THE search is on for a new secretary of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association (RCAA). 

In September, the RCAA announced that their long-standing secretary, Christopher Riddle, would be retiring in September 2024. He is stepping down after an impresive 35 years in the role. 

The association has now appointed Hanover Fox, a company who focuses on executive recruitment, to help find a successor.

The association has said the role is an 'oustanding opportunity' to apply leadership skills in a charitable organisation that benefits agriculture in Cornwall. The candidate is expected to 'lead the development of a refreshed mission and vision' for the RCAA and to deliver the 'exacting high standards' of the Royal Cornwall Show.

A spokesperson for the RCAA said they are looking for someone that 'come[s] from the agricultural/rural sector in its widest sense' and 'bring the emotional intelligence to interact with a wide range of people'. 

"There are certainly some 'big boots' to fill for what will surely be a very important appointment," the spokesperson added. 

Chris is only the ninth person to hold this position since the association was founded in 1793, and took over the role from his father, Albert Riddle, in 1989, after joining the association a decade earlier in 1979.