Warwickshire YFC members were ahead of Gloucestershire YFC taking the Overall Team Cup at the English Winter Fair YFC Stock and Carcase Judging Competition held on Sunday 19th November. Their members fought off a very high standard of competition from over 110 young farmers’ members across 19 teams entered into this year’s English Winter Fair YFC Stock and Carcase Judging classes. The one-day competition was hailed a great success following a great comeback year for YFC clubs across England and Wales after the pandemic. Staffordshire YFC organise this competition and their County Chairman, James Freeman, said “We had 19 teams entered from 15 counties across England and Wales this year. The popularity of our competitions is high amongst the members and they enjoy the quality stock and carcases available to judge as well as the facilities at the County Showground in Stafford.”
The English Winter Fair took place at the weekend, 18th – 19th November and the YFC classes were kindly sponsored by IAE with very generous prize monies on offer. Young Farmers were able to judge Live Lamb and Beef Classes and Lamb and Beef Carcase Classes thanks to support from the show organiser, Staffordshire & Birmingham Agricultural Society along with IAE Frank Klucznik, Managing Director said ‘Congratulations not only to all of the competitors who received a prize card in yesterday’s Stock and Carcase Judging event, but also to all those who partook in the competition. It was a fantastic spectacle to see so many enthusiastic, talented members of YFC in the main ring and it was a real privilege for myself, on behalf of IAE to present the awards. Many congratulations again!’
Frank Klucznik of IAE alongside the English Winter Fair Committee Chairlady, Sandra Hopley, presented the members with their prize cards in the main ring.
In the Live Lambs class, judged in Bingley Hall, with the lambs kindly provided by Madders & Johnson, the highest scoring Senior Competitor was awarded Jonny Rogers of Shropshire YFC with 87 points. The Overall Intermediate Competitor was Isla of Gloucestershire YFC with 94 points. The highest scoring team in this class was awarded to Somerset for their combined total of 177 points.
The Live Beef class was judged in the stalls, with some fine cattle provided by the very supportive exhibitors at the show. The highest scoring Senior Competitor was Lottie Hill of Somerset YFC with 99 points. In the Intermediate Section, John Jeyes of Warwickshire YFC came first with 98 points. As a team, Montgomery YFC took first place in this class scoring a combined total of 190 points.
The Carcase Classes were all judged in the excellent Carcase Hall facility with carcasses very kindly provided by Messrs Bradshaw Bros. In the Lamb Carcase class, the Overall Senior Competitor was won Georgia Thatcher of Worcestershire YFC with 95 points. The Overall Intermediate Competitor was awarded jointly to Cai Edwards of Glamorgan YFC and Emyr of Herefordshire YFC with 93 points. The Overall team in this section was won by the team from Glamorgan YFC who achieved a combined total of 181 points.
The final class of the day was the Beef Carcase Class. The Overall Senior Competitor was won jointly by Rhondda Warner-King of Gloucestershire YFC and Merv Powell of Herefordshire with 92 points. The Overall Intermediate Competitor was Rosie of Worcestershire YFC with 81 points. The Overall Team in this final class was won by Gloucestershire YFC with a combined total of 172 points.
The Michael Bradshaw Award for the Overall Stockjudging Team was awarded to Somerset YFC with Montgomery YFC in second place and Warwickshire YFC in third place. The Michael Bradshaw Award for the Overall Carcase Judging Team was awarded jointly to Glamorgan YFC and Gloucestershire YFC with Warwickshire YFC taking third place.
After a full day of judging, The Birmingham Agricultural Exhibition Society Silver Challenge Cup, awarded for the Overall Team on the day went to Warwickshire YFC after they gained a grand total of 689 points in all the classes. They were followed by Gloucestershire YFC in second place with 687 points and in third place, Glamorgan YFC with 680 points.
Stockjudging and Carcase judging competitions remain a very important and competitive sector in the Young Farmers Federations across the country, as this day has demonstrated so well. The facilities at the English Winter Fair are ideal for YFC to showcase this. Next year, the English Winter Fair committee will continue to host these competitions for YFC members and looks forward to welcoming the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs again, to take part in this very successful show, with their Live and Carcase Judging Competition Finals, which were also held again at the Show this year.
Photos from the day can be found HERE
PHOTOS OF PRIZE WINNERS CAN BE FOUND HERE
Most Outstanding County Officer: Harry Butson-Competitions Chair and Olivia Lockett-Development Chair.
David Palij Award: Awarded to the Club that has done the most for charity/community work during the last 12 months.
Winner: Ashley YFC; Runners up: Leek YFC
Manifold Marketing Award: Awarded to the Club who best promotes their Club and engagement in Club, County & Community Events.
