Run-away victory for the home club in Field-to-Foto event
Run-away victory for the home club in Field-to-Foto event
HUNDREDS of young cattle enthusiasts from all over the UK converged on SAC, Auchincruive, to take part in the Holstein Friesian Societys Young Members Association Weekend Rally at which regional clubs take part in a series of competitions, social events and herd visits.
The competition success stories this year came for the Scottish Club – buoyed by home support – which claimed a runaway victory in the World-Wide Sires-sponsored "Field-to-Foto" in which 20 regional teams took part. Scotlands team of George Borland, Jim Boyd, Stuart Caldwell, Jim Currie and Jim Henderson had the edge when it came to washing, clipping, showing and photographing their calf.
In second place was the Lancashire & Adjacent Counties Club; third was Border & Lakeland and fourth was North Western.
The Border & Lakeland Club took both the team and the senior individual awards in the national reasoned stockjudging competition. Held during a visit to the Lynch familys High Milton Dairy Unit at Garryhorn Farm, Maybole, Ayrshire, teams of four (two juniors and two seniors) judged two classes of six animals and gave their reasons orally for the placing of one class. The winning senior individual winner was David Hodgson from Wormanby Farm, Burgh-by-Sands, Carlisle (Border & Lakeland Club) and the junior individual winner was Sarah Hitchon of Woodfields Farm, Ledbury, Herefordshire (West Midlands Club).
The Devon & Cornwall Club team claimed victory in the Canadian Experience, a competition for regional club nominees, culminating in an interview held during the rally. Richard Parsons of West Holme Farm, Otterham, Camelford, Cornwall, stepped into first place, coming through the interview process with flying colours from a field of 14 finalists. He now has the honour of representing the UK at the EBI 4-H Showcase at Kemptville, Ontario, in July, where he will be joined by two other young cattle breeders in the Semex-sponsored British team. UK teams have an excellent record at this event in past years and Richard is determined that once again the British will do well.
With a Burns supper, karaoke and a series of side competitions blended with the more serious business of herd visits to Sandyknowe (A L Kennedy & Sons), the Bargower herd (J S Lynch) and the Overside herd (W W Neilson), the event was one to remember for the 300-plus participants.
Field-to-Foto (left): The Hitchon twins washing. Above: Border & Lakeland team members at the clipping stage. Top right: Thomas Cheesmond of Northumbria washing. Right:Lucy Howe and Georgina Pickford clipping.
Above:The team from the Scottish Club won the "Field-to-Foto" competition. Below: Richard Parsons (left) won the chance to compete in Ontario in July.