The new President of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society for 2005-06 is Lord Hotham of Dalton Hall, Beverley, East Yorkshire. Lord Hotham takes over the role from Christopher Bourne-Arton, and follows in the family footsteps, his father, the 7th Baron Hotham was President of the Society in 1960. The position as President is an annual appointment and in the past has included in 1951, tHRH The Princess Royal, HRH The Duchess of Kent and HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron.

A member of the Society since 1982, as President Lord Hotham will be the Society's figure head during his year in office, particularly at the 2006 Great Yorkshire Show. In the run up to then, his role will include chairing the four Society council meetings which take place throughout the year, and representing the Society at a number of ceremonial and social engagements.

Lord Hotham is looking forward to the next 12 months and hopes to bring something new to the post, he said: "I am very honoured to become President as until now I have been more on the sidelines of the Society than some of my predecessors. I hope that this means that I may be able to bring a fresh pair of eyes and different perspective to the role."

Born in May 1940, he is the 8th Baron and 18th Baronet. He was educated at Eton and the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. He served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards and as ADC (Aide De Camp) to the governor of Tasmania from 1963-66.

In June 1972 he married Alexandra, second daughter of Major Andrew Drummond Moray of Comrie, Perthshire. The couple have three children, William, 32, George 31 and Elizabeth 29.

The family home is at Dalton Hall near Beverley. The Dalton estate based at South Dalton is a commercial and sporting estate, selling agricultural produce, and timber, as well as offering agricultural, residential and commercial properties for rent.

The estate carries out projects under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, and includes woodland extending to approximately 700 acres.