NSA Eastern Region Youthful Shepherds Day

Date: 6th June 2015

HUGELY POSITIVE DAY FOR YOUTHFUL SHEPHERDS

With nearly 20 young shepherds competing and around 120 people joining a farm walk, the NSA Eastern Region’s Youthful Shepherds Event on Saturday proved to be popular and informative.

It was the second time the region has held the event, aimed specifically at young people wanting to get ahead in the sheep sector, and the format of the day was to provide plenty of time for visitors to quiz a range of ‘mentors’ and enhance their sheep farming skills by participating in the Young Shepherd of the Year competition.

Joanne Briggs, NSA Communications Manager, reports: “It was a real pleasure to be a part of the Youthful Shepherds Event on Saturday and see so many young people keen to carve a future in the sheep sector. All the ‘mentors’ – people who are running sheep, working in or supporting the sheep sector – took lots of questions from the people there and lots of networking and learning opportunities were provided.”

Dan Phipps, NSA Eastern Region Vice Chairman and farm manager at Darley Stud, Newmarket, Suffolk, was host for the day, introducing visitors to the sheep flock that he runs alongside some of the most expensive racehorses in the country.

George Hartley-Webb, who is also one of this year’s NSA Next Generation Ambassadors, was the winning Young Shepherd. He is pictured with Kevin Harrison, NSA Marches Region Chairman, who was one of the judges on the day. Second was Harry Lombardi (also pictured), followed by Cameron Farnan (3rd), Leah Amy Catchpole (4th), Richard Weston (5th) and Cameron Thompson (6th).