Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) were invited to participate in the 5 Nations Stock Judging finals which were held on Wednesday 11th September 2024 and hosted this year by the National Federation of the Young Farmers’ Clubs at Westmorland County Agricultural Show in Cumbria.
Top finalists from the YFCU stock judging competition were invited to attend and represent Northern Ireland in this prestigious event. The team consisted of Shannen Vance (Trillick and District YFC), Adrianna Coulter (Straid YFC), James Scroggie (Collone YFC) and William Rea (Straid YFC).
The four members were tasked with judging a ring of four dairy cows, four beef cows, four breading ewes and four fat lambs, placing them in a particular order and giving reasons for their decisions. They were then asked questions about animal husbandry by a qualified Veterinary Surgeon. The YFCU team came third place on the day, competing against peers from across the five nations. William Rea (Straid YFC) commented on the event, “It was a privilege to be involved in the 5 Nations Stock Judging event. There was strong competition, with England fielding a previous winner, and Wales came out the winners in the end. It was great meeting fellow competitors and judges”.