Competitors as young as 13 years old were among the finalists judging pigs and beef, live and carcase in the first competition of NFYFC’s programme for 2016/17.

Overall winning team

Around 80 members took part in the event, representing nine counties from across the Federation.

But it was Herefordshire, Yorkshire and Staffordshire that proved they knew the most about beef and pigs by winning the five team trophies between them. Yorkshire and Herefordshire also excelled in the individual categories too.

Sister and brother Fay and Lee Thomas from Eardisley YFC in Herefordshire were part of the team who won the John Spear Trophy for best overall team.

Fay, who is the current County Chairman for Herefordshire, said:
"We live on and have been brought up on a family farm in Kinnersley, Herefordshire, with a limousin suckler herd and flock of ewes. Picking the stock is always a family effort, thanks to all the skills we have learnt from YFC stockjudging and transferred into our work. It has been a great honour and privilege for me and my brother to be amongst the winning team and to make our family proud. Huge congratulations to the other half of our team Megan Watkins and John Hanson."

Teams in two classes (under 18s and under 26s) were asked to place and classify live beef and place live pigs as well as judge carcases for both animals – and give their reasons to judges over the two-day competition.

Steward Katie Brian, Senior Knowledge Transfer Manager at Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) who were one of the sponsors, said:
“It was great to see so many members from across the country, especially all the younger members who were competing for their counties. The older members need to watch out for these talented youngsters coming through.”

NFYFC's Competitions Chair Oonagh O'Neill said:
“It is always encouraging to see so many young people practising skills that are key to the industry and then excelling in our competitions. Our members do not all live and work on farms but they enjoy learning more about the industry and being part of an organisation that celebrates rural life.”

NFYFC has been hosting its Stockjudging competition at The English Winter Fair since 1997 and was grateful to the exhibitors for providing the stock and to Bagshaw Brothers for the carcases to be judged.

Competitors also enjoyed a YFC supper on Saturday evening, which was kindly supported by Bagshaws Agriculture.

List of Stockjudging Winners:

BEEF - UNDER 18
3rd	Nerys Lewis	Gwent
2nd	James Heath	Derbyshire A
1st	Thomas Barley	Yorkshire E
BEEF - UNDER 26
3rd	Kelly Maltby	Yorkshire E
2nd	Peter James	Staffordshire A
1st	John Hanson	Herefordshire A
PIGS - UNDER 18
3rd	Meg Barnes	Staffordshire B
2nd	Jessica Odgers	Lancashire A
1st	Megan Watkins	Herefordshire A
PIGS- UNDER 26
3rd	Harriet Wilson	Staffordshire A
2nd	Emily Cartmail	Staffordshire B
1st	Thomas Stapleton	Yorkshire D
3rd	Yorkshire B	Jacob Ryder
		Ellis Snowden
2nd	Herefordshire A	Lee Thomas
		Megan Watkins
1st	Yorkshire E	Thomas Barley
		Eleanor Hobson
SENIOR TEAM - THE BOB WILLIAMS TROPHY
3rd	Herefordshire A	John Hanson
		Fay Thomas
2nd	Staffordshire B	Sally Leese
		Emily Cartmail
1st	Staffordshire A	Peter James
		Harriet Wilson
BEEF TEAM - THE SMITHFIELD BEEF LIVE AND CARCASE TROPHY
3rd	Staffordshire A	Robert Mollatt
		Peter James
2nd	Herefordshire A	Lee Thomas
		John Hanson
1st	Yorkshire E	Thomas Barley
		Kelly Maltby
PIG TEAM - THE SMITHFIELD PORK LIVE AND CARCASE TROPHY
3rd	Yorkshire D	Daisy Roberts
		Thomas Stapleton
2nd	Staffordshire A	William Leese
		Harriet Wilson
1st	Staffordshire B	Meg Barnes
		Emily Cartmail
OVERALL TEAM - THE JOHN SPEAR TROPHY
3rd	Yorkshire E	Thomas Barley
		Kelly Maltby
		Eleanor Hobson
		Daniel Ellis
2nd	Staffordshire A	Robert Mollatt
		Peter James
		William Leese
		Harriet Wilson
1st	Herefordshire A	Lee Thomas
		John Hanson
		Megan Watkins
		Fay Thomas

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