Straw piggies tucked up around a pile of bales in a Moray field have been declared the champion young farmers’ bale art of 2020.
The annual competition run by The Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs, which this year saw 50 teams from across Scotland take part, was won by Lower Speyside YFC after judges admired the entry’s rural twist on the quite topical “Stay at home theme”, which was on show at the Kinloss junction on the A96.
Bathgate JAC’s “Let’s beat Covid hands down” structure of handstanding bears – at junction 3A of the M8 – took second place, and Forfar JAC’s “Not all heroes wear capes”, which was widely admired on the A90 north of Dundee, won them third place.
The judges who whittled down the 12 finalists to the top three were rural charity RSABI chairman Ewan Pate, Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland chief executive Alan Laidlaw and Alice Wilson, of competition supporters Galbraiths.
SAYFC national chairwoman Gemma Bruce said: “It has been fantastic to see members embrace this year’s bale art theme ‘Something to make you smile’ in support of the RSABI #KeepTalking campaign.”
The finalists were Brechin YFC, Forfar YFC, Strathmore JAC, Beith YFC, Lower Nithsdale YFC, Keith and District YFC, Lower Speyside YFC, Strichen JAC, Bell Baxter JAC, Kinross JAC, Bathgate JAC and Harray YFC.
SAYFC would like to thank all property owners for allowing the eye-catching designs to be positioned on their land, capturing public attention and raising awareness for the RSABI’s campaign.