Winner: Ashley YFC, Runners-up: Eccleshall YFC
The Richard Mottershead Club Programme Award: Awarded to the Club gaining the highest number of points within the Club Efficiency Competition for the Club Programme section.
Winner: Ashley YFC; Joint Runners up: Eccleshall YFC & Uttoxeter JNFU
Scrapbook Award: Awarded to the Club who produces the most interesting and unique scrapbook based on the activities of their own Club over the past membership year.
Winner: Ashley YFC, Runner Up: Lichfield YFC
Junior Stockjudging Cup: Winner: Waterhouses YFC, Runner Up: Uttoxeter JNFU.
Intermediate Stockjudging Cup: Winner: Chase YFC, Runner Up: Leek YFC.
Senior Stockjudging Cup: Winner: Uttoxeter JNFU, Runner Up: Chase YFC.
Overall Stockjudging Cup: Winner: Chase YFC & Waterhouses YFC, Runner Up: Uttoxeter JNFU.
Most Improved Club – Competitions Cup: Awarded to the Club that has achieved the highest improvement in points for competitions from the 2020/2021 year.
Winner: Stone YFC; Runner Up: Eccleshall YFC
Small Clubs Trophy: Awarded to one of the four smallest Clubs in the County with regard to membership, that has achieved the most points throughout the year for competitions.
Winner: Cheadle YFC; Runner Up: Lichfield YFC
Mr Ken Unwin MBE Memorial Cup: Awarded to the Club who most improves in Public Speaking, Stock Judging, Carcase Judging and Tug of War.
Winner: Cheadle YFC; Joint Runners Up: Abbotsholme, Ashley and Chase YFC
Overall Competitions Cup: Presented to the club with the most points for the Competitions that have been held for the last 12 months:
Joint Winners: Eccleshall YFC and Uttoxeter JNFU; Runner Up: Chase YFC
W.H.D. Hobson Cup: Awarded to the Club with the highest increase in membership.
Winner: Chase YFC, Runner Up: Abbotsholme YFC
Newsletter Shield: For the best contribution to the Young Farmers’ Book of the Year
Winners: Ashley YFC; Runner Up – Abbotsholme YFC
The David Stubbs Award: Donated by the Stubbs Family in 2022 in memory o Mr David Stubbs, Former County Chairman and Vice President of the Federation. It is awarded to the club who most improves in the competition areas which were davids passions. Namely, Dairy Stockjudging, Stickman of the year and Carcass Judging.
Winners: Chase YFC, Runners Up, Leek YFC.:
Mr & Mrs W.A. Taylor Senior Merit Award: Awarded to the most outstanding individual at Club or County level was presented Jessica Sammons and Natalie Bradley both of Eccleshall YFC who have both displayed outstanding leadership skills within their club and also to the County Federation.
Junior Merit Award: This is presented to the most outstanding junior individual at Club or County level was presented to Molly of Eccleshall YFC who has thrown herself to an array of activities and helped at many events within her club as well as at county events..
YFC Travel Certificates along with NFYFC Certificates of Achievement were also presented to all members who had taken part in the National Federation of Young Farmers finals of various competitions throughout the year too.
The final awards of the evening are the most prestigious to receive and are judged throughout the year as a “Club Efficiency” Competition, which encapsulates all aspects of a YFC Club. The aim of the competition is to encourage members and Club Officers to work together as an effective team for the benefit of all members. Judges look for all aspects of how the clubs are run and hope to see good club administration and record keeping, strong leadership and governance and active promotion of the clubs through publicity and community engagement. They also want to see teamwork, ideas and enthusiasm from all club members. From this competition, the following awards were presented:
Most Outstanding Chairman: Winner: Tom Bowers, Eccleshall YFC
Runner-up: Danny Emmott, Ashley YFC
Most Outstanding Secretary: Winner: Natalie Bradley, Eccleshall YFC
Joint Runners-up: Olivia Lockett, Ashley YFC & Hollie Kelly, Chase YFC
Most Outstanding Treasurer: Winner: Toby Hall, Uttoxeter JNFU
Runner-up: Charlotte Martin, Ashley YFC
Most Outstanding Club Leader: Winner: Jack Salt, Ashley YFC
Runner-up: Jessica Sammons, Eccleshall YFC
Club Efficiency Shield: Winner: Ashley YFC
Runner-up: Uttoxeter JNFU
On Thursday 5th October a total of nine clubs were represented at the Carcase Judging Competition – many thanks to TG Sargeants of Bramshall for kindly hosting the competition for Lamb & Beef carcases.
Many thanks to the judges, stewards and scorers for supporting the competition, and also thanks for the members competing too.
