Young Farmers during carcass judging competition
This week our Farm and Abattoir in Llanmorlais played host this week the annual Glamorgan Young Farmers Carcass Judging Competition with 50 competitors between the ages of 10 and 26.
This is the eighth year running that we have hosted this prestigious event in the Glamorgan Young Farmers Calendar.
Classes in the competition include classes of up under 26, under 21, under 18, under 16. Competitors are required to place a class of four carcasses and give constructive reasons as to why they have placed them that way; they also classify the lamb and beef carcasses.
Judges and some of the participants in the Young Farmers competition
In addition to gaining points for their club, winners of the competition go onto represent the county at the English Winter Fair and the Royal Welsh Winter Fair. Competitors at this stage gain further club points and individual finalists go on to the overall county stock judging shield with the opportunity to become stockman of the year.
Judges include our very own Hugh Phillips and his daughter Catherine who now runs the family business and is the only practising slaughter woman in Wales, along with a number of other local farmers and butchers.
Says Catherine, “It is always a pleasure to host the young farmers event and we are delighted to welcome the event back to our abattoir for the past eight years. The standard this year was higher than ever and, as a fully practising farm, slaughterhouse and butchers, we are encouraged to see so many young and enthusiastic youngsters coming through with a passion for the industry.”