0:00:02 > 0:00:04'As Scotland's farming population fell,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08'one club became a lifeline in this isolated profession.'
0:00:08 > 0:00:10It's a great way of meeting people.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14- 'A place for knowledge,...' - The B cow is a third calver.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17- '..competition,...' - Yes!
0:00:17 > 0:00:22- '..glamour...'- You looked old-fashioned a bit fuddy-duddy.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25'..and, most importantly, fun.'
0:00:26 > 0:00:29'A club that's not afraid to move forward
0:00:29 > 0:00:32'whilst maintaining its traditions.'
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Sheaf tossing - you won't get that at your average youth group.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39'This year, the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs
0:00:39 > 0:00:41'celebrates its 75th anniversary.'
0:00:41 > 0:00:44One success that Young Farmers have had over the years
0:00:44 > 0:00:48is to... bring the men out of the hills, so to speak.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50'Three ambitious young farmers
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'attempt to make their mark in the farming world.'
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Deep breath and go for it.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58- 'Going for the top prize...' - I'd love to win it.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01'..and having a say at Holyrood.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:05All who strive to become better farmers, better countrymen
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and, importantly, better citizens.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12'It's the glue that binds the farming community together.'
0:01:13 > 0:01:16At school, I had the nickname Farmer John,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20but then you go to a Young Farmers meeting - you're all farmers.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22MUSIC: "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex
0:01:22 > 0:01:25'This is Scotland's Young Farmers Club.'
0:01:33 > 0:01:36What are your memories of the Young Farmers?
0:01:36 > 0:01:39The dances.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42MUSIC: "YMCA" by Village People
0:01:42 > 0:01:45# YMCA
0:01:45 > 0:01:48- # It's fun to stay at the... - # YMCA
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Young Farmers know how to party,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53there's no doubt about that.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57# Take it back to... to the old school...
0:01:59 > 0:02:03I think it's down to the fact that they don't get out very often.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11This is one of our friend's caravans and he's gone away for supper,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14so we're just taking it away.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Just for... the banter, really.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20'Young Farmers Clubs are a social network
0:02:20 > 0:02:26'for young people in rural areas between the ages of 14 and 26.'
0:02:26 > 0:02:30'But, for many, it's much more than a club.'
0:02:30 > 0:02:32It's often been claimed
0:02:32 > 0:02:36that Young Farmers is nothing more than a dating agency for farmers.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40It gives a lot of boys working on farms, day in, day out -
0:02:40 > 0:02:44they get to meet some girls that they probably wouldn't do otherwise.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Most farmers probably meet their future wives through Young Farmers -
0:02:48 > 0:02:52it keeps the farming cycle going.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54'As well as the social benefits,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58'education is central to the Young Farmers movement.'
0:02:58 > 0:03:00You really can't put a price
0:03:00 > 0:03:03on what you learn from Young Farmers or even what you gain.
0:03:03 > 0:03:09It's a socially interactive learning process for them all.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14Once you're in it, you see how amazing it is -
0:03:14 > 0:03:17it is, it's amazing.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21'In 1902, Clark County, Ohio,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25'AB Graham, a superintendent of schools, formed a club
0:03:25 > 0:03:28'where young people could learn by doing.'
0:03:28 > 0:03:32'His idea proved successful and more clubs were created.'
0:03:32 > 0:03:34'These rural youth programmes
0:03:34 > 0:03:37'led to the birth of the American 4-H movement,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41'calling for the education of the head, heart, hands and health.'
0:03:41 > 0:03:46'By 1923, it had spread across the United States
0:03:46 > 0:03:50'and eventually caught the attention of a pig farmer in Caithness.'
0:03:50 > 0:03:56Mr Robson got copies of the Chicago Breeders Gazette regularly -
0:03:56 > 0:03:59he read about these clubs in the United States
0:03:59 > 0:04:04and he thought "This is what I need, what we need to see in Caithness."
0:04:06 > 0:04:09'Agriculture wasn't, in these days, considered to be
0:04:09 > 0:04:13'a thing that required a lot of education and training.'
0:04:13 > 0:04:16'Mr Robson felt a club like this was needed,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18'but he faced resistance.'
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Education system in Scotland and those that were in charge of it
0:04:21 > 0:04:25didn't really approve of young people who were at school
0:04:25 > 0:04:27being involved in other activities like this -
0:04:27 > 0:04:30it just didn't fit the Scottish scene.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34'John Robson met an enlightened schoolmaster who agreed to help
0:04:34 > 0:04:39'and, despite a lack of enthusiasm at first, new recruits were found.'
0:04:39 > 0:04:42'The first activity was to be a competition.'
0:04:42 > 0:04:47There was ten young people, he gave them ten young pigs each
0:04:47 > 0:04:52and they had to keep these pigs for six months and keep the records.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55'The winning pig was to gain 329 pounds.'
0:04:55 > 0:04:58'Its proud keeper was Annie Smith.'
0:04:58 > 0:05:00This would mark the start
0:05:00 > 0:05:03'of a long and varied tradition of competitions in the clubs.'
0:05:03 > 0:05:06The work came to the attention of John Esslemont,
0:05:06 > 0:05:11the director of county work, and he felt "This is a good thing."
0:05:11 > 0:05:15'Perhaps taking his cue from the idealism of the 4-H clubs,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18'Mr Esslemont suggested some guiding principles
0:05:18 > 0:05:22'for the future of Young Farmers Clubs in Scotland.'
0:05:22 > 0:05:24'He laid down ideas
0:05:24 > 0:05:27'around the duties and responsibilities of citizenship.'
0:05:27 > 0:05:30'He also enshrined the provision of social amusement
0:05:30 > 0:05:32'and healthy recreation -
0:05:32 > 0:05:35'all with the view to making farm and rural life
0:05:35 > 0:05:38'more attractive to young people.'
0:06:00 > 0:06:04Well, I am... Right, brace yourselves...
0:06:04 > 0:06:08I'm the past Ayrshire Mr Young Farmer
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and the past West Area Mr Young Farmer in that competition.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16And I'm the past Ayrshire Member and National Member Of The Year -
0:06:16 > 0:06:18erm, that was down in Carlisle.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21That was the first time abroad to England.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26Erm... It was! And Orkney was the first time in a plane as well
0:06:26 > 0:06:29so it's opened up a few more doors and avenues.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31'At just 24,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35'John Howie runs his family's 360-acre farm in Ayrshire...'
0:06:35 > 0:06:38You hit blood, then pull it out quick.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42'..as well as being heavily involved in his local Young Farmers Club.'
