YOUNG farmers from across the North gathered at Hexham Auction Mart earlier this month for a major competition organised by the Northumberland Federation.

The Northern area stockman of the year competition aims to foster the farming skills of the next generation.

Competitors each have to judge four pens of stock and complete an animal husbandry questionnaire devised by Scott Mitchell vets. They are asked to place each animal and give the reasons for their decision.

Junior and senior teams from Yorkshire, Cumbria, Lancashire and the East Riding went head-to-head and this year it was the Lancashire team that won the overall county title followed by Yorkshire in second place and Cumbria in third. Yorkshire won the overall junior team prize whilst Lancashire took the senior title.

Northumberland didn’t go home empty-handed however. They were runners-up in the overall senior team competition and Cameron Shell (from Alnwick YFC) was judged to be the second best overall senior in the individual section and in the senior beef judging. David Robson (Bellingham YFC) was runner-up in the junior sheep; whilst Joe Northwood (also Bellingham) and Joe Charleton (from Cambo YFC) came second and third respectively in the senior sheep judging.

Chairman, Adam Grieve, thanked those local farmers who kindly provided stock for the event – Eastwick dairy farmer, Dennis Gibb; beef farmer Stephen Lee of Agars Hill; fat lambs supplier Matt Walby of Ryal West Side and Andrew and Caroline Hunter of The Steel for their breeding sheep.

Mr Grieve said: “It went really well. As hosts, we managed to stay on time which doesn’t often happen. It was really good and everyone seemed to enjoy the day.”

George F. White, Moralee Herefords and Tynedale Insurance were among the sponsors of the event.

The winners will now go forward to the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs’ Stockman of the Year competition at Harper Adams University on September 2 and 3.

l The younger generation are invited back into the Hexham Auction Mart ring on Tuesday for the annual Summ er Prize Show & sale of Prime Sheep & Prime Cattle classes for children & YFC members. Entries should be with the office by 4pm on Monday.