The annual young farmers overwintering competition hosted by Aberdeen & Northern Marts will be held at Caithness Livestock Centre, Quoybrae on Monday 1^st April alongside the sale of 900 store cattle.

10 exhibitors are set to participate in this year’s competition, which is kindly supported by longstanding sponsor, local agricultural contractor A H Mackay, West Greenland. A total entry of 16 calves will be featured at the event including 10 heifers and 6 bullocks. The show and sale will take place from 9am on Monday the 1^st of April with Angus Greenlaw from Sheep Park Farm, Bridge of Marnoch, Huntly judging the entries.

Young Farmers from club across the Caithness region will be competing and participate in categories such as best quality animal, best presented and paraded animal, highest average daily liveweight gain, highest feeders’ margin, best overwintered animal, the novice award, the junior Young Farmer award and the Young Farmers Club award.

The objective of the competition is to encourage young farmers to take part in the buying and selling of cattle through the live auction system and, in particular to practice the art of stockmanship in the tasks of selection, feeding, presenting and parading animals for Show and Sale. Young farmers are offered the opportunity to purchase cattle at the autumn sales, feed them through the winter with a key part of the competition covering the commercial aspects of production in the feeders’ margin and daily weight gain categories.

Scott Chapman, Auctioneer at Aberdeen & Northern Marts said: “We are pleased to have the Young Farmers overwintering competition return to Quoybrae. The farmers have worked hard over the Winter months to get stock prepared for selling and the competition provides a great platform

to encourage the next generation to get involved in the art of stockmanship and build on business skills.

Thank you to A H Mackay, West Greenland for their continued sponsorship of the event.”

At last year’s event, the champion was a 506kg Limousin Bullock from Lyndsey Dunnet, Linkmoor, from Halkirk Young Farmers Club which sold for £1,800 to W & J Cameron, Burnside of Edingight, Grange.