0:06:42 > 0:06:47And in first place for the trophy this year, we have...
0:06:49 > 0:06:51..Ayr! THEY CHEER
0:06:53 > 0:06:56In winter time, we've got two concert practices a week,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58then a club meeting on the Monday,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01which could be just a talk or a games night,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04and then a dance at the weekend.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09We probably average about four nights out a week!
0:07:12 > 0:07:16This year, I played the sad clown, a kind of mime act.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20MUSIC: "I Want To Break Free" by Queen
0:07:20 > 0:07:24# I want to break free
0:07:25 > 0:07:27It's a good break from farming -
0:07:27 > 0:07:31stereotypically, a farmer is a sad person and depressed maybe!
0:07:31 > 0:07:35So it's good to take yourself out of your comfort zone,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39which Young Farmers does time and time again.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43APPLAUSE
0:07:43 > 0:07:47One thing that I still want to win is Stockman Of The Year.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Whether or not I'll get there, we need to see,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54but I've been trying for a good few years now and had some success.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57'The Stockman Of The Year competition
0:07:57 > 0:07:59'at the Royal Highland Show
0:07:59 > 0:08:03'is the highest accolade a Young Farmer can achieve.'
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Cove, cove, covey. Come away.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Come away.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12When I was at university,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15my dad took unwell
0:08:15 > 0:08:19and I took a year out from uni to work at home for the farm,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23to make things easier for Dad and I worked with my mam as well.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28And after that, at the end of that year out,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32well, my dad... actually passed away.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39It's sad, I suppose, in certain Young Farmers -
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I was Mr Young Farmer and Member Of The Year
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and he never got to see any of that and that kind of saddens me a bit,
0:08:45 > 0:08:51but hopefully Stockman Of The Year - I'll do that and... Yep.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Come on. Come on, lass. Come on.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58'Young Farmers is a social side
0:08:58 > 0:09:01'with the dances and everything and the fun you have -
0:09:01 > 0:09:05'at the back of that, there's the competitions that drive everything.'
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Come on, lass. Come on.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13You want to be the best at something you do -
0:09:13 > 0:09:16there's no point aiming for last,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19you may as well aim for first if you're going to do a job right.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'The Stockman Of The Year trophy is the top prize
0:09:43 > 0:09:46'in the highly competitive category of stock judging.'
0:09:50 > 0:09:53The Stockman Of The Year competition
0:09:53 > 0:09:57is without doubt the most important Young Farmers event of the year.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01'Stock judging is the craft
0:10:01 > 0:10:05'of identifying the best specimens of beef, sheep and dairy.'
0:10:07 > 0:10:10'Competitors are presented with a class of four beasts,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14'labelled A, B, X and Y,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18'and given five minutes to place them in order of quality.'
0:10:18 > 0:10:22To have to express why an animal is better than another one
0:10:22 > 0:10:26is quite a feat and is quite a skill in itself.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33'They must then justify their decisions
0:10:33 > 0:10:36'by presenting reasons to the official judge.'
0:10:36 > 0:10:41And being able to orate that to the judges is another skill indeed -
0:10:41 > 0:10:46you need a whole set of skills to be able to do this properly.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50'The farmer who places the beasts in the correct order
0:10:50 > 0:10:55'and presents clear, confident reasons will score the highest.'
0:10:55 > 0:10:59There will be people who would be very good at looking at the animal
0:10:59 > 0:11:01and picking A, B, X, Y,
0:11:01 > 0:11:06but to be able to express why is a very different thing.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10'With the Royal Highland Show only two months away,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13'Young Farmers Clubs across Scotland
0:11:13 > 0:11:15'are holding stock-judging training nights
0:11:15 > 0:11:19'in the hope of producing the next Stockman Of The Year.'
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Master of Judges, I place this class of Limousin heifers
0:11:22 > 0:11:25in order of Y, B, X and A - Y I place first
0:11:25 > 0:11:29as the biggest, cleanest heifer in the class, having great character,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33being wide of her top and deep of her loin.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35'Like John Howie,
0:11:35 > 0:11:40'Stephanie Dick has her sights set on the Stockman Of The Year trophy.'
0:11:40 > 0:11:43The first girl that ever won it was three years ago, I think -
0:11:43 > 0:11:47she was from Ayrshire - and then a girl from our club, Katrine Miller,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49she won it last... two years ago,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53so the girls are coming up in the world anyway.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56She followed on well with size, scale, power and quality,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59although she lacked the quality of legs,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02she had great power through the head
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and she carried this power through her feminine top line.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09We train probably once a week or twice a week sometimes,
0:12:09 > 0:12:14so hopefully, if I get enough training in, it'll go good.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17This one was A, X, B, Y.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22'Steph hails from a successful Stirlingshire farming family.'
0:12:22 > 0:12:28'Just 19, she already has her own herd of prized Limousin cattle.'
0:12:28 > 0:12:34Personally, I have about... 22 or something now.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37It started off with a couple, but I wanted to show my own ones
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and compete against my dad and just save up for my own
0:12:40 > 0:12:44and then they kept having calves and having more calves
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and then I flushed one of my cows and I got a load of embryos.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52And I just seemed to expand and then Dad bought me a couple of heifers.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58It's a lot of work and sometimes Dad and the men,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00if I go and lift something heavy,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03they always say "Oh, you can't do that, you're a girl."
0:13:03 > 0:13:05It is still quite sexist, I think,
0:13:05 > 0:13:10but, at the same time, I can do like everything
0:13:10 > 0:13:15and girls are just as hardy as the boys, I think.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20# One, two, three, four....
0:13:20 > 0:13:23MUSIC: "The Happy Song" by The Aliens
0:13:28 > 0:13:32The Young Farmers movement is based on competition.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Everything's a competition.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Whether it be baking a cake or giving a haircut,...
0:13:44 > 0:13:47..right down to arts and crafts.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49# ..every day, even though I'm stuck in flight
0:13:49 > 0:13:52# Happy as I wake up and make a cup of tea
0:13:52 > 0:13:55# Happy, everybody, do you want to be like me?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58'The competitions keep these craft skills alive
0:13:58 > 0:14:03'and give the young farmers a direct link to their farming heritage.'
