Three Scottish youngsters returned home in style from the Aberdeen-Angus Youth Development Programme finals when they secured the top titles in the competition.
The finale event was hosted by the Stovold family of the Rosemead herd in Surrey and attracted 36 young stockmen and women from all over the UK aged eight to 24 years.
The participants were judged on a number of tasks including clipping, dressing, stockjudging and ring craft, with senior competitors also competing in a panel interview.
Winning the senior section was Graeme Rhind from Newton of Struthers, Kinloss, Forres, who enjoyed a terrific season on the north show circuit this year with the family’s Aberdeen-Angus heifer Newton-Struthers Espresso.
Graeme stood first in both the clipping and the dressing, and was second in the panel interview.
Finlay Hunter from West Cairnhill, Insch, won the intermediate section after also taking a first prize win in the dressing and clipping.
Securing the junior win in the competition last year, Finlay runs his own flock of Suffolk sheep alongside the family’s other pedigree sheep breeds and commercial cattle.
He also won a new award for the best clipper in the entire competition.
The junior section was won by Cameron Barclay from West Rossburnlane Farm, Stirling, who was competing in the competition for the first time.
Cameron has been brought up around pedigree cattle and sheep being the daughter of Stuart Barclay, Harestone, and livestock photographer Catherine MacGregor.
Other Scottish finalists included Fletcher Russell, Jess Williams, Alexander
Crombie, Kirsty Clark, Ruby Simpson, James MacIver and Ben McSporran.
Graeme Rhind was awarded a £1,500 travel bursary to study Aberdeen-
Angus overseas.
