Congratulations to Co. Tyrone student Jonathan McKelvey (Castlederg) on reaching the finals of the European Young Shepherd of the Year Championship.  The European final, held in Paris, is open to college students up to 26 years old, and this initiative is designed to test their shepherding skills in a range of activities.   Each entrant was required to sort finished lambs for slaughter, grade carcases, demonstrate handling, and put an ATV quad bike through its paces. There were more than 20 entrants representing a number of countries.

Jonathan successfully completed the National Diploma last year and is currently studying the Higher National Diploma in Agriculture at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus. As part of his HND course, he is an enthusiastic participant in the UPLANDS Student Learning Project which contributes to managing the hill farm sheep and suckler cow enterprises.

For more information on courses at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise call Freephone 0800 028 4291.

(L-R) Greenmopunt Hill Farm Manager Willie Warwick with European Young Shepherd finalist Jonathan McKelvey (Castlederg, Co. Tyrone) and Industry Board member Ian Buchanan (Dungiven).