0:14:05 > 0:14:09They stand and look at it - it's nae good looking at it,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13you're just going to hit it, it's not going to get up high enough.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20I always like to put my back towards the pole
0:14:20 > 0:14:25and put my weight into it and my power and lift it over the top.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31THEY CHEER
0:14:33 > 0:14:35I'm a lot older than all these boys,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38it's time I was retiring.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42# You want to be so happy, happy
0:14:42 > 0:14:45# Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy
0:14:45 > 0:14:47# Happy, happy, happy, happy
0:14:47 > 0:14:50# You want to be happy...
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Young farmers are highly competitive
0:14:52 > 0:14:55and it's part of their business training.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57# Happy, happy, happy, happy...
0:14:57 > 0:15:02'Over the decades, more novelty categories were introduced.'
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I'm sticking some marshmallows on a bra.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08I'm hoping its going to look like a poodle.
0:15:08 > 0:15:14I'm quite a fan of pigs, so I thought I'd make a pair of pigs.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Every year, you get a different thing to dress -
0:15:22 > 0:15:27usually it's a chair or a table, but this year we got a toilet!
0:15:30 > 0:15:33# Happy, happy, happy, happy happy, happy, happy, happy
0:15:33 > 0:15:36# Happy, happy, happy, happy, you want to be happy...
0:15:36 > 0:15:40'Pillow fighting has always proved popular at Young Farmers rallies.'
0:15:40 > 0:15:46'But, in 2007, it was put to bed, due to health-and-safety concerns.'
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Trophies are very important
0:15:51 > 0:15:56because its important to have one's sideboard filled with silver.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01You want that accolade of having the top prize at a Highland show
0:16:01 > 0:16:04or being able to say that you are Miss Young Famer.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08You've got your name engraved on a cup and it'll always be there.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12You look through the past years and see if you know somebody -
0:16:12 > 0:16:16aunts and uncles, mums and dads that have been there before -
0:16:16 > 0:16:18it's a very proud thing, definitely,
0:16:18 > 0:16:23and it's a tradition that I don't see dying any time soon.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Lift, lift, lift, lift,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01lift, lift, lift, lift,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05lift, lift, lift, lift,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09lift, lift, lift, lift...
0:17:09 > 0:17:13'Most people think "Tug of war - guys at the pub,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17'"big beer bellies, heavy as possible."'
0:17:17 > 0:17:19..lift... Tight. Lock it out.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23That's what they think of tug of war, but it's far removed from that.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25..two, three and...
0:17:25 > 0:17:27It's all about weight -
0:17:27 > 0:17:31a lean guy would out-pull a fat guy any day of the week.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Lift, tight, lift, tight...
0:17:34 > 0:17:39There's not many jobs now that require a bit of physical strength
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and I think it's just you're more physically fit,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45the fact you're doing more
0:17:45 > 0:17:47and maybe a wee bit harder
0:17:47 > 0:17:51compared to people that sit in offices, I would say, possibly!
0:17:51 > 0:17:57'Biggar Young Farmers Club have a strong tug-of-war tradition.'
0:17:57 > 0:17:59'They're in training for the Royal Highland Show finals,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02'only weeks away.'
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Tight. Lock it.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06When you start training, it's more about technique -
0:18:06 > 0:18:10folk that's never done it before, you have to teach the technique.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14You're pulling your rope down here. So you want it in your hip a bit.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17So you're dropping in...
0:18:17 > 0:18:21'You'll start one, two nights a week then we'll build it up to three.'
0:18:21 > 0:18:23You just build it up slowly
0:18:23 > 0:18:27until you're kind of trying to peak them at the Highland.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Come on, guys, into them!
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Steady... go!
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Tight, tight, tight, hold the man tight!
0:18:35 > 0:18:38The strategy is you have to outlast your opposition.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40'Pin, pin, pin!'
0:18:43 > 0:18:45More power than them, more stamina.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51And just outlast them.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57'Duncan and John both pulled for the winning Biggar team
0:18:57 > 0:19:01'at the Royal Highland Show in 1989 and 1992.'
0:19:01 > 0:19:03It's a great competition for them -
0:19:03 > 0:19:07all their peers are there and the atmosphere is tremendous.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11- You're hoping it won't be another 20 years, then?- Oh, no, no!
0:19:11 > 0:19:14'This year, Biggar Young Farmers
0:19:14 > 0:19:17'have made it to the Royal Highland Show Finals with two teams -
0:19:17 > 0:19:20'Biggar A and Biggar B.'
0:19:20 > 0:19:22THEY SHOUT WITH EFFORT
0:19:24 > 0:19:29'The teams go head to head at the end of each training session.'
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Is it about endurance now, then?
0:19:34 > 0:19:36I would say aggression.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40There's far better teams that are going to be at the Highland Show
0:19:40 > 0:19:43so it's all about who wants it more, I guess.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47One more end, boys. No cheating this time.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50B-team bandits.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52B-team bawbags!
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Steady... go!
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Push! Push! Push! Push!
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Push! Push!
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Push! Push!
0:20:10 > 0:20:11Come on, boys!
0:20:11 > 0:20:14'Tonight, the A team have the upper hand.'
0:20:14 > 0:20:17- First to five - they've won it. - So the A team is the best?
0:20:17 > 0:20:19No, no...
0:20:19 > 0:20:23The Highland Show, if you've got the right attitude on the day,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26it's just one of those kinds of competitions,
0:20:26 > 0:20:31if it goes wrong on your first pull, that's it. It's a lot of pressure.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49'This is a big year for the clubs in Scotland.'
0:20:49 > 0:20:51'It's the Scottish Association
0:20:51 > 0:20:55'of Young Farmers Clubs' 75th anniversary.'
0:20:55 > 0:20:58'Katherine Marr, a chicken farmer from Tain,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01'is hoping to become its new chairperson.'
0:21:01 > 0:21:04The thought of becoming National Chairman puts a smile on my face
0:21:04 > 0:21:06every time I think about it.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09'If elected, she will lead an organisation
0:21:09 > 0:21:12'that has become the voice of young farming in Scotland.'
0:21:12 > 0:21:18Onto item 19 - to elect Chairman and Vice-Chairman for 2014.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22'With the formation of the SAYFC in 1938,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25'the ideas around democracy and citizenship,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27'laid down by George Esslemont,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31'could finally be carried forward at a national level,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35'promoting the positive ethos of better farmers, better countrymen
0:21:35 > 0:21:37'and better citizens.'
0:21:37 > 0:21:41'The immediate post-war era was to be a high point for the clubs,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44'with membership reaching over 10,000.'
0:21:44 > 0:21:47'It would also mark the beginning of significant changes
0:21:47 > 0:21:49'in Scottish agriculture.'
