Farm manager Will Gribbon has followed in his father's footsteps by winning the Norfolk County Farm Business championship.It was 15 years ago that Mr Gribbon's father, Mervyn, won the supreme award in the annual competition held by the Aylsham Agricultural Show Association.

Farm manager Will Gribbon has followed in his father's footsteps by winning the Norfolk County Farm Business championship.

It was 15 years ago that Mr Gribbon's father, Mervyn, won the supreme award in the annual competition held by the Aylsham Agricultural Show Association.

The Heygate Farms enterprise, which then managed by Mr Gribbon, was

the reserve champion in 1998. Then

his son took over running Snailspit Farm on Cockley Cley Road, near Swaffham.

"When I told father he was really pleased that the farm had won the championship. On our farm we seem

to have done nothing else apart

from irrigate in the past weeks. So,

the farm just looked as it is," he

said.

The runner-up was James Chapman,

of SW Chapman and partners, of Clarke's Farm, Martham, near Yarmouth. Two Suffolk judges, James Foskett and Doug Inglis, both of Bromeswell, near Woodbridge, were invited to judge the championship entries.

The other contenders included Fowell Brothers, of Hill Farm, Itteringham, and J.F Mitchell, of Flash Pit Farm, Blickling, and Charles Wharton, of Winsford Hall, Stokesby, near Yarmouth and S.E. Gurney & partners, of Heggatt Hall, Horstead, Stuart Ross, of WJ Ross, Oak Farm, Holt and Andrew Morton, of Whitwell Hall Farms, Skeyton, near North Walsham.

Results:

Large farm business class - 1 Salle Farms, Manor Farm, Salle, near Reepham; 2 LF Papworth, of Lodge Farm, Felmingham; 3 Billockby Farms, Billockby, near Acle. Judges - Roger Scutt, of Faversham Kent, and William Boyd, of Lenham, Maidstone, Kent.

Medium - 1 Stangroom Brothers, Hamrow Farm, Whissonsett, near Dereham; 2 EW Filby & Sons, Grove Farm, Felbrigg, Cromer.

Judges - David Felce, of Southoe, St Neots and Andrew Ramply, of Thorney.

Smaller - 1 Tim Briscoe, Dudwick Farms, Buxton, Aylsham; 2 Nigel Bertram, of Kempstone Manor Farm, Litcham. Judges: David Coles, of Thorney and Roger hunt-Pain, of Whittlesey.

Members and supporters of the association are invited to tour

the championship farm on Tuesday, July 18 (6pm, starting at 6.30pm)

by tractor and trailer. Anyone interested in joining the party is asked to

contact the secretary and show president, Chris Self, on 01263 733881 with numbers.