CUMBRIA came out top at the 2013 NFYFC Dairy Stockjudging Finals at the Great Yorkshire Show after winning four awards – two of them first places.

In the team judging, Cumbria A’s stockjudging skills were deemed the best in the competition, with its B team coming third after Lancashire A.

Robert Lawrence, of Kent Estuary YFC, Cumbria, won the Intermediate Dairy Stockjudging trophy with 125 points – 26 points ahead of the next highest score.

Daniel Bargh, of Skelton YFC, was second in the senior category.

Robert’s brother, Michael, was in the winning Cumbria A team, along with Sam Blease, another Kent Estuary member.

Michael said: “We won the team trophy three years ago and it feels good to win again.

“I’ve been stockjudging for six or seven years. I and my brothers work on a dairy farm all day, so I think you definitely get better with practice.”

Cumbria’s B team of Joanne Ridley, of Caldbeck, Stephen Coulthard, of Wigton, and Daniel Bargh were placed third out of 25 teams from around the country.

This was the juniors’ first experience of judging at a national event and Joanne Ridley and Heather Bland, Pennine, were extremely pleased to be placed fifth and sixth with Sam Blease, 13th.

Stephen Coulthard was 13th in the intermediate section and Emily Hunter, Aspatria was 15th.

Keith Forster, county chairman, said: “Cumbrian Young Farmers have had a brilliant run of results at national competitions this summer. Stockjudging is a popular event in our calendar, and we are really pleased to bring back another trophy to the county.”