0:21:49 > 0:21:53I've recently been reported in the paper as being egg-daft,
0:21:53 > 0:21:58but I would say I was passionately daft about Young Farmers.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03'As farms became increasingly mechanised, less men were needed.'
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'Successful farmers reduced their workforce
0:22:06 > 0:22:11'while increasing their acreage, resulting in fewer, bigger farms.'
0:22:11 > 0:22:16'With fewer farmers, club membership began a steady decline.'
0:22:16 > 0:22:19When there are fewer farmers, but there's the same amount of acreage,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23they become disparate from each other, so the Young Farmers
0:22:23 > 0:22:25does have a really important role
0:22:25 > 0:22:27in trying to bring them together.
0:22:27 > 0:22:33'In 1949, there were 10,000 Young Farmers in Scotland.'
0:22:33 > 0:22:35'Today there's just over 3,000.'
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Congratulations, Madam Chair.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Get your kit on.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45'Most Young Farmers still have a family connection to farming,...'
0:22:45 > 0:22:48SHE SQUAWKS
0:22:48 > 0:22:51'..but with less opportunities than in the past,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55'only around one in three will go on to have a career in agriculture.'
0:22:57 > 0:23:01This is a craic.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06Aww, big chicken. Aww.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11- What are you doing now? - Going home.- Home?
0:23:13 > 0:23:17MUSIC: "You Drive Me Crazy" by Shakin' Stevens
0:23:17 > 0:23:21# You know, baby, when you're in my arms
0:23:21 > 0:23:24# I can feel your loving magic charms
0:23:24 > 0:23:28# You drive me crazy
0:23:28 > 0:23:32# You drive me crazy...
0:23:32 > 0:23:36I remember the first time I got sent to a stock-demonstration practice
0:23:36 > 0:23:38at my local Young Farmers -
0:23:38 > 0:23:42I didn't really know what it was about at that time, I'd only be 15,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45went along and, like any young person,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48you're quite kinda loathed to do it,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51but once you get shoved in and you do it for the first time,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53the next time becomes easier.
0:23:55 > 0:24:01And it was hard, but sticking at it and keep going and keep trying,
0:24:01 > 0:24:05you do progress and get better at it.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Yeah, it is scary to start with.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14That'll do us there.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19'It's the last training night before the Stockman Of The Year competition
0:24:19 > 0:24:22'at the Royal Highland Show.'
0:24:22 > 0:24:26'John is hoping to make it into the Ayrshire A stock-judging team.'
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Right, that's five mins started.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32'He must judge the class accurately
0:24:32 > 0:24:36'and later present his reasons to the judges.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:42'Some people are natural stocksmen - they grew up with stock around them
0:24:42 > 0:24:45'and they learn from their father or grandfather
0:24:45 > 0:24:49'what's a good one and what's a bad one.'
0:24:51 > 0:24:54You sussed it out yet?
0:24:54 > 0:24:59You do get some people that are really good at it from a young age
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and you get people that learn how to do it
0:25:02 > 0:25:05by listening to trainers and judges and picking it up as they go.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Right, that's your time up.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23That class was B, Y, X and A
0:25:23 > 0:25:26with a spacing of four, four and four.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30Basically, between myself and the official judge,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33his top two and his bottom two were switched around about
0:25:33 > 0:25:37from what I had originally - that's just the pairs swapped around about,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40so I've seen worse and done a lot worse with my judging,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43so it's hard tonight.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Good stock, so it's making it tough,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49but it'll be like that at the Highland Show, even harder probably.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52COW BELLOWS
0:26:03 > 0:26:05'With the stock judging over,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09'it's time to rehearse reasons and present them to the judges.'
0:26:09 > 0:26:12HE MUTTERS
0:26:22 > 0:26:25And then David Smith...
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Think of a judge at the Highland,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30the amount of people that's going to do a set of reasons -
0:26:30 > 0:26:33you've got to have something to remember you by,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36so if you can get a buzzword in that will stick in your head,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40that's what I try and do so I am memorable.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49People have different methods, but I could visualise the class.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Master of Judges, this is a tremendous class,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I place them in the order X, B, Y, A.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59I could visualise them in my head, see the four cows walking around.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02The first two being taller, longer and stronger than the bottom two.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Kind of differentiating marks, like a wee black mark
0:27:06 > 0:27:08or "That one was bigger" or "better on its legs."
0:27:08 > 0:27:11She was sweeter and more capacious in her udder.
0:27:11 > 0:27:17Far greater style, sweeter teat placement...
0:27:17 > 0:27:21You're allowed ten per cent or ten seconds over the two minutes.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25She's also straighter in her front bone leg
0:27:25 > 0:27:28than X... Y, sorry.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Once you're over the ten seconds, you get penalized - time faults.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35This is a great class of Holstein Friesian cows on which to judge
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and overall I placed them in the order of X, B, Y and A. Thank you.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42OK, John... No, good.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Good terminology.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Go to town on the first one, ham it up. "It won the class by a mile."
0:27:49 > 0:27:51You didnae sound as confident there.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54I think you've got to be able to listen and learn,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57take it in and take criticism well.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Just go for it. I mean, you ken it won the class by a mile.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04If I'd had a wee bit more time, as Grant and Andrew said,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08maybe could've hammed it up a bit, but... it was good to say it.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Maybe faltered a wee bit, not as slick as I would've liked,
0:28:12 > 0:28:17but it was practice. Always the same - you could always do better.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25'The last thing on the agenda is the team selections
0:28:25 > 0:28:28'for the Royal Highland Show.'
0:28:28 > 0:28:30In third place was Graeme Wallace
0:28:30 > 0:28:33with 453 points.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Second place was David Smith with 504 points.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48And winning seniors tonight was John Cowser with 515 points.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56I would now like to pass you over to Grant
0:28:56 > 0:29:00to go over the teams for the Highland Show.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04The A team in dairy John Cowser, Kevin Lawrie.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07The beef David Smith, Graeme Wallace.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10The sheep Drew Kennedy and Andrew Ireland.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14The B team in the dairy John Howie and Struan Mcgregor.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17In the beef Ross Baird and Drew Wilson.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21In the sheep Alistair Hutton and Hugh Fergusson.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26That was just given out, so kinda... don't know.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29My name wasn't in the top three anyway,
0:29:29 > 0:29:33but the people that were announced have been strong all year
0:29:33 > 0:29:35so it wasn't really a surprise.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39Just need to, in the Highland, get more revising done
0:29:39 > 0:29:42and hopefully it'll come good at the Highland Show
0:29:42 > 0:29:46because it's a totally different pressure on you,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49so, aye, hopefully my name will be up there.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56MUSIC: "I'm Looking For A Woman" by Bo Diddley
0:30:02 > 0:30:05# I'm looking for a woman
0:30:05 > 0:30:08# That will work to set me down...
