LAST week Hexham Mart hosted the culmination of the 2017-18 Young Farmers Calf Wintering Competition, which saw over £27,000 invested by the company in the beef cattle industry and the stockmen and women of the future.
A total of 31 calves were purchased by members of Young Farmers Clubs from Northumberland, County Durham and Cumbria at sales conducted by the company in October of last year.
And the young competitors took their acquisitions home to house and tend to them over the winter months.
The overall champion from the line-up was the British Blue cross heifer from Ben Moralee, Hard Riding, Bardon Mill. Reserve was a Blue heifer, also from the Hard Riding/Haltwhistle YFC stable, this one from elder brother Jack Moralee.
The following day’s sale was an extra special event for the Moralee family. Ben’s show champion quickly travelled up to a whopping £640 profit over and above the purchase price, earning him the J.S. Hubbuck Ltd Trophy for the largest profit margin.
Jack came a close second for the second time in as many days, with a profit margin of £540; his heifer selling for a highly respectable £1,360.
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