At The Great Yorkshire Show on Thursday 11th July, 6 Staffordshire Young Farmers Club (YFC) members competed against the highest ranking Dairy Stockjudgers in the country. After judging a ring of 4 Dairy cows and giving reasons to the Master Judge, Johnathan Wilson of Uttoxeter Young Farmers came 1st in the Senior Section, out of 33 other individuals. His team, consisting also of James Robinson of Lichfield YFC and Peter Cotton of Waterhouses YFC, came 2nd out of 39 teams. This is a massive achievement again for Staffordshire YFC in this very popular competition. Johnathan is in his last year of membership after joining Uttoxeter Young Farmers 13 years ago at the age of 14.
Johnathan Wilson said “Dairy stock judging has always been my favourite YFC competition. To win the NFYFC Dairy Stockjudging at The Great Yorkshire Show has always been a dream that I never thought was possible. I am incredibly happy and shocked to win, especially in my last YFC year made it ever more special. I’ve learnt so much from doing this competition from trainers, judges and fellow competitors and have gained some incredible friends too.”
The cup which Johnathan bought home, The Harold Jackson Perpetual Challenge Trophy, has not been won by a Staffordshire since 1958, so this win has been 61 years in the making too! Competitions are a very important aspect of YFC, offering members new opportunities to develop their confidence, skills and learning. The Dairy Stock Judging Competition is aimed to help members by giving them the opportunity to put their training to the test by judging high quality livestock and presenting their findings to industry experts.