0:30:09 > 0:30:12In the first issue of The Scottish Farmer,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15I think we fairly well summed up
0:30:15 > 0:30:18what was the role of women in farming at the time
0:30:18 > 0:30:22when we said there was no better gymnasium for a woman
0:30:22 > 0:30:27than washing, cleaning, ironing and the rubbing of brass,
0:30:27 > 0:30:30but I think things have moved on a fair bit since then.
0:30:33 > 0:30:39And... just take a little out the centre and we taste.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42'Like generations before,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45'today's Young Farmers subject themselves to judgment
0:30:45 > 0:30:48'by the Scottish Women's Rural Institute.'
0:30:48 > 0:30:51A perfect scone is spongy,
0:30:51 > 0:30:55not too hard, not too crusty on the outside,
0:30:55 > 0:31:00but just very spongy and not too sweet.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02That's my opinion - not too sweet.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06Ooh, they're quite... quite solid.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09This is spongy.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13We've no idea who has made these.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16- Quite doughy.- Mm-hm.- Quite doughy.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19You have to judge them as you see them -
0:31:19 > 0:31:24whether it's hurting somebody that they're not getting first prize.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26That one's very solid.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29- Feel... - Indeed, yeah.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32The judges' decision is final.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34- That one. - Yeah, definitely.
0:31:35 > 0:31:41I would say very few men, the boys, have ended up in the baking -
0:31:41 > 0:31:43in my day, there'd be none,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46the boys just thought "That's the girls' job."
0:31:46 > 0:31:50# Well, tell me, baby...
0:31:50 > 0:31:53'Along with the established competitions in baking,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56'there's handicrafts across a wide range of disciplines.'
0:31:56 > 0:32:00OK, girls, we're setting up, you can come in now.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Report to your stewards.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06'The tradition in farming is that you make something out of nothing.'
0:32:06 > 0:32:10Even now, when you can buy a shirt for six quid or something,
0:32:10 > 0:32:15Young Farmers have the tradition of being able to make that themselves -
0:32:15 > 0:32:17it might cost a tenner to do it,
0:32:17 > 0:32:21but they're still quite keen to have a go at making things.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23This is the decorated false nails -
0:32:23 > 0:32:26it's just one hand we had to enter, this was done by Jessica.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30Yeah, I went with the SAYFC colours, the purple, white and green.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33It was supposed to be a New Holland, but we didn't have enough blue.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36So we've kinda left it like that.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40One of the plus points of the Young Farmers
0:32:40 > 0:32:45is that they are creative. Some of them are over-creative.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Ooh, it's got...
0:32:47 > 0:32:50The herbs have taken over.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53But I think that diversity is one of the plus points,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56that there are creative and artistic people out there
0:32:56 > 0:32:59and they're willing to put it to the test.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02The artistic merits and the colours,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05they've thought it out in different colours -
0:33:05 > 0:33:09the tractor - I've never seen that colour of tractor.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12But maybe you do get these colours.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14They've done a fairly good job,
0:33:14 > 0:33:20but with a bit of practice, they could make perfection.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24'But it wasn't all baking and handicrafts.'
0:33:24 > 0:33:27'There was once a touch of glamour.'
0:33:27 > 0:33:31ROY ORBISON: # Pretty woman, walking down the street
0:33:31 > 0:33:35# Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet
0:33:35 > 0:33:37# Pretty woman
0:33:37 > 0:33:41# I don't believe you, you're not the truth
0:33:41 > 0:33:45# No-one could look as good as you...
0:33:45 > 0:33:51In 1991, I was put forward to the Miss Scotch Lamb competition.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57I had quite a knowledge of the sheep industry at this point
0:33:57 > 0:34:01because I was actually shepherd for my father at the time.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06When I won the competition,
0:34:06 > 0:34:12my dad was quite proud that he had fathered a Miss Scotch Lamb!
0:34:13 > 0:34:18I felt glamorous when I was standing presenting prizes -
0:34:18 > 0:34:22you maybe just looked a bit old-fashioned, a bit fuddy-duddy.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28When Miss Scotch Lamb turned up to present a prize,
0:34:28 > 0:34:31every shepherd was not happy with a shake of the hand -
0:34:31 > 0:34:34they needed a peck on the cheek or a cuddle
0:34:34 > 0:34:38and you just had to go along with that smile and give them the chat,
0:34:38 > 0:34:43so I think it would probably make some of their days
0:34:43 > 0:34:46that they could go home and say they had a kiss from Miss Scotch Lamb!
0:34:46 > 0:34:49# Ladies
0:34:49 > 0:34:51# Ladies
0:34:51 > 0:34:54# On the sofa next to me...
0:34:54 > 0:34:58'Young farmers that didn't fancy becoming Miss Scotch Lamb
0:34:58 > 0:35:03'could enter a rival competition and become a Pinta Princess.'
0:35:03 > 0:35:06# Ladies, ladies...
0:35:06 > 0:35:08In 1987,
0:35:08 > 0:35:13I won the Milk Marketing Board's Pinta Princess competition!
0:35:13 > 0:35:18There was girls from all over Scotland went along.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20We had a great day together.
0:35:20 > 0:35:25We weren't parading around in bikinis or anything like that,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Miss World, like!
0:35:28 > 0:35:30But, no, it was interesting and fun.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33# Jackie's in the powder room...
0:35:33 > 0:35:37We were all interviewed about our involvement with the clubs,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41our interests, our hobbies - just about our lives, really.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44# While Joan of Arc just sits and smokes, ladies...
0:35:44 > 0:35:49It was nice to put our wellies away and to get dressed up in an evening
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and nice for the boys to be looking at something
0:35:52 > 0:35:56other than the cattle or sheep or whatever they were used to judging,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59judging our usual Young Farmers night out.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04# My friends say "Where are all the ladies?"...
0:36:04 > 0:36:07'But, by the early '90s, attitudes were changing.'
0:36:07 > 0:36:13'Miss Scotch Lamb and the Pinta Princess were on their way out.'
