West Norfolk young beef farmer wins a Princess

Robbie Moore, Aberdeen Angus young handler (Image: Submitted)

Robbie Moore, aged 12, from Grimston, King's Lynn, also won a draw at the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society's youth development finals at the South of England showground. His prize could be worth a hefty five-figures.

He won a pedigree heifer, Rawburn Mary Princess L315 donated by the Elliot family of Roxburgh Mains. He will take delivery of his Princess at the society's Perth Bull sales later this month.

Earlier, much to his enormous surprise, he had won the junior overall championship for skill in the ring and presenting an animal.

Robbie, who started his own Fenland herd about 18 months ago with a heifer bought at Carlisle, will travel to Stirling, where the sale is held, on Monday, October 21 to collect his heifer. His prize, which is a two-year-old pedigree Aberdeen Angus, is in calf to a good bull. Her full sister sold at auction for 13,000 guineas.

His father, Rodger Moore, of Copper Beeches, Leziate Drove, who runs a herd of Blonde D'Aquitaine cattle, said that his son competed at Ardingly last year and finished fourth. When he had the chance to compete again, they returned to Sussex after a 'nightmare' journey.

'It took us nearly 13 hours to travel down. We were delayed by almost four hours by a crash on the M11. I said: 'I've had enough of this and if I could have turned around, I'd have gone home but the traffic was so bad that we could not get off the motorway,' said Mr Moore. 'We were then delayed for two hours at the Dartford Tunnel. We had very little sleep.'

With his wife, Natasha, they watched their son take second place in the junior ringcraft section and then runner-up in dressing and presenting an animal. 'We were over the moon with that and thought that was fantastic and couldn't get better than that.

'Then we heard that he had qualified with the highest score for the championship. We just couldn't believe it when he heard that he had won. Then about ten minutes later they did the draw for the pedigree Rawburn heifer and he had won.

'It was a night to remember. It was a bit overwhelming to be honest and we were in tears.'

'He's ever so keen with the cattle.,' he added.

Robbie's grandparents, Barbara and Tony Moore, were thrilled when he brought the trophy home.

'His will be the first Norfolk name to be on it,' she said.

He was among nearly 30 competitors drawn across from Britain. Each country was represented and another prize-winner was Norfolk's Ruby Wright, who looks after about 330 cattle at Hall Farm, Wickmere, near Aylsham.

The standard of competition was praised by judges from both within and outside the breed as being the best event in the UK and Ireland for promoting what this industry has to offer in terms of stock people for the future.

YDP Co-ordinator Gayle Bersey, said: 'More than 200 participants have taken part in a workshop throughout the summer and gained some experience at summer shows working with stock.

'Those that have scored enough points through these activities were invited to Sussex to compete on a national level for a share in a significant prize fund, with seniors competing for the chance of a subsidised world trip of their choosing to work with Aberdeen-Angus cattle.'

The finalists competed in cattle dressing, showmanship and stock-judging classes. The senior finalists, aged under 24, were then interviewed to assess their ability to speak about the breed on a world stage.

The overall winner, Ian Dowlman, aged 24, from Hereford, plans to visit Canada to work alongside some of the best Angus breeders.

The judges included the society junior vice president David Evans and council member John Tait, of County Cork. Taking centre stage for a day of clipping, presentation and ring craft judging was Limousin and Charolais breeders Harry Emslie and Lynwen Evans, of Aberdeen.

Mr Emslie, said: 'The standard was high across all the age groups and it was particularly interesting to see the confidence in the younger classes as well. To think these youngsters had never worked with the cattle they were presenting and handling impressed us greatly. I'd gladly let any of the winners show my cattle any day!'