GREAT TURNOUT FOR FIRST YLBC YOUNG HANDLERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

Junior & Overall Champion Ruth Hamill

Intermediate & Reserve Overall Winner James Graham

Senior Champion Lin Pidsley

Thursday 12^th December 2013 saw the Young Limousin Breeders’ Club (YLBC) hold its inaugural Young Handlers’ Championship at Borderway Mart, Carlisle on the evening prior to the British Limousin Cattle Society’s Red Ladies Derby & Weaned Calf Sale.

Replacing the Annual Calf Show, the new competition focused on the “Young Handler” rather than the calf with the aim being to encourage more members to participate in events, build their confidence when working with livestock, help them to develop lifelong skills but most importantly expand their knowledge of the Limousin Breed.

The event was split into two sections: the preparation of the calf for showing followed by presentation of the animal in the show ring itself. Judged respectively by Ashley McInnes of McInnes Show and Ian Sedgwick, Gallaber Farm, Burton in Lonsdale, the competition was preceded by a short talk on nutrition by Tom Stevenson of Natural Stockcare underlining the importance of looking after and feeding animals correctly in preparation for breeding, showing and selling. Ashely McInnes also gave a short demonstration on what he would be looking for while judging the preparation of the animal section, allowing the young breeders to pick up tips for the future to make their animals stand out and catch the eye of a judge or future buyer.

With almost 30 up-and-coming breeders taking on the challenge, classes were split into three different age groups: Junior (8-12 years); Intermediate (13-17) and Senior (18+).

Taking the Overall title was the Junior class winner Ruth Hamill, Dunmurray Lane, Dunmurray, Belfast, N Ireland with the Intermediate class winner James Graham, Mains of Burnbank Farm, Blairdrummond, Stirling in Reserve spot. Winning the Senior section was Lin Pidsley, Upton Ley Farm, Honiton, Devon.

Results

Class 1 Junior Young Handlers

1^st Ruth Hamill, Dunmurray Lane, Dunmurray, Belfast

2^nd Isla Soutter, Clifton Moor, Clifton, Penrith, Cumbria

3^rd Finlay Soutter, Clifton Moor, Clifton, Penrith, Cumbria

4^th Andrew Hamill, Dunmurray Lane, Dunmurray, Belfast

Class 2 Intermediate Young Handlers

1^st James Graham, Mains of Burnbank farm, Blairdrummond, Stirling

2^nd Andrew Nimmo, Bogside Farm, Wishaw, Lanarkshire

3^rd Beth Harvey, Buchanan Street, Balfron, Glasgow

4^th Amy Lindsay, Kepscaith Farm, Longridge, West Lothian

Class 3 Senior Young Handler s

1^st Lin Pidsley, Upton Ley Farm, Upton, Payhembury, Honiton

2^nd = Stephanie Dick, Westerton of Cowie, Cowie, Stirling

2^nd = John Graham, Mains of Burnbank farm, Blairdrummond, Stirling

4^th Richard Priestley, Cracrop Farm, Kirkcambeck, Brampton, Cumbria

Highly Commended

James Scott of Northern Ireland was the winner of the highly commended award in his first Young Handlers Championship for battling on through a tough class

Andrew Weir, Castlecary Mill Farm, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire also received a Society tie for his struggle with a less than obedient calf…….

Grateful thanks are expressed to all the competitors for taking part, cattle exhibitors, master judges, spectators, stewards and, last but by no means least, the sponsors: Cogent, McInnes Show, Natural Stockcare, Semenstore, British Limousin Cattle Society and Harrison and Hetherington for the use of the Mart. Without you all, the competition would not have been the resounding success it was. Thank you.