0:36:13 > 0:36:16When I was Miss Scotch Lamb, the press had picked up on it
0:36:16 > 0:36:21and didn't think it was the right thing to be promoting at that time.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25There was a backlash against beauty contests
0:36:25 > 0:36:28even though they weren't intrinsically all about beauty,
0:36:28 > 0:36:34and so they fell by the wayside - they were seen as kind of outdated.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Miss Scotch Lamb, definitely, yeah,
0:36:39 > 0:36:44had become politically incorrect... unfortunately!
0:36:53 > 0:36:56'In 2013, young women are taking
0:36:56 > 0:37:00'an increasingly central role in farming.'
0:37:01 > 0:37:03'When her father retires,
0:37:03 > 0:37:07'Steph will take on her family's 3,000-acre farm.'
0:37:10 > 0:37:12'It's what I always wanted to do -
0:37:12 > 0:37:15'if someone asked me "If you weren't a farmer, what would you be?" -
0:37:15 > 0:37:18'there's nothing else I'd want to be.'
0:37:18 > 0:37:22'I thought about studying business at college or something,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25'but when it came down to it, there's nothing else.'
0:37:25 > 0:37:29I love spending time with cows and being out in the open air -
0:37:29 > 0:37:34I couldn't sit in an office all day. I've always wanted to be a farmer.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40It's strange for a girl to want to be a farmer,
0:37:40 > 0:37:45but my brother wasn't interested at all and I took a liking to animals.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54My brother wants to be a doctor, a surgeon, so it's good for him,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57he stuck up for himself and said he didn't want to be a farmer -
0:37:57 > 0:37:59that's fair enough.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Urrghh!
0:38:01 > 0:38:04I need a hand now!
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Usually it's the boy that takes over
0:38:08 > 0:38:12and with me wanting to take it over instead, it's a different situation.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21There's nothing else I'd want to do -
0:38:21 > 0:38:25you get to be with guys like this every day.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Hey.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36I think they're full.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44'Despite a steady decrease in membership,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47'the Young Farmers movement has survived.'
0:38:47 > 0:38:52'Today it's as important as ever to its just over 3,000 members
0:38:52 > 0:38:56'and is now taken seriously on the political stage.'
0:38:56 > 0:39:01Since its inception on 2nd February 1938,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs has evolved
0:39:04 > 0:39:07to offer its members a greater and more robust platform
0:39:07 > 0:39:11for personal development, community participation and social adhesion.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14One of the successes that the Young Farmers have had over the years
0:39:14 > 0:39:18is to bring the men out of the hills, so to speak.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22I commend the work Young Farmers Clubs do in coaching, debating,
0:39:22 > 0:39:26and know that my northeastern colleague Alex Johnstone
0:39:26 > 0:39:31honed some of his fine debating skills in his Young Farmers Club.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35Some of them would stay in the hills if they were given the chance.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38I'm told he held the club record
0:39:38 > 0:39:41for being able to consume the most pints in one sitting as well.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44When I was in the Young Farmers, we had a very formidable lady,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47one of the older ladies of the club called Mary Craig,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50and she made it her raison d'etre
0:39:50 > 0:39:52that people were pushed out of their comfort zone.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56They were made to do things they wouldn't choose to do themselves.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Hi, how are you?
0:40:06 > 0:40:09- Fine. And you?- Good, nervous.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11# Well, come on, baby, I'll show you how
0:40:11 > 0:40:14# Come on, baby, I'll show you how, we'll do it hard...
0:40:14 > 0:40:17This place is massive.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20# Come on, baby, do a chicken, chicken walk...
0:40:20 > 0:40:24'Today, newly appointed Chairperson Katherine Marr
0:40:24 > 0:40:28'is at the Scottish Parliament to give a speech to MSPs.'
0:40:28 > 0:40:32- You all right?- Hope so. - You'll be fine.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35Hi. Nice to meet you.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- Thanks very much... - Congratulations on your appointment.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41This gentleman's keen to meet you.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45I'm Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48How are you, boys? I missed you on the way in. Thanks for coming.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51- Congratulations. - Thanks very much, boys.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55- It's all about the passion, Fraser! - OK, Katherine!
0:40:57 > 0:40:59THEY APPLAUD
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Good evening, everyone.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06I'd like to welcome you all along to this evening's reception.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Please forgive me as I'm a little nervous
0:41:09 > 0:41:14about speaking in front of such a high calibre of an audience.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Normally on a Wednesday night,
0:41:16 > 0:41:18you can find me in a hen shed,
0:41:18 > 0:41:21speaking away to the hens about my day's activities
0:41:21 > 0:41:24and why they've not laid enough eggs.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28I think that's one of the successes of the whole Young Farmers movement
0:41:28 > 0:41:32is that they do take fairly shy people, introverted people,
0:41:32 > 0:41:35and turn them into what they can be.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Working on the land or not,
0:41:37 > 0:41:41we welcome all who strive to become better farmers,
0:41:41 > 0:41:46better countrymen and, importantly, better citizens.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49Thank you.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54It went better than I thought -
0:41:54 > 0:41:58I was pretty nervous, but I think it came across OK. I don't know.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Yeah, I was pretty happy with it.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05Average age of farmers is 62 just now -
0:42:05 > 0:42:10that's not healthy, so what do we do in the future?
0:42:10 > 0:42:14We have no younger people getting involved.
0:42:16 > 0:42:21# Yeah, let's walk, walk, walk, baby...
0:42:21 > 0:42:24Wow, it's pretty big, eh?
0:42:25 > 0:42:30- Would you like to sit in the First Minister's chair?- This one here?
0:42:31 > 0:42:35'Everything boils down to the people in this chamber,
0:42:35 > 0:42:40'it's them that's making the decisions for the future for us.'
0:42:40 > 0:42:44'So we need to be able to influence them in ways they'll respect.'
0:42:44 > 0:42:50And we wish the SAYFC and all its members every success
0:42:50 > 0:42:53and look forward to celebrating many future anniversaries
0:42:53 > 0:42:57as it continues to be an important and a very positive element
0:42:57 > 0:42:59of Scottish rural life. Thank you.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02I just sat in Alex Salmond's seat.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Was there a feeling of power?
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Not power. It's a bit surreal, this whole thing.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Yeah, it's amazing.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23'The Royal Highland Show is the biggest event
0:43:23 > 0:43:25'in the Scottish farming calendar.'
0:43:25 > 0:43:29'Every June, thousands of farmers from across the country
0:43:29 > 0:43:32'gather at Ingliston for four days of business,
0:43:32 > 0:43:35'pleasure and competition.'
0:43:35 > 0:43:39The quicker we get out, the quicker we get started!
0:43:39 > 0:43:42It's all about quickness!
