Scottish entrant lifts NSA European Young Shepherd of the Year
5th July 2012
Scotland’s Simon Turkington is the NSA Young Shepherd of the Year. Simon collected the prestigious MSD Footvax sponsored award with an accompanying cash prize award together with the Rumenco sponsored European NSA Young Shepherd of the Year award, at NSA Sheep 2012, the industry’s biennial event staged by the National Sheep Association at Malvern last week after completing a pentathlon of activities designed to test the youngsters shepherding skills.
Each of the competition’s 22 entrants from throughout the UK, were required to sort finished lambs, demonstrate handling, vaccinating and dosing techniques, shear, put an ATV through its paces, and respond to questions on flock management and health issues.
Simon who graduated with an HND in agriculture from Harper Adams University and whose ambition is to stay at the forefront of agriculture, is a professional shearer. He gained experience in New Zealand and currently manages 450 ewes for James Fleming, Blingery, Wick. “I’m delighted to receive the award; it was an unexpected win,”
Simon who was runner up in the same pentathonal of activities at NSA Scot Sheep last month, found the places were reversed at Malvern with NSA Scottish Young Shepherd of the Year, Kenneth O’Connor in runner up spot. Kenneth, a ND graduate from Oatridge College, is shepherd to Jimmy Warnock’s 600 ewe flock based at Lanark where he also runs his own flock of pedigree Beltex.
Simon and Kenneth also teamed up to win the pairs section within the competition.
NSA chief executive, Phil Stocker commented: “The association was pleased to support the pentathlon event since these young people are essential to the future of the sheep industry, and we are now seeing increasing numbers of new entrants attracted by an industry that is rewarding and fulfilling, and has clear public support.
“We were very impressed by the overall high calibre of entrants, and we were also grateful to our sponsors MSD Footvax and Rumenco for their recognition of the importance of these youngsters to the sheep industry.”
