Agriculture students’ Christmas Calf Show is moo-vellous

The event is organised by the College’s Level 2 and 14-16 agriculture students and involves the training and then parading of a variety of dairy heifers and beef cross calves, which were prepared for the show at Myerscough’s Livestock Innovation Centre, part of the College’s Lodge Farm complex.

Every year the students spend months planning and preparing for the event, with the Christmas Calf show now an annual fixture in the Myerscough calendar. The student’s hard work and stockmanship shows how they have developed their skills and confidence in handling and showing the animals, as well as taking pride in both their own appearance and that of their animal.

Since September students have worked extremely hard from the first week in September to halter train their animals and learn the art of showing, as well as cleaning, washing and clipping them.

Students then take the skills they have learnt into their future employment within the industry.

As well as giving the students confidence working with cattle the process also encompasses vital English and maths experience. The students have to write their own letters and e-mails to collect donations from national and local businesses for our charity raffle.

As well as this the students need to promote the raffle, the chosen charity and sell as many tickets as they can, working hard to raise funds for chosen charity YANA, an organisation who provide rural mental health support.

Showing livestock also gives students the opportunity to get together to show case their work and effort to their local community. This gives the public a chance to see the health and welfare aspects going into farming. Farming can often be a lonely job so events like this are a great way to bring the public and the farming community together.

A huge thank you to everybody who has helped and supported the event, including sponsors - LLM Farm Vets Lancashire, British Blue Cattle Society, Genus ABS, Brockholes Arms Auction Mart, Gisburn Auction Mart, Myerscough College Agriculture and Farms and Holden Fencing Imports.

A big thanks also goes out the judges - Evie Gibbons, Matty Blair, Dave Thornton and Wes Johnson.

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