0:43:42 > 0:43:45'Stock-judging competitors from clubs across Scotland
0:43:45 > 0:43:48'meet at the Young Farmers Centre for registration.'
0:43:48 > 0:43:51I'd just like to welcome everyone
0:43:51 > 0:43:55to the Highland Show Stock Judging Competition.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00All the work and effort I've done in the past -
0:44:00 > 0:44:03I've been competing for it since I was probably 16 -
0:44:03 > 0:44:06that's nine, ten years' worth of going to stock judgings,
0:44:06 > 0:44:09late nights in a freezing cold shed,
0:44:09 > 0:44:13so it'd give me a recognisation of all the work I've put in,
0:44:13 > 0:44:17from your peers in Young Farmers as well, that you're a good stockman
0:44:17 > 0:44:19and you know what you're doing.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22Please remember you're not permitted to speak to anyone else,
0:44:22 > 0:44:24this includes mobile phones.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27I know my weaknesses and my strengths -
0:44:27 > 0:44:29I get flustered, I need to take my time
0:44:29 > 0:44:32and make sure I've got enough points down for the reason giving.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36I need to remember everything I've been getting trained on this year
0:44:36 > 0:44:38and bring it all together.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42- How are the nerves? - Not very good!
0:44:42 > 0:44:46My stomach's turning.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49You need a bit of luck so hopefully it'll be on my side today.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask
0:44:53 > 0:44:58and if not, on you go, make your way down to the rings to start judging.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02Good luck, everybody!
0:45:02 > 0:45:04Nerves are kicking in now.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11When the stock-judging teams appear at the Highland Show,
0:45:11 > 0:45:15few people will realise that they've probably been working
0:45:15 > 0:45:17for six months to this end.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20Clear head, deep breath.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25This is like winning Crufts -
0:45:25 > 0:45:29your value to the industry goes up exponentially
0:45:29 > 0:45:32after you've won Stockman Of The Year.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36TANNOY: "Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman. In ring 16 and 17,
0:45:36 > 0:45:39"we've got the Young Farmers' Stockman Of The Year programme."
0:45:39 > 0:45:43When you're stock judging, you're using your eye and your instinct
0:45:43 > 0:45:45to pick the best animal.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48Steady, pal.
0:45:48 > 0:45:54And there comes a time when you may have to buy that animal at auction
0:45:54 > 0:45:57and there's nobody else around to judge it other than you.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07Judging is always an opinion and everybody will vary in opinion.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13You can see the tension in the Young Farmers.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20You can see the pressure. It's certainly mounting on them.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25I hate dairy cows.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29If you've one area of weakness, you'll struggle to win.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31TANNOY: "That's your time up."
0:46:31 > 0:46:36"Hand your cards to the steward and move on to the next class, please."
0:46:38 > 0:46:40Thank you.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44MOOING
0:46:44 > 0:46:46Oh, dear.
0:47:05 > 0:47:10'The tug-of-war finals are underway.'
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Come on!
0:47:12 > 0:47:14'Biggar A in group one.'
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Come on!
0:47:16 > 0:47:18'Biggar B in group two.'
0:47:18 > 0:47:21The biggest pull's the first one.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29It's hard, especially the young puller going into that -
0:47:29 > 0:47:31it's a big, big thing.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37If the occasion gets to them, then, that's it.
0:47:38 > 0:47:43We've had teams in the past who thought they were going to win.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49They go out there and got stuffed.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52- How's it going out there? - It's tough.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54It's all right up until then,
0:47:54 > 0:47:58teams haven't been as solid but they were solid.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00I'm angry!
0:48:00 > 0:48:03'Despite a challenging group stage,
0:48:03 > 0:48:06'both teams are through to the semifinals.'
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Two ends and we're in the final. Come on!
0:48:11 > 0:48:14I had to try to motivate them.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17Come on! We're in the final. Come on!
0:48:17 > 0:48:21Try to get them wound up, aggravated.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Come on now!
0:48:25 > 0:48:27And then attack.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32ALL SHOUT
0:48:36 > 0:48:38ALL SHOUT AND CHANT
0:48:41 > 0:48:43WHISTLE
0:48:47 > 0:48:50'Biggar B are through.'
0:48:50 > 0:48:53We were hoping to make it a Biggar-Biggar final.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58Because it had never been done before -
0:48:58 > 0:49:01two teams from the one club in a final.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03Come on, Biggar! Come on!
0:49:10 > 0:49:12WHISTLE
0:49:17 > 0:49:21So as soon as we'd won our semi and they'd won their semi,
0:49:21 > 0:49:25I was like "Ya dancer, we've won it. See what happens in the final."
0:49:25 > 0:49:28- What's happening? - Biggar A-Biggar B final.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31What does that mean?
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Fling the kitchen sink at them. Everything, give it everything.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43'With the stock judging over,
0:49:43 > 0:49:47'John and Steph must now prepare their reasons for the judges.'
0:49:47 > 0:49:51You've got to go with your instincts when you're stock judging -
0:49:51 > 0:49:56even if you get the class wrong against the official judge,
0:49:56 > 0:50:00if you can convince the judges that you were right,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03then, that is worth a lot of points.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06HE MUTTERS
0:50:08 > 0:50:11A good temperament without getting too nervous is an advantage.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20You don't get much time to prepare, it's all quite boom, boom, boom.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22George Low!
0:50:22 > 0:50:27So, aye, you've got to be kinda nerveless.
0:50:30 > 0:50:35That can be the difference between being fourth and winning it.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42I don't know about well prepared, but I'm kinda prepared!
0:50:42 > 0:50:44It'll all change when you go in.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48As long as I don't stumble my words again like that, it'll be fine.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51Just... deep breath and go for it.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57When you're ready.
0:50:57 > 0:51:01This is a tremendous class of Holstein Friesian cows to judge.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05A clear winner. I place them in the order of Y, B, X and A.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07It can be very intimidating,
0:51:07 > 0:51:11but I had done it so often that I actually really quite enjoyed it.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17If you said to me now "Look at that cow"
0:51:17 > 0:51:21and then, ten minutes later, ask me about it, I could tell you,
0:51:21 > 0:51:23but when I go into that room,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26my head goes blank and I can't string my sentences together.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30She was fleshy, flashy and stylish on parade,
0:51:30 > 0:51:33but just lacked the overall character to that of my leader,
0:51:33 > 0:51:37being narrower and duller and not carrying...
0:51:37 > 0:51:39and carrying more dewlap.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42Yeah, you can talk your way out of making a mess of the judging.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44I placed X over A...
