Cannon Hall Farm has issued an emotional warning to fans of The Yorkshire Vet, telling them to have “the tissues ready” ahead of a special episode honouring its shire horse stallion Herkules, who died suddenly last year after an onset of colic.
Memorial bench and garden tribute
The farm, known for its appearances on Channel 5’s Springtime on the Farm as well as The Yorkshire Vet, will mark the horse’s passing with a memorial bench in an upcoming episode of the series. In the same episode, vet Peter Wright is set to establish a memorial garden for pets lost over the years, including a statue of James Herriot, the original Yorkshire vet.
In a trailer for the series, which starts on Thursday (August 13), a voiceover explains: “Across Yorkshire’s moors and dales, James Herriot’s work established him as the world’s most famous vet. Just as he’ll always be remembered, so will the animals we love.”
Peter Wright’s mission
The voiceover continues: “The Yorkshire Vet team who follow in Herriot’s footsteps, and other like-minded souls who spend every day helping animals, are coming together for a mission born out of passion. They’ve always guided pet owners through the toughest times. Now they want to help them move on when their four-legged friends are gone, with the vision of spreading their message far and wide, because devotion to all creatures great and small lasts forever.”
Peter announced in the trailer: “I’ve known for some time we should have somewhere we can go and remember our pets.”
Farm’s emotional plea
On the official Cannon Hall Instagram page, farmers Rob and Dave warned: “Have your tissues at the ready for the upcoming new series of @yorkshirevetc5 – we appear on the special episode on Thursday (August 13) with a very special tribute to our shire horse Herkules. Tune in at 8pm on Channel 5.”
Rob previously announced Herkules’ death to devastated fans on Facebook, writing: “It’s really difficult to take in, heartbreaking is an easy word to say, but we just can’t believe it. He had everything going for him. I never thought we’d have an animal like him. Losing him has floored us, but the sympathy and good wishes that have flowed in our direction have helped ease the pain a little.”
