A trio from Dilwyn YFC in Herefordshire won NFYFC's Fence Erecting competition for the second year in a row at the national competitions final, supported by M&M Timber and Tornado Wire.
The competition, which involved nine teams, tested Young Farmers on the quality of their 30m straight-line fence, built safely during two and a half hours on Staffordshire's County Showground. Teams also had to provide a written risk assessment to hand to the Chief Steward on the day.
While the weather was cooler this year, the team found the firm and dry ground conditions challenging but were impressed by the materials.
Ed Thomas, who works for MGM Fencing in Herefordshire, said he found the wire great to work with.
“Materials from Tornado – brilliant wire. We use it every day and would rarely use anything else to be honest.”
Tornado Wire and M&M Timber donated their materials to NFYFC for the national final as well as the Area rounds of the competition.
Malcolm Blackford, Sales Manager for Tornado Wire Ltd, said:
“We’re delighted to be involved with this competition and to support the Young Farmers who represent the future of our industry. Events like this are a fantastic way to develop practical skills and demonstrate the value of high-quality fencing materials in agricultural environments.
“The fencing used in the competition was Tornado Wire - Torus R8/80/22 Lamb Safe netting. Specifically designed for sheep farming, it provides safe and effective stock containment while helping to prevent lambs from becoming trapped in the fence.
"Manufactured from high-tensile steel and produced to the highest quality standards, it offers outstanding strength, longevity and performance in the field. Tornado is the market leader and remains the preferred choice of fencing contractors and farmers across the UK who demand reliable, long-lasting fencing solutions.”
Herefordshire team member Tim Downes-Hopkins also found the Fortipost product from M&M Timber impressive.
“The M&M Timber is really good, real clean timber all the way through. It’s nice for chiselling out so the finished product was really good with it.”
County Federations and NFYFC are also able to sell on the wood following the competitions, bringing more funds back into the Federation.
Adrian Worsley, Business Development Manager for M&M Timber, said:
“We’re pleased to be associated with this competition and to provide the timber. It’s really important for us to support the Young Farmers and our particular product Fortipost has a 40-year warranty that appeals to the younger generation.
“The timber used in the competition is a slow grown Baltic pine. It’s the best possible timber fencing material and we source it from across the Baltic region. It has a 40-year no-quibble warranty, which means if it fails, you get a new post.”
All members of the Herefordshire team work in fence erecting and they credited a former YFC member Mark Evans – Ed and Tim’s employer at MGM Fencing – for supporting them in the competition.
Andy Bennett, who is in his final year of membership and has his own contracting business paid credit to Mark.
“Huge thanks to Mark Evans for his support over the years. He’s been very kind training and giving up his time and even coming to support us today.”
With Andy leaving the team and Ed in his final year, the club has already started training up their replacements.
“For our county round we have a junior team starting to come through. We have started them in training so hopefully they’ll fill our spots as Andy is retiring now,” said Ed. “We will hopefully bring a few more people into it and get them keen as well.”
The competition develops vital skills for Young Farmers working in agriculture, and Andy believes it’s an important activity to include in the YFC programme.
“Fencing is something that is on just about every livestock farm so it’s a key thing in everyday life in the ag industry as well as in the equestrian and domestic side as well. It’s a key competition that can be used every day.”
A team from Radnor Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs placed second in the competition, with the Isle of Man team coming third.
