Ploughing matches are of course about ploughing, but the other staple competition is the farm produce. There is the obligatory bale of hay and then four of, mangolds, sugar beet, fodder beet, swedes, turnips, potatoes, cooking apples and or a maize plant. It must all be displayed on a sheet or a wool sack, and unwashed. There were some better displays than others, the poor weather this year having an effect on many crops.
I was asked to judge the blind sheep dog trial, which was really good fun. I wasn’t quite sure how to set it up, but together with the steward we made a short alleyway, using electric fence stakes and tape, putting it on a slight angle to make it a bit more tricky. Then the blindfolded person had to make their way around a turn post and then head back through a chicane of four posts to weave through.
The trial was timed and the blindfolded person was directed by a team mate who could only use words like ‘come by’ (left), ‘away’ (right), 'walk on’ and ‘stand’. Those are the usual commands that a shepherd will use to control their dog. We did have to penalise one person for using more specific instructions, and awarded points for some great costumes!
The domestic section was strong as always. I like to mention my club, Lugg Valley YFC when I can and they did very well on the day. Winning the All Star Dance competition as well as Sophie Bemand winning the Intermediate flowers, with a lovely arrangement to the competition title ‘A centre piece for the forthcoming 80th anniversary celebrations’.
A wellie bag for the needlework and some wonderful preserves also caught my eye. The homemade liqueur and the entries in the baking also looked great and were presented well. The woodwork competition is a staple of young farmers competitions and following the topic of making a planter, there were some really nice entries. The top few placings would be a welcome addition to any porch.
All the points at the end of the busy day were tallied up and Welsh Newton YFC won, beating Allensmore YFC to win the day overall by only 69 points! It was tight at the top. Pontrilas YFC came a well deserved third and all the competitors deserve a special mention for getting involved.
Some may scoff at needlework and baking competitions, but these are real young people, doing real things, using real skills. Skills for life. In this time of rural isolation and the issues that come with social media, It is really important to keep these competitions and social occasions going. It was a great social day for all.
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LIVE24-SEVEN.COM
BUS INE S S ON THE FARM
Photograph courtesy of HFYFC
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