Photos can be seen HERE
Results as follows;
CARCASE JUDGING RESULTS
16 & UNDER – BEEF
1ST Jack H Lichfield 82pts
2ND Oliver F Chase 81pts
3RD Sam W Chase 79pts
16 & UNDER – LAMB
1ST Adam R Uttoxeter 79pts
=2ND Alice W Waterhouses 72pts
=2nd George L Cheadle 72pts
21 & UNDER – BEEF
1ST Hollie Kelly Chase 140pts
2ND Molly Bratton Eccleshall 131pts
=3RD Katie B Waterhouses 129pts
=3rd Thomas Whilock Cheadle 129pts
21 & UNDER – LAMB
=1ST Jessica Yardley Eccleshall 123pts
=1st Adele S Waterhouses 123pts
3RD Alfie Waring Cheadle 121pts
28 & UNDER – BEEF
1ST Connor Whitehead Eccleshall 145pts
2ND Rob Mollatt Uttoxeter 139pts
3RD Lizzy James Leek 138pts
28 & UNDER – LAMB
1ST Mark Baskerville Eccleshall 138pts
2ND James Freeman Chase 130pts
3rd Kate Oakes Chase 129pts
OVERALL TEAMS
1ST ECCLESHALL 678pts
2ND CHASE 663pts
3RD UTTOXETER 649pts
from Sunday 1st October 2023, held at PowerLeague, Stoke on Trent
Ecceshall
Leek
AshleyCheadleUttoxeter Leek
MAN OF THE MATCH – The one and only ANDY HILL
from Sunday 23rd July 2023 – in total 12 rafts with crews navigated the course with varying degrees of success! Uttoxeter JNFU – Young Farmers Eccleshall Young Farmers Ashley Young Farmers Cheadle Young Farmers Uttoxeter JNFU – Young Farmers Uttoxeter JNFU – Young Farmers
“A Day in History”
Best Name Board;
1st – Lichfield YFC (Christmas Day)
2nd – Ashley YFC (1st Day of the Millennium)
3rd – Leek YFC (Olympics 2012 – Super Saturday)
Floats;
1st – Chase YFC (ABBA Winning Eurovision)
2nd – Abbotsholme YFC (Great Fire of London)
3rd – Leek YFC (Olympics 2012 – Super Saturday)
4th – Waterhouses YFC (VE Day)
Results Sheet can be downloaded HERE
Pictures from the Show Float Competition can be found HERE
After a brilliant first day at the County Show, Staffordshire Young Farmers held their Male and Female Tug of War in the Main Ring on Wednesday evening, 31st May. A full grandstand of supporters from across the County and other clubs also turned out in force to watch a hard-fought competition. Many of the teams have been training three times a week since the new year and their hard work and efforts paid off.
With a record number of entries in both competitions and following a great standard of pulling the results on the evening for the male competition were: Waterhouses YFC team beat Eccleshall A YFC to the 1st place position. Eccleshall A YFC were the runners-up and Cheadle YFC took 3rd place.
In the female competition, Waterhouses YFC again took the 1st place after a close finish with Cheadle YFC coming 2nd. Leek YFC came in with a closely fought 3rd place.
The 1st and 2nd placed teams from each competition will now go forward to the West Midlands Round of the competition at being held on Saturday 1st July at Hanbury Show, Worcestershire.
Tug of War remains an ever popular competition which encourages members to work together as a team with long terms benefits of improvement of fitness, strength and technique as well as discipline, enjoyment, sportsmanship, respect and teamwork.
Please click HERE for photos from the evening
The Stafford County Show saw Staffordshire Young Farmers Clubs (YFC) inside their marquee with a fully packed offering of activities for everyone to get involved in along with many displays of the competitions and achievements of the members during the last 12 months. The show also saw the return of the Club Display Competition with YFC members from all ten clubs using their creative skills to create a display promoting their club in a space no larger than 1m2.
The judges for this competition were Charlotte Rigby of HSKSG Accountants & Ailish Ross, West Midlands Area Chairperson, following a difficult deliberation with such excellent displays, the final results were, 1st place Stone YFC, with Eccleshall YFC 2nd and in 3rd place were Lichfield YFC.
Please click HERE for photos of the Club Displays
The Pre Show Reception saw the results from the following competitions:
Leslie T Chester ‘Blog’ Writing Competition
1st – Emily Cartmail – Eccleshall YFC
2nd – Polly Baines – Uttoxeter JNFU
3rd – Natalie Bradley – Eccleshall YFC
YFC’s Got Talent Competition
1st – Uttoxeter JNFU – Toby Hall & Rob Mollatt – Entertaining double act with singing and keyboard music
2nd – Abbotsholme YFC – Eva & Anais with their brilliantly choreographed dance routine and solo singing
3rd – Eccleshall YFC – Dan Moseley & Tom Bowers entertaining with the famous Two Ronnies ‘Mastermind’ sketch
A full breakdown of the results can be found HERE
