‘Friendship, fun and fierce competition’

Gregor is a full-time agriculture student who works on the family sheep farm, so he fits the traditional image of the typical YF member.

Yet it wasn’t until his younger brother joined a club and waxed lyrical about the movement that he realised he’d been missing out on the friendship, fun and fierce competition. That was enough to persuade him to join a rival club and raise the family competition stakes.

Livestock dressing and judging is Gregor’s forte, so before long he and his team mate, Rory Gregor, brought top honours to their Inverurie club by winning one of the most prestigious and highly contested trophies, the 2009 National Sheep Dressing Championship.

“It was definitely the highlight of my Young Farmers career to date,” he says. “But this organisation also gives you the chance to travel to other parts of the country and see different livestock. We only have sheep on the farm, so I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to judge fat cattle and breeding stock in my own district, as well as the rest of Scotland.

“But meeting lots of new people gives us networking opportunities, too, and hopefully that can develop into business in the years to come. Young Farmers is a great way for country people to make friends for life and learn more about all aspects of rural living. It really sets you up for the future.”

Gregor is currently chair of his local Inverurie club and aims to progress to higher office within the movement.

And, like many members, he concedes that the movement is an efficient dating agency. After all, he met his girlfriend through Young Farmers.