Page 27 - British Blue Yearbook 2023

also has his own flock of Border Leicesters and the family has commercial sheep at home.
“But I do just love farming and that is what I want to do in life. When I finish school this year, I am hoping to go the Askham Bryan to do a two year Agriculture Level 3 course and then, possibly Harper Adams,” says Katie.
The shows list she attended with the Solway View team last season began with Lesmahagow, then the Royal Highland, Great Yorkshire, Royal Welsh, Carlisle Agri Expo and then LiveScot, with a string of local shows and of course sales in between.
“At Lesmahagow I won the Young Handers but I was actually showing a Shorthorn there. Then the Royal Highland itself was my first big one with the Blues but I have actually won Young Handlers classes there with Procters sheep three times in the past The last time, in 2019, I also won the Dalchirla trophy which is for the winning Young Handler from all the livestock sections. Last year, working with Solway View, I was showing the bull Solway View Pug. I won the British Blue Young Handlers there and reserve overall. At the Great Yorkshire it was another win in the breed’s Young Handlers class and the championship as well.
“I then made it a hat-trick of Young Handlers wins at the big three when I won at the Royal Welsh where we also won the British Blue breed championship and the inter- breed pairs, and again, I was showing Pug.”
One other notable trophy she has been very proud to win, albeit not with cattle, was the Hannah Brown Stockmanship trophy with the Beltex Society.
However, Katie is also quite keen on commercial cattle and rounding off the last 12 months’ achievements, she won Gisburn Auction Marts over-wintering competition in March, taking the show championship with a Limousin cross Blue heifer she bought in the autumn sales, and which also left her the competition’s highest margin of £900.
Katie’s advice for any other young farmers just starting out in Young Handlers is the same as she has been given all along by her parents and both grandparents, since she began when she was only five or six -– “when you are in the ring, keep focussed and concentrate on both your animal and the judge at all times, and make sure you know enough about the animal you are handling.”
www.britishbluecattle.org 25