Members of Bower Young Farmers Club celebrated a second overall win in succession at this year’s SAYFC Highland Rally held in Caithness.
The event, held at Quoybrae Mart near Wick, was attended by more than 150 Young Farmers from the Caithness and Ross, Nairn and Inverness (RNI) districts.
The day commenced with an impressive array of baking, handicrafts and team entries in the industrial section, followed by the stockjudging competition which involved the majority of attendees from each of the six competing clubs.
Competitions were also held in the practical section including fault finding, the identification of feeds and weeds, welding and halter making
The Hamilton Auction Mart Trophy – awarded annually to the overall top placed club -went to Bower YFC with 95 points, followed by Forss YFC in second place with 75 points and Halkirk YFC in third with 55 points.
In the industrial section, Bower YFC won the Nan Howie Silver Salver for the most points in the baking section with 49 points.
Halkirk YFC took second place with 40 points and third equal went to InverRoss and Forss with 35 points.
The Press & Journal Rose Bowl for the club with the most points in the industrial section was won by Bower YFC with 54 points, followed by Forss YFC in second place with 52.5 points and Halkirk in third with 42 points.
In the stockjudging competition, Bethany Swanson, James Swanson and Will Oag of Forss YFC, won overall with 677 points, while Bower A’s Alistair McCarthy, Jak Murray and William Campbell, took second place with 633 points.
Forss YFC win overall stockjudging
Third place went to Bower’s B team of John Forbes, Abbie Gunn and Lauren Oag, with 632 points.
Forss member Bethany Swanson was the best individual in the stockjudging with 247 points and first in the junior section.
Luke Taylor from Forss took second in the juniors with 241 points, while third went to Alec Cormack from Bower with 232 points.
The overall winners of the practical competition was Bower with 28 points, InverRoss YFC in second with 23 points, and Halkirk in third with 22 points.
Members also competed in the sports section which included boys’ 5-a-side football, girls’ 5-a-side football, mixed netball, tossing the sheaf, Tug of War and an obstacle race.
This section was won by Bower with 52 points, Forss in second place with 42.5 points and InverRoss in third with 37 points.
Robbie Levack of Forss also scooped the Highland Area Young Farmer of the Year title, with Eilish Johnston of Nairn JAC coming a close second, and Ryan Luckhurst of InverRoss in third.
Robbie will now go forward to the national competition and will be in with the chance of winning a brand-new ATV donated by ATV Services.
Awards
Baking section – 1, Bower YFC; 2, Halkirk; 3, Forss and InverRoss.
Overall industrial – 1, Bower YFC; 2, Forss YF; 3, Halkirk YFC.
Stockjudging – 1, Forss A (Bethany Swanson, James Swanson Will Oag, 677 points); 2, Bower A (Alistair McCarthy, Jak Murray, William Campbell, 633 points); 3, Bower B (John Forbes, Abbie Gunn and Lauren Oag, 632 points).
Individual stockjudging – 1, Bethany Swanson (Forss YF); 2, Jak Murray (Bower YF); 3, Euan Bremner (Halkirk YF).
Junior stockjudging – 1, Bethany Swanson (Forss YF); 2, Luke Taylor (Forss YF); 3, Alec Cormack (Bower YF).
Practical – 1, Bower YF; 2, InverRoss; 3, Halkirk. Sports – 1, Bower YFC; 2, Forss YFC; 3, InverRoss YFC.
Overall – 1, Bower; 2, Forss; 3, Halkirk.
Young Farmer of the Year – 1, Robbie Levack (Forss); 2, Eilish Johnston (Nairn); 3, Ryan Luckhurst (InverRoss).