0:51:44 > 0:51:46The nerves are going, butterflies.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50..deeper of her rib, far more power carried through this cow.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54Trying to be accurate with my reasons, watch my timing as well.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58A longer cow, more angular over her topline compared to my last.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00Don't lose out for being over time.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03She was the heifer that had the poorest character,
0:52:03 > 0:52:06being short and narrow up through her head and lacking the style.
0:52:06 > 0:52:07I was over time.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11She was duller on parade and flatter over her ribs.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13And I knew I was over time.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15..and not having the muscle...
0:52:15 > 0:52:18It was getting longer and the timekeeper was looking at me.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21So her lack of size, width and style placed her last.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25I could just tell by the look on her face that I was over.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28Master Judge, Madam Timekeeper, that concludes my reasons
0:52:28 > 0:52:32for placing this class of Limousin heifers in order of B, A, Y and X.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36They don't actually tell you, but I think I was about 20 seconds over,
0:52:36 > 0:52:40which is a lot of points to get taken off if you're trying to win.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Tremendous class of Holstien Friesian cows
0:52:43 > 0:52:48- and I place them in order of Y, B, X and A. Thank you.- Thank you.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08'It's a Biggar-Biggar final.'
0:53:08 > 0:53:11ALL GRUNT WITH EFFORT
0:53:11 > 0:53:16'Two teams from the same club have never been in the final before.'
0:53:17 > 0:53:20The plan was just to not let Biggar A settle.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28Just to go in and attack.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35WHISTLE
0:53:41 > 0:53:45The plan worked OK, so quite happy, quite happy.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53MUSIC: "Mr Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra
0:53:58 > 0:54:02- How does that feel, Biggar B team? - Tremendous. Absolutely amazing.
0:54:02 > 0:54:07Telled ya I was going to win it! B team!
0:54:09 > 0:54:12# Mr Blue Sky, please tell us why...
0:54:12 > 0:54:17'89 and '92. I won it by pulling in those years.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Good to have my hand on it again.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23To come back and do the coaching for one year
0:54:23 > 0:54:28and manage to pick up the trophy, aye, it was quite a pleasure,
0:54:28 > 0:54:33quite emotional, I would say, aye. It was good.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36One, two, three... THEY ALL CHEER
0:54:39 > 0:54:42'The reasons are finished and the scores are in.'
0:54:42 > 0:54:46'It's time to announce The Stockman Of The Year.'
0:54:46 > 0:54:49I hope my judging was near enough on the money -
0:54:49 > 0:54:53one or two turns of phrase maybe, from my demos, my reason giving,
0:54:53 > 0:54:57but it's mistakes that I shouldn't have had and it's annoying me a bit,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00but hopefully the judge won't know it was a mistake
0:55:00 > 0:55:03and I'll lift the trophy. But we'll see.
0:55:03 > 0:55:08'First are the individual prizes in each judging category.'
0:55:08 > 0:55:12So we'll just go on to - the best individual in the dairy section
0:55:12 > 0:55:17was won by Graham Mackay, Clyde & Central.
0:55:22 > 0:55:27Our club stands on the balcony behind where the results are read,
0:55:27 > 0:55:30so we all went up there and we were hoping we'd done well,
0:55:30 > 0:55:34but you can never tell with these things.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37The best individual in the beef section today
0:55:37 > 0:55:40was... Stephanie Dick, Clyde & Central.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47They read out my name and I got a little bit excited!
0:55:51 > 0:55:55And I had a little bit of an emotional cry.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04We'll now go on to the award that you've all been waiting for -
0:56:04 > 0:56:07Stockman Of The Year.
0:56:11 > 0:56:17It would be a range of emotions, whether it's courage or proudness.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20Hopefully I wouldn't become big-headed about it,
0:56:20 > 0:56:23but I'm sure I'd have a massive smile if my name was shouted out.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27There's nothing you can do now, so you just have to wait.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31Obviously you're nervous, but you can't change what's happened.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33The judges have made their decisions
0:56:33 > 0:56:36and what they read out they're going to read out.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40We'll now announce the overall Stockman Of The Year
0:56:40 > 0:56:43and winner of the Robert Barr Memorial Trophy -
0:56:43 > 0:56:46this year has been won by...
0:56:48 > 0:56:52- Come on! - ..Kyle Campbell, Clyde & Central!
0:56:52 > 0:56:54CHEERING
0:56:57 > 0:56:59Go! Go!
0:56:59 > 0:57:03Stockman Of The Year doesn't just get handed to you on a plate -
0:57:03 > 0:57:07you're going to have to train hard for it for years,
0:57:07 > 0:57:09but hopefully we'll get there one day.
0:57:09 > 0:57:14- John, well done. Aye. - Thanks. Next year.- Well done.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17You've made your mammy so proud!
0:57:20 > 0:57:24At that time in my life, it was probably the best day of my life,
0:57:24 > 0:57:28but now, being a father, it probably rates below them now,
0:57:28 > 0:57:31but at the time, it was the biggest thing in my life.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34Aye, next year...
0:57:34 > 0:57:38# Mr Blue Sky, please tell us why...
0:57:38 > 0:57:42There's maybe not the 10,000 that there used to be,
0:57:42 > 0:57:46but the 3,000 we have left are keen to continue this tradition
0:57:46 > 0:57:50and really make sure it's there for our children to benefit from -
0:57:50 > 0:57:54I wouldn't be half the person I am without the Young Farmers.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57Don't get me crying, its embarrassing!
0:57:57 > 0:58:03- So how you feeling, Steph? - Good, thanks to my trainer.
0:58:03 > 0:58:07Oh, even Craig's got a little tear in his eye!
0:58:07 > 0:58:10Got a big tear in my eye.
0:58:13 > 0:58:17For me, a Young Farmers Club is the best thing you can be a part of
0:58:17 > 0:58:19when you're a young age -
0:58:19 > 0:58:23the doors it opens, the fun you have, the people you meet -
0:58:23 > 0:58:27it allowed me to do a whole range of things and allowed me to shine.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29MUSIC: "Forever Young" by Sparks
0:58:29 > 0:58:32# Forever young, forever young
0:58:34 > 0:58:37# I've broken every rule
0:58:37 > 0:58:41# And I'll break this last one
0:58:41 > 0:58:44# Forever young, forever
0:58:44 > 0:58:48# Forever young, forever
0:58:48 > 0:58:52# Forever young, forever young #
0:58:53 > 0:58:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd