- [Christopher] How will Peter fair against a vicious dinosaur?

- I don't like the tone of his voice actually.

I don't like the way he's looking at me.

- [Christopher] And the vets catch up with old friends at the Great Yorkshire Show.

- Give it a little bit of color, equivalent of a quick tan.

- [Julian] Which are the ones that are the ones to beat?

You're not gonna tell us, are you?

(cow moos) (soft music) (birds chirping) - [Christopher] The fragile balance of rural life can turn on a breath.

(somber music) At Skeldale, Peter's trying to save pedigree puss, Freya, and her unborn kittens.

- [Nurse] We've got one breathing, Peter.

- No!

I'm amazed.

There's a heartbeat there, Zoe?

- [Zoe] Yep.

- If we get one baby, I'll be very happy.

Heartbeat here.

- There we go, it's breathing.

We've got three breathing.

- Oh!

No, I'm amazed.

- [Christopher] The kittens keep on coming.

- [Peter] Yes, there's a heartbeat there.

- [Christopher] And Peter's team keep on coaxing them into life.

- So we're just trying to keep them all going.

Make sure they've all got heartbeats and that they're taking nice breaths as well.

- [Nurse] It's like, I'm sure that one just took a breath.

It's going.

- We've got three, is that one going?

- That one's going.

He's breathing for me.

- How about yours, Chloe?

- Not going yet.

- We've kind of got four and a half at the moment.

- I'm going to stitch the uterus up now and put her back together again.

You've done very well.

- [Nurse] It's your team of midwives.

- You're absolutely right.

This is just the easy bit.

Reviving them is the main bit.

- Peter, I think we're six.

- [Peter] Six?

- [Chloe] Yeah.

- Oh, absolutely fantastic.

- [Chloe] All being well.

- How lovely.

Well done, everybody.

Best thing that could happen today, (uplifting music) Let's just hope they make it now and survive, but at least they've got a chance.

- We're just gonna let her recover nicely in her kennel and just wait until she's a bit more awake and then we'll introduce her to her new little kittens.

(sheep bleating) (soft music) (pigs snorting) - [Christopher] Vets spend much of their working lives at the tail end of animals.

- Good girl, Nelly.

That's it, that's done.

- [Christopher] But there's one backside Julian knows better than most.

- Poo, poo, poo, poo, a lot of poo.

Is it all stuck there?

- [Julian] Mm, it's pretty grim, isn't it, under there?

- It's the anal glands.

Are you right, pet?

- [Christopher] Though Billy's bottom problems are behind him, he's now being treated for an eye infection.

- Oh, poor old thing, yeah.

- [Christopher] But owner Betty has noticed something much more worrying.

- He's got a lump under his tummy.

Oh yes, it's hanging.

Sort of hanging.

Hello.

- Mrs. Taylor, would you like to come through?

Just in there.

So where's the lump then under his tummy.

I'll just lift him up.

Oh I can feel it actually.

- [Betty] I don't what it is.

- Hmm.

- What is it?

- [Julian] Tell you what I'll do before we come to that.

I'll just clean his eyes.

- [Betty] Yeah.

- [Julian] They're a bit gunky aren't they, actually.

We'll get 'em cleared up first and then we'll come to, we'll look at that big hard lump under his tummy.

- [Betty] Hello, what is it?

- Billy's got a discharge in his eyes and he is got a crusty kind of goo around both of them.

All the hair around his eyes is giving him problems - Yes, what's the matter, baby.

- Come on Billy.

- Keep still now.

- We're gonna need to check him again I think later on in a few days to make sure that's healing.

I think I'll leave it at that 'cause I don't want to upset him too much.

Now he'll need some eye drops.

I've put the first dose in just now and then we'll come to that lump on his tummy.

Let's have a look.

That's it there, isn't it?

That looks a bit nasty that.

- [Betty] Oh yeah.

What is it?

- I don't know what it is.

it's very hard whatever it is.

- Oh.

- My first thought was it was a tumor that was coming out of his skin.

It's rock hard, isn't it?

It's like a pebble.

- Oh, poor Billy.

- It couldn't be a jelly baby, could it?

I think it's a jelly baby, Mrs. Taylor.

- Billy with a jelly baby.

(Betty laughs) Billy with a jelly baby.

It's a sweetie.

It is.

- Its one of those mints.

Smell it.

- Oh it is.

- It's a mint.

Billy, honestly, you're full of surprises, aren't you?

- I thought, oh, it might be an operation.

- I'd have felt a complete idiot if we anesthetized him only to surgically remove a sweet.

- Oh, a mint stuck under his tummy.

- My first thought was that it was something quite nasty.

But a mint is definitely one of the more unusual things I've seen stuck to a dog.

(soft music) - Thank you very much.

- Thanks a lot, bye bye.

- [Christopher] As part of their role, veterinary nurses often take a turn on reception.

- There's your cat, Mrs. Vaughn.

Okay?

- Thank you.

- [Christopher] With Zoe in the hot seat.

- It's quite good fun.

I'm enjoying it.

- [Christopher] Sylvia and Sharon are not ones to slack off.

- Rather than me cleaning up the dog wee today, Sharon has been doing it, Sharon and Sylvia.

It took two receptionists to clean up the wee, which it'd normally taken one nurse to clean up.

I don't usually get to see daylight.

So it's nice looking out the door a bit and actually talking to people.

- I'm gonna do a bit of bloodletting later.

- Yeah?

You get comfy chair to sit in.

There's no teeth involved anywhere.

- I think that we haven't had a busy surgery yet.

- Oh right!

- Well, you've just jinxed it now, haven't you?

God!

Pop your card in and enter your pin.

(dog whines) (gentle music) - [Christopher] Julian's on his way to check up on Frank.

Yesterday, his badly infected hooves were causing pain and discomfort.

- His owner was very worried.

He was stomping his feet and in some distress.

Oh bloody hell.

- It's awful.

- [Christopher] Frank's back feet were infested with maggots.

- This is something worse than I've ever seen.

Hello Frank.

Have you had a look at his feet today?

- [Abby] Not yet.

- All right, old boy.

I mean I like the way he's putting full weight on his legs.

He's obviously not really lame, is he?

- [Abby] No.

- I'll look at this one first, this was the better one.

That looks a bit better.

It's not at all smelly considering.

- It doesn't seem to this morning.

I mean normally when you come in the barn you can smell it straight away.

- It definitely doesn't smell anything like as badly as it did.

Right, shall we look at the worst one now?

No maggots, no.

That looks all together healthier and happier, doesn't it?

I think we've made some good progress already with that.

- [Abby] Mm.

- He's such a good patient.

There's plenty of horses you wouldn't dream of doing this to around the back feet.

- Especially one so big.

- Yeah.

This is good so far.

I'm really pleased 'cause that's about as grim as you get, isn't it, with a foot.

- Worst I've ever seen.

- [Julian] You're a good boy, Frank.

- [Abby] Thank you very much.

- He's looking pretty good today.

Frank's doing well already.

It's still quite early days, but I think you know he's made a good improvement so far and there's every reason to think Abby will be back riding Frank before too long.

(upbeat piano music) - [Christopher] Not far from Thirsk, in an ordinary street, in an ordinary house, lives an extraordinary resident.

Norman is a three-foot long Savannah monitor lizard.

- [Billy] There we go, there it goes.

- [Christopher] And he shares his home with Billy.

- He's pretty grumpy.

He wants his dinner I think.

And it would be my finger if I make a mistake.

Bitten me twice.

He doesn't let go when he bites.

A lot of blood like.

He's got a lot of teeth.

It's not like a bunny rabbit or a hamster.

Got something with a bit of aggression.

It's just part of family really.

Well, my part of family.

Missus don't like him.

- [Christopher] For Billy's wife, Karen, it was loathe at first sight.

- First time I actually met Norman, I nearly died.

Just scared to death of him.

And three years later, I'm still exactly the same.

When Billy moved up here, Norman was sort of part of the parcel.

Rather not have him, but he's, like I say, he is part of us now.

- Yeah.

What isn't to love about him.

He's great.

You don't see many of that size.

He's a good lad.

He's my boy and that's it.

- [Christopher] Karen's daughter, Ellie Joe, is wary, too.

- Look, he would never eat Sam.

I am cautious of him.

I'm not.

I'll hold him and things if Billy is there 'cause he's kind of a modern day dinosaur.

(soft music) - [Christopher] And now Norman's eyeing up the staff at Skeldale.

- He's getting his nails clipped today.

In captivity, there's no way of wearing them down 'cause he used to climb rocks and trees.

Cost me 40 quid.

Spur of the moment thing.

I saw him, he was only a baby.

He gets a bit grumpy sometimes, but he's all right.

- [Peter] Mr. Milner, would you like to bring Norman through.

- Can you carry that?

- With animals like this, they've got to be in the right hands because if they're in the wrong hands, it's pretty miserable for these reptiles.

Norman's owner is obviously fanatical about him.

It certainly isn't something to be taking on lightly.

- Don't do lizards and things.

Stick at rabbit and dog, I think.

(Peter laughs) - Grumpy boy, can't ya?

- [Peter] Can he?

Does he get a bit grumpy sometimes?

- Oh yeah.

- Especially when he is not had his food.

- Oh, and has he not had his food, no?

- Not yet.

- Right.

- He's bitten me twice now.

It took about 40 minutes before he let go of me hand.

- [Peter] And what are we going to do with him?

- His nails are getting bit long, twisting that one.

- Yeah.

- It's twisting.

- Yeah.

Good lad, eh?

All right, fella, all right.

I don't like the tone of his voice, actually.

I don't like the way he's looking at me.

(soft music) - [Christopher] Farmer Ralph Alderson is one of the practice's favorite clients, but today there's not a sickly sheep in sight.

He's getting the cream of his flock into tip top condition for one of the biggest events of the year, The Great Yorkshire Show.

- Socially it's important, but on a business footing it's a chance to meet potential customers.

Promote your livestock.

It's your shop window.

(sheep bleating) These are the ones that I feel as if I'd be proud to take to the show.

Yes, baby.

We're just getting them clean 'cause they just love getting dirty.

Without the use of any soap or detergent or anything like that.

We don't wanna disturb the wool.

We just want to get the dirt off.

(sheep bleating) I haven't got eyes in the back of me head for that one.

He got me.

It's the action of them shaking the water off that does most of the cleaning, that's the thing.

If you can get 'em to shake, that's good.

We're about done.

(sheep bleating) (water spraying) I think this is a decent sort of a ram.

This is a good shearling.

We'll just have to see.

I like my ewe lamb.

I think she's quite sweet, but that's maybe's a bit of favoritism, I don't know, on my part.

- [Christopher] Ralph's boys have scrubbed up well, but he's pinning most of his hopes on Rosie.

- She's quite a pleasant sheep.

The tension'll build, and just, hopefully, they won't get too excited and I hope that my nerves and excitement don't rub off on 'em as we walk out in that ring.

We want them as calm as possible.

Come along, boys.

Looking forward to this year's Great Yorkshire Show.

I think we might be in with a shout in one or two classes, but you never know what's gonna happen.

Good morning, Laura and Bill.

- Hello.

- [Christopher] Coming up.

- Crikey.

- [Christopher] Billy's back, but this time it's much more serious.

- He's had a sore eye, which we've been struggling to get on top of.

I know Mrs. Taylor's very worried.

She thinks he's gonna go blind.

(bird squawks) - [Christopher] Peter ruffles some feathers among Thirsk's birds of prey.

(bird squawking) - [Peter] Unimpressed.

- [Christopher] And the vets head for the Great Yorkshire Show.

- [Peter] So what's your money on?

- [Julian] Look how fluffed up his tail is.

- You can't go for fluffy tail.

- [Christopher] To cheer on some familiar faces.

- The idea is to make his backside look as big as possible.

So when judge looks at it, he thinks that animal's got lots of meat in it.

(sheep bleating) (soft music) - [Receptionist] Hello, Burt.

Just have a seat.

- [Patient] Cheers, thank you.

