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With lectures now over for the second year, finding a excuse not to revise is getting harder. Luckily the weather has been a bit unsettled meaning that I’m house bound most of the time anyway. It also amazing how many cups of tea you get through at this time of year, it seems that any welcome distraction is always jumped at. Even the kitchen is looking tidier that normal!
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My sister Alice Rose (8) with Rose the calf, at the Bishop Burton College Stockmanship competition.
Me with Rosie. Both looking unusually smart and muck-free!! We were placed 4th in the ring and 6th overall in the calf entries (taking into account the effort put in before the day itself). She's a gem.
The event was good fun. Everyone pulled together to help everyone else out - sharing clippers, Fairy washing up liquid, WD40 and expertise. A mate of mine said it's always sunny at the stockmanship - and that philosophy has yet to be disproved.
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The stockmanship competition at Bishop Burton college is being held tomorrow. With a variety of animals, some quiet and some volatile, it should be a lot of fun - for the spectators at least.
One of the bullocks had to be withdrawn early on in training as it broke his handler's wrist and knocked a tutor to the ground. I'm now thanking my lucky stars I was landed with a relatively small and quiet animal.
In a previous blog post I said I was getting a sheep to train for the competition. In fact, there was the opportunity to take on a heifer calf. She is 97% Holstein and was born on the 20 February. Her official name is Bishop Burton Amateur Magpie. Unofficially, she's Rosie.
Among other entries, there is a Sharon, an Alice and a Pauline (sheep); a Susie, Betty and Fudge (calves); and a Boff and a Buster (bullocks).
I've spent yesterday evening and this afternoon washing and clipping. I hadn't realised what an art that is. Getting the top line just right was tricky and we left that until last. She looks beautiful now she's clipped. She had looked wooly, big-bellied and just a little plain before. Now she's glossy-coated and looking stunning. You can see why clipped animals often do better at sales.
The sheep shed (now full of show sheep and calves) was full of the sounds of people, animals, whooshing hairdryers and whirring clippers. Despite the fact it's a competition, everyone mucks in and helps everyone else. The atmosphere is brilliant and I'm going to miss it after tomorrow.
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As I couldn't make it to the AGM, does anyone have any thoughts on how the weekend went?