THE winner of the 2014 George Hedley Memorial Award for outstanding service to the sheep industry has been announced as David Croston.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) described him as a "very worthy winner" having dedicated his career to supporting sheep farming businesses, which he continued after retiring when he became an NSA office holder.

John Geldard, NSA chairman, said: "David Croston’s service to agriculture is well-documented, and his support for NSA in particular has been enormously appreciated. The award has been extremely well earned and richly deserved.

"That David has achieved so much for the sheep sector without ever farming himself goes to show the breadth of opportunities available in agriculture."

Over a career spanning 40 years, Mr Croston has worked to advance almost every area of the sheep sector, from breeding programmes to export markets. He joined the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) in 1970, taking responsibility for the individual ewe recording schemes, later known as Sheepbreeder, and the creation of Sire Reference Schemes.

He then became the MLC's chief sheep advisor and sheep strategy manager, before transferring to it’s export marketing department which he became head of in March 1996. In 1998 he was appointed MLC head of sheep strategy and in 2003 became chief executive of Eblex where he drew up proposals for the Better Returns knowledge transfer programme.

Following his retirement in 2005 Mr Croston became involved with NSA, playing a key role in the running of its events and using his industry experience to help steer the organisation through a period of reform. In 2010 he became NSA honorary treasurer, a post he held for five years before stepping down in June last year.

Mr Croston was awarded the MBE during his career and his 1985 book collaboration – Planned Sheep Production – remains a staple of students’ reading lists.

He will be formally presented with the award – a specially sculpted statuette of a South Country Cheviot sheep mounted on a plinth bearing his name and the words "For outstanding service to the sheep industry" – at NSA North Sheep at Millstone Moor Farm, Cockermouth, on Wednesday, June 3, when he will also be made an honorary life member.