- [Christopher] All patients treated here hope to recover quickly, but- - See you later.

- [Christopher] As pets get older, they're more prone to health problems.

- Mrs. Taylor, do you want to come through.

- 12-year-old Billy's back.

- Hello.

- [Christopher] And this time his eyes have got worse.

- He's had a number of problems over the last few months, but he's had a sore eye which we've been struggling to get on top of.

I know Mrs. Taylor's very worried.

She thinks he's gonna go blind.

Can see the top part of the eye's pretty red.

And the thing that's worrying me is the middle part, which is an ulcer.

Let me just put some color drops in.

This tells if there's any damage on the surface of the eye.

You see that green bit in the middle, that's quite a big ulcer.

And I don't think it's getting any smaller.

So what I think we should do is do it tiny operation, but it will help that to heal.

- You might as well.

Look at him.

- [Julian] We'll do him straight away and the recovery's quite quick.

Can you walk or shall I carry you?

- He can walk.

- Yeah, I'll let him walk.

Right then, Bill, you come this way.

Right, is that okay?

- Yeah.

(soft music) - [Julian] Come on, Billy.

- [Kate] Hello, Billy.

- [Julian] You know Billy, don't you?

- [Christopher] Nurse Kate is assisting.

- Bet his eye's pretty sore now.

Well, this is the kind of ulcer that if we didn't intervene and treat it appropriately, he probably would get worse.

The eyeball can actually rupture and burst, which is a horrible consequence.

So we don't want to get to that stage.

There we are, good boy.

Big yawn.

That's the third eyelid there, which naturally is the protective part of a dog or cat eye.

It comes across, and what I'm going to do here is stitch it up there so it acts like an eye patch.

It'll make the eye instantly a lot more comfortable for Billy.

(soft music) The plan is to take off the dead cells on the surface of the ulcer.

Whenever there's dead cells on a cornea, it doesn't lend itself to healing at all.

It's a little bit like the equivalent of picking off a scab.

(suspenseful music) It only needs a couple of little stitches, but they need to be done in the right way and in the right place to get the eyelid across.

Usually the cause of injuries like this is something that's rubbed on the eye or banged the eye.

But maybe that it's just a simple conjunctivitis infection that's just got worse.

So as I tighten that.

You see?

- Hmm?

Pulling the eyelid across.

- [Julian] Yeah, the eyelid goes across.

Does that look neat?

- [Kate] That's lovely.

- Looks a bit strange.

And when he wakes up from his anesthetic, he won't know what's going on.

He'll think it's nighttime.

- [Christopher] And while Billy is sleeping, there's just time for a quick trim.

- Just a bit.

It's stressful business being a vet, whoops, and a hairdresser as well.

Couldn't get us a hairbrush, could you?

- Oh, I think it likes that.

- Think he likes that.

Excellent.

So this stitch stays in place for about a week and then we'll take the stitch out and then he'll be able to see, hopefully, quite well.

I think you'll feel a bit better for that.

(upbeat music) - [Christopher] Most of Skeldale's clients are cute and cuddly.

(cat meows) But Peter's patient has a terrifying reputation.

- Not getting my finger, no.

- [Christopher] His claws are long and his teeth are extremely sharp.

- I am nervous, yes, yes.

It's the way he is looking at me, that's just unnerving me a little.

That still looks very long and yet I'm down to the tip of the quick.

- Why is he actually bleeding?

- Because it's like the sensitive bit under your nail.

We've just caught the very tip of it.

Good lad, hey, good boy.

Are you after your breakfast now?

Oh, best steak.

Best steak, Norman.

What do you reckon?

He's relaxed now, I think.

His eyes have changed.

They're not like they were.

He was sort of fearful but aggressive.

Now his eyes are much more relaxed.

- [Billy] Almost lost a finger.

(people laughing) - Billy is that enough.

- So I mean he might be okay for another six, nine months, even longer.

- [Billy] Do you want a hold before he goes?

- Oh.

- [Billy] He's a weight, isn't he?

- [Peter] Solid lad.

I'm really taking with him, really taken.

- [Billy] Thank you, Peter.

- Anytime and I'll look forward to seeing Norman again.

- [Billy] Oh yeah, you will do.

- Very good, thank you, Karen.

- Bye.

- Okay, take care.

- Bye.

- Bye-bye.

Whoa.

What a chap Norman is.

It's absolutely phenomenal to see something like that.

'Cause, you know, we see a few exotic species, but Norman I think is the budding star.

(upbeat music) - [Christopher] All year round North Yorkshire's farmers are working the land and tending their herds and flocks.

- [Farmer] Come by.

- [Christopher] But there's one week of the year when they all head for one of the biggest events of the rural calendar, the Great Yorkshire Show.

(sheep bleating) (lively music) - [Announcer] The Belgian horse seat, our horse, a very stocky horse.

- [Christopher] Every year, it attracts thousands of visitors from all over the UK.

- [Announcer] Repeating a success from Scotland.

- It's obviously a major event nationally, but within our part of north Yorkshire, it's really popular.

- [Announcer] The sucker punch.

A lot of work being put in to ensure.

- It's nice to get the opportunity today to see animals when they're healthy and are at their best.

My personal favorites are the beef animals actually.

They're such strong, robust animals.

So I always head there first.

(cow moos) (soft music) - [Christopher] Competition in the cattle classes is fierce and Skeldale's clients are out in force.

- They all look brilliant, don't they.

I mean that's the thing.

I mean how on earth, would you pick one out?

- Oh the judge has got a difficult task.

- Up against these would be.

- Yeah, yeah, and we actually bought this cow off them.

- Oh right.

Was he regretting selling you that one or not that one?

- I think maybe he was, yeah.

- Which in a way, just hoping you do all right.

- Ian.

- All right, how you do?

- [Peter] Very well.

- Very smart.

Can you tell when you look around, which are the ones that are the ones to beat?

- You can.

- Oh, you're not gonna tell us, are you?

- I'm not gonna say.

- I don't blame you.

- [Farmer] That's it, fluff it up.

- [Christopher] In showing circles, fluffing is quite an art.

- [Julian] You've fluffed up its tail like that.

- We've fluffed up his tail and we've actually fluffed his back end up a bit to make him look wider.

- There's an awful lot of work goes into producing the animals.

Everything's done in a very friendly spirit.

But everyone likes to win, and farmers are no exception to that.

They like to win, believe you may.

- And will you start brushing cows up ready for show?

- Yes.

- [Christopher] Client, Martin Jackson, is a Great Yorkshire Show veteran.

- Cows mean a lot to me.

They like my family, they're my children.

It's me, me and my animals.

That's what it's all about.

Comradery, but competition.

I'd hope to come away with maybe a red rosette today secretly.

Cactus, she was at Royal Island, she stood second first time we'd shown her.

High hopes with this young lady.

It's gonna be against a very good cow what had won championship.

I'll just waiting for that.

I think it's gonna, yes.

Wipe its bum next, keep it clean.

Show time, we're here from Saturday till Thursday, you're wiping the bums of cows maybe 1, 200 times.

Yes, he's polishing me there, so I look beautiful as well.

(horse neighs) (dramatic music) - [Ralph] All right, Charles?

You're looking a bit frisky there.

- A lot.

- It's a nice morning.

Good luck.

- [Christopher] Across the showground is another familiar face, Ralph Alderson.

- This is our last minute preparations before we get judged in about an hour's time.

I've got five to do so I'm in a bit of a rush.

I'm a bit twitchy, I'm a bit nervous.

Usually something goes wrong.

You gotta expect the unexpected.

The idea is to make his backside look as big as possible.

So when judge looks at it, he thinks that animal's got lots of meat in it.

(sheep bleating) Perfect looking wool and because this year, they've got to be named with the letter R, this one's called Rosie.

Get down missus, you daft beggar.

What you doing, eh?

You think that's funny?

(sheep bleating) 'Cause I don't.

(soft music) - [Christopher] Martin and his short horns are already in the show ring.

- Our clients are here year after year.

They're pitting their wits against the best animals in the country.

So even if they don't do very well, it doesn't mean that they've got poor stock.

There's such a very narrow divide between what comes first and what comes third or fourth.

- Not as far forward as a first two in the class.

A little bit further off, thank you.

- I don't know, I expected bottom in that so very happy, very happy.

- How's it going?

Good to see you.

- You all right?

- Yeah, yeah.

- Success.

Good day?

- Yeah, good day.

Third with Cactus.

- That's good.

- We're fifth with this, but with Boff we had a big surprise.

We've had a good day, that's the main thing.

Tired out though, but it's okay.

- [Christopher] Ralph Alderson has been showing his beloved Charollais sheep for more than 20 years.

- [Peter] It's nerveracking.

- [Ralph] It is nerveracking.

- Do you enjoy it when you're here?

- Oh yeah, yeah, I like showing.

- [Peter] Is it this the stiffest competition?

- Oh to see the sheep here.

They've come from around the country.

It's what they do.

It's their profession, showing sheep.

(soft music) - [Announcer] Into the judging wing, please.

- [Ralph] Here we go.

- I'll set up for you.

- Morning.

- Morning, Tom, - [Julian] It's a big ordeal for them.

There's a lot of emotions, I think, that they've put into this business and I'm sure they'll be putting on a smiling face, but inside they will be feeling quite anxious.

(sheep bleating) - Thank you.

- [Christopher] Though Ralph's ram has won a rosette, it isn't first prize.

- Feeling a bit flat and bit fla-bluffed.

I like a win.

(sheep bleating) (lively violin music) - [Christopher] Meanwhile Peter and Julian are second guessing the judges.

- So which one's gonna win, do you think?

- What do I know?

- Have you ever judged cattle?

- No, no.

So what's your money on?

- That one's back's a bit saggy, I dunno.

That one looks quite nice, doesn't it?

- I know nothing but I do like that 33 there.

I think he's a good solid bull.

- I see what you mean, he's nice and big.

He's got strong legs.

We haven't got a clue though, have we?

- I've got no idea.

- If we're honest.

34 looks good, doesn't he?

Look how fluffed up his tail is.

- You can't go for fluffy tails.

- Look at the tail on yours.

- Tails aren't everything.

(cows moo) - Come on then, make a decision.

So the winner's at that end.

- Yeah.

- So I'm next to last and you're next to next to last.

Sadly, being a vet doesn't necessarily make you a good judge of a good show winner.

- We better just stick to the day job, I think.

- [Christopher] Though Ralph's boys have collected a raft of rosettes, there's still no first prize.

- We've got a fourth, a fifth and a sixth, so it's okay, but it's not brilliant.

All nice bright colored ones, aren't there?

The red ones we want.

- [Christopher] But there's one more class to go.

He's now hoping his favorite lamb, Rosie, will scoop first prize.

- Just give her a little bit of color, equivalent of a quick tan.

Come on Rosie, you've gotta do it.

Fingers crossed.

(soft music) (sheep bleating) - There you are.

- You run out, Jonathan.

unfortunately, we were just outside the tickets, so nevermind.

I was just out gunned.

- Just because you get a fourth, you don't berate yourself.

You almost, you celebrate it really well.

I think so.

- Yeah?

- And there's always next year.

(gentle music) - That's nice, isn't it that?

- Beautiful, yeah.

I couldn't believe it when we walked past the gin stall and who was there propping it up, but my wife.

Oh look who's beaten us to it.

I think she's getting quite a liking for Yorkshire gin.

So we're going to have to ration her a bit, really.

I'll have half a pint, please, yes.

(Peter laughs) Thank you very much.

- [Julian] You could probably spend the whole day here.

- [Peter] I could.

I love it.

That's a proper pie, isn't it?

- That's a massive pie.

- [Store Holder] Fellas, treat yourself.

(soft music) (dog barking) - You just take a seat.

One of the vet's will call you through.

- [Christopher] For most patients at the practice, the waiting room's a placed to snooze.

- [Nurse] Come on, mister.

- [Christopher] But Billy's been here so many times, it's become his second home.

- Where is he?

- He's in here.

Billy.

- Billy.

Oh, look at him.

- [Christopher] This time he's back for a checkup.

- [Nurse] Come on Billy.

That's good.

- Right.

Well, this eye looks a lot better actually.

We were going to release that and take the stitch out, but it's actually happened of its own accord.

So Billy's done his own stitch removal, which is very clever of Billy.

The procedure's worked well to allow the eye to heal, but the next step is to just take this little stitch out which is there and needs to come out.

There we are.

- That's better, isn't it?

Oh yeah, you clever boy.

- There's a little bit of ulceration there, but it's very superficial now and there's new blood vessels coming in and allowing that to heal.

So this is looking quite good and that's why you're feeling more perky.

Right then, Billy, let's pop you down.

I'm pretty confident that he'll make a a full recovery now.

- [Christopher] It's being a bit of a hairy tale for poor Billy.

- Literally I'm just cutting the crap at the moment.

Couldn't be a jelly baby, could it?

- [Betty] It is!

- [Julian] It's just stressful business being a vet.

Whoops, and a hairdresser as well.

- [Christopher] But this time he's in for a real treat.

A pamper session at the pooch parlor next door.

(groomer groans) - [Groomer] So what are we doing with him today?

- Everything.

- [Groomer] Make sure your bum's all clean, Billy.

- He likes it.

(soft music) Oh look at this bum.

- Good boy.

Good boy.

- Look at you.

Little Billy willy.

Thanks ever so much.

- See you later.

- See you later.

- [Groomer] See you next time.

(lively music) (coo moos) - [Christopher] After a hectic week, Peter's glad of a chance to escape to the country.

- We're just going to see our local bird of prayer center.

We've got to microchip a couple of Harris hawks there.

These birds mean business, so we've just got to treat them with the respect that they deserve.

- [Christopher] Thirsk Bird of Praise Centre is home to one of the largest collections in the UK.

Kerry is one of the directors.

- We do three displays a day.

We do a number of experienced days to get people up close to appreciate these birds and to also learn.

(soft music) - Kerry.

- Hi ya.

- [Christopher] Joining them is handler David.

- Good to See ya.

- You too, you too.

- Morning, Peter, you all right?

How you doing?

Not so bad.

- Good lad, good lad.

You look as if you're well organized and it looks if you expecting me.

- [David] Got the gloves, got the gloves.

(soft music) (hawk squawks) - So not very happy about this, are we little one?

- [David] Noisy chap.

(hawk squawks) - The Harris Hawks are very much bird that are easily stolen, unfortunately.

Just to, hopefully, just to deter people that they are microchipped and it is just for the security side.

- Last but not least, little Tweed.

- Tweed?

- Harris Tweet.

- He named the bird.

- Right.

This one seems quite plump, David.

This isn't being any favoritism, has it?

Excellent.

- There we go.

- Job done.

- Last one.

- We're all done with them.

- Thank you.

- I'll get on with my work.

(bird chirping) - [Christopher] With his work done, it's the eagles that have caught Peter's eye.

- Eight foot wingspan.

- Eight foot wingspan!

- So with her, just keep your arm out as far as you can for me.

- When she's coming towards you, she looks so massive flying towards you, you've got to hold your nerve and stand there.

Whoa.

So for a novice like me, that takes some doing.

Fantastic.

I've had a pretty heavy week at work.

And to come out here this morning, I've really enjoyed myself.

(eagle chirps) I couldn't be anywhere better than somewhere like this.

Excellent, thank you.

Sometimes I think I'm probably one of the luckiest people in the world.

Thank you very much.

- Thank you.

(birds chirping) (uplifting music) - Right, Flora.

- [Christopher] Next time, (dog growls) Peter gets to grips with a grumpy Great Dane.

- With a mass like this, there's always potential for spread, so we've just got to get it just right really.

- Sylvia's cooking up trouble at Borrowby's show.

- Ta da!

I am eying up the competition.

And there's some blooming good ones this time.

- [Christopher] And Julian gets jiggy.

- You need to start screwing.

- [Christopher] With a piggy.

(pig grunts) (upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (soft music) (no audio) (no audio)