Staffordshire Young farmers proved the future of livestock farming in the county is in safe hands after their award-winning performances at National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (NFYFC) Live and Carcase Judging competition finals at the English Winter Fair in Staffordshire this weekend. Following a great day on the Saturday judging Live Beef and Live Lambs, kindly provided by the exhibitors, competitors returned on the Sunday judging lamb and beef carcase, kindly provided by Messrs Bradshaw Bros. The facilities in the carcase hall and the Show, provided by the English Winter Fair committee ensure that this competition can be held with the highest quality of stock and meat to judge.
The Overall Team Award, and the much coveted The John Spear Trophy was awarded to Staffordshire YFC members Harriet Wilson, Robert Mollatt, Emily Cartmail and Jake Manning, after their efforts on the weekend took them 9 points ahead of the runner up team, Lancashire YFC. Staffordshire YFC also won this award in 2013 and 2015.
Taking home the coveted Bob Williams Trophy for the highest placed senior team in the competition was Harriet Wilson of Eccleshall YFC along with her team mate, Jake Manning of Lichfield YFC. They were a clear 19 points ahead of the team from the runner up team, Cumbria. Harriet said “I am over the moon. I have enjoyed being involved in this competition so much and made so many friends through it.” Harriet also credits the competition with influencing her career in meat retail as she is now ALDI’s Corporate Responsibility Manager with responsibility for farming, fish, deforestation and fair trade. “It has always been my favourite competition if I hadn’t got into Stockjudging, I wouldn’t have joined young farmers and as a result ended up working in the meat industry. Stockjudging really set me on my path for what I wanted to do.”
In The Mark Madders Trophy, which is awarded for the Beef and Pig Live and Carcase Judging, Aimee Smith of Eccleshall YFC and Meg Barnes of Leek YFC took third place. Meg also took second place for her position in the Intermediate Pork Live and Carcase Judging.
Staffordshire YFC members were not only competing in the NFYFC competitions over the weekend. They also had two full teams in the English Winter Fair YFC Stock and Carcase Classes and achieved very highly in these too. In the Overall Stockjudging Team, members Johnathan Wilson (Uttoxeter JNFU), Phil Wilson (Uttoxeter JNFU), Maisie Tinwell (Leek YFC) and Peter Cotton (Waterhouses YFC) took first place. The team then also took second place in the overall Sunday competitions, after Warwickshire YFC took first place again this year.
Members came home with an array of awards individually on Sunday as follows:
Intermediate Live Lamb Stockjudging – Peter Cotton, Waterhouses YFC.
Live Lamb Stockjudging Team – Peter Cotton, Waterhouses and Johnathan Wilson, Uttoxeter JNFU.
Senior Lamb Carcase Judging – Katie James, Leek YFC
The weekend has been a great event with young farmers across the country coming together to compete in these important competitions which develops members skills in Stockjudging and public speaking.
