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Young Members |
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2008 Jersey Cattle Society Young Members
Weekend
Friday 8th – Sunday 10th August 2008
Around 30 young members aged from 5 to 25 and from Cornwall
to Penrith, Lincolnshire to Surrey and of course South Wales
attended a weekend full of activities at the farm of the Evans
family at Nantyci farm near Carmarthen.
Even though it rained for most of the time the young people
who were split into four teams worked very hard to produce
four animals per team, to bring them up to show standard by
Sunday morning.
During the weekend they were shown how to clip, stockjudge,
and lead and handle cows and heifers. A session with a local
vet was also included as were the secrets of classification
as shown to them by Meruig James from Holstein UK.
The four teams were Cream of the Crop, Roses and Dragons,
Pure Gold and J.E.A.P. (James Evans appreciation !!)
The main awards were as follows:-
Overall – Robert Bland (Clifton)
Best Team Leader – Matthew Pye (Bayview)
Best Newcomer – Sarah Birtles (Bar M)
Most Improved – Steffan James (Oakfield)
Best Young Stockperson- Morgan Senior (Quick Brew)
Best Team – J.E.A.P (Robert Bland, Phil Morgan, Kate
Arrowsmith, Bethan Senior, Jack Arrowsmith, Nia Jones, Tanwen
Cox and Rhydian Phillips).
What a great weekend we all had and I would like to express
my sincere thanks to our hosts the Evans family, Huw, Jennifer,
Helen and Nicola and to all the other helpers, tutors and parents
who made the weekend so special. How very nice also to see
our President Don Dawes and his wife visit us on Sunday morning.
We very much appreciated your company.
What a great weekend we all had I hope to see you all again
from 7-9th August 2009 when we will be in Leicestershire.
Nick Dain.
“School” for young Jersey enthusiasts
report and pictures by Meyrick Brown, West Wales
journalist
A group of over thirty young people –aged 5 years to
25 –assembled near Carmarthen for a weekend in August
in a common cause. This being to learn more about the Jersey
breed of animal.
Heading the operation was Nick Dain, who has taken on the
role of the Jersey Breed Society’s Shows and Young Members’ Co-ordinator.
As a Past President of Norfolk County Federation of YFCs,
there can be few better equipped than Nick to make sure that
young members’ activities are kept vibrant and fun, while
still passing on a lot of knowledge and skills.
Being himself a breeder, judge and former exhibitor Nick has
vast experience of, and a great passion for these Channel Island
cattle and he considers that with such a dynamic breed and
energetic breeders, the Jersey world continues to move forward.
Nick reminded me that the worldwide shortages of dairy products
are playing a major role in an ever increasing demand for Jerseys,
but the prime mover behind this world wide frenzy is definitely
the realization and new awakening of the efficiency of the
Jersey cow and the superiority of its products.
“With China the possible exception, all the developing
and expanding economies are constantly demanding more and more
Jersey genetics to provide this worldwide growth there is a
realization that here is the provider for economic, efficient
dairy production” he said.
The weekend “school” or interactive workshop for
the Jersey Young members took place at the farm of the Evans
family at Nantyci where training was given utilizing selected
animals from the 100 cow Nicel herd.
Parents (and grandparents) dropped off the young members –some
from as far afield as Carlisle, Cornwall, Kent, Staffordshire
and other parts of the Midlands area and then discreetly spent
the weekend elsewhere –following which they divided into
teams, each with a leader, and were taught aspects of correctly
clipping –udder, tail and backline especially, parading
cattle (before a judge) and stockjudging. Health and safety
aspects were also addressed.
One 16 year old herdsman’s daughter told me “I
see this weekend as an amazing opportunity to grow as a dairy
producer and leader. The people you meet and tools you can
take home are very valuable.”
She added her consideration
that being a YJM was one of the best things she could have
done as a young person and be in a position to promote the
dairy industry.
“It was a very eye- opening experience that I would recommend to anyone
with a passion for keeping the industry alive and strong. Listening to speakers
like Edward Morgan and James Evans explain the essentials lit a fire and passion
inside me that I didn't know existed.”
Nick Dain added “The purpose of club and provincial
judging schools and evaluation seminars are to provide breeders
and youth with the tools to make a balanced appraisal of the
strengths and weaknesses of dairy cows while keeping in mind
that the cows appearance does tell us something about her potential
wearing ability or longevity.
“Another thing is that if you can keep smiling after
two days of rain” the we must have achieved something” he
smiled.
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