Members Impress in Inverness

05 Mar Members Impress in Inverness

Posted at 17:57h in Uncategorized by paulsayfc

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From Friday 27^th February- Sunday 1^st March Young Farmers from across Scotland gathered in Inverness for our annual Competitions Weekend sponsored by Harbro Ltd. A total of Six National Finals were held across the three days with members getting to flex their knowledge, skills and athletic ability on our biggest stage.

The weekend began with our National Ten Pin Bowling final, held at ‘Hollywood Bowl’ on the Friday night. This is always a brilliant social event to kick off our competitions weekend, and it proved hugely popular with seventeen teams competing on the night. Members were in high spirits, and the venue was alive with the chatter of new friends and the clatter of falling pins. In the end after two high action games, it was the team from Mauchline that took the top prize on the evening. Bowling over the competition with a powerful performance that saw them as the only team to break 1 thousand points. They were followed by the teams from East Kilbride in second place and Strathearn taking home third. Winning the Kingpin trophy on the evening was Udny’s Lewis Emslie who racked up an impressive personal tally of 169 points. A brilliant start to the weekend’s competitions.

Our Super Saturday kicked off bright and early at the Inverness Royal Academy Campus. This was the biggest day of the weekend with 4 national titles up for grabs and it began with our highly anticipated National Senior Speechmaking Final. This is always a highlight of the weekend where after months of practice and preparation, members have just one shot to show their knowledge and skills and claim the National trophy. This year’s competition certainly didn’t disappoint as the nine teams put on a masterful display of debating and arbitration throughout the morning. The standard of competition was fantastic, and our judges had an extremely tough task separating the top teams. Judge Margi Campbell explained in her crit “It was very difficult for us. We (the judges) have had a fair frank discussion. As it should be at the national final, you’re at the absolute top of what you’re doing.”

Eventually after much deliberation the judges agreed on their final standings. The winners of our National Senior Speechmaking are Carluke Pink. They impressed across the board with their debate on the topic ‘It is too difficult and too expensive to take up sport’. All of the team members scored highly with Proposer Mhairi Hall taking the title of Best Individual Speaker. Close behind the Carluke team were second-place Harray with their health-conscious talk on Takeaways, this debate was well chaired by Aidan Nicolson who was awarded Best Chair Outwith the Winning Team’. Only Five Sixths of a point separated Harray with our third placed team Carluke Blue. They complimented the fine display of their clubmates in pink as they delivered their own well-balanced debate on the statement that ‘The UK has gone pet‑mad’. Their debate saw some witty back and forth with team members Jack Young and Christina Young picking up best Opposer and Arbiter Outwith the Winning team respectfully. The final individual prize went to Andrew Sinclair of Halkirk for best Proposer Outwith the Winning team. A brilliantly composed and confident display from the sixteen-year-old, what a start to his senior speechmaking career! Well done once again to all the competitors and to our winners Carluke Pink who not only take home the trophy but also the grand prize of a trip to Canada to attend/ compete in the Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture.

Whilst the speechmaking judges deliberated, teams gathered in the Auditorium for our National Senior Quiz. Five teams took on six tough rounds of trivia from quiz compilers Barbara and John Bremner. The questions tested every depth of the contestant’s knowledge from foreign affairs to top forty hits, jumping from traditional quiz format to high pressure hotseat rounds and lightning-fast buzzer rounds. The teams showed off their impressive intellect as they battled for the top spot. Eventually it was the quick-thinking team from Forfar who claimed the trophy after fighting back in the final buzzer round and forcing a tie breaker question. Close behind them were the teams from Carluke in second place and Bower taking third. This concluded the action in the auditorium and all eyes turned to the pitches outside for the National Five Aside Football Competition.

Despite the sun in the sky, it was a bitterly cold afternoon in Inverness as our footballers took to the field. But though it may have been chilly on the sidelines, on the pitch the competition was piping hot as our two leagues of five teams battled it out on the artificial turf for a chance at sporting glory. Some of the playing style could have been called unique, quite possibly agricultural but what could not be faulted was the passion from the players involved. Games were played at a frantic pace with no regards for personal safety as players put body on the line for their clubs and districts. Teams fought through leagues, semi finals and finals until eventually the champions were crowned. Rising from the settling dust and rubber crumb it was Angus Tayside who stood victorious with the glass ball of our national trophy in hand. They narrowly bet an impressive Crossroads team in a tense and tightly matched final where defence won the day. Third place went to the East Kilbride who had lit up the bottom park all afternoon with their free-flowing play. Amazing effort from all involved.

Meanwhile, across the city at the Palace Hotel, the pressure was still on as members from every district in the country competed for the most coveted prize of the day, ‘National Member of the Year’. The final stage of the competition saw all fifteen competitors being interviewed on the day by a panel of judges. Competitors were judged on their involvement in young farmers at all levels and the attitude and commitment they display as a member. Once all the interviews were concluded the finalists had a nerve-wracking wait for the results announcement at that evening’s Member of the Year dance. The quality of this year’s finalists was outstanding as always, and our judges had a tough task to pick a top three out of such an impressive list. Over 300 members gathered in the Caledonian bar that evening for the big announcement. And, wihout further ado, the SAYFC ‘National Member of the Year 2026’ is…

Louise Carr from Perthshire District and Banks of Tay!

Louise had this to say after her big win:

“I’m just so proud to be able to bring it back to Banks of Tay. We’re a new club, we’re a small club and it’s the best feeling to be able to show that passion and determination can give you moments like this. It’s just the best feeling ever.”

Louise was joined on the winners’ podium by second place Brodie Bain of Deveron & Speyside District and Karen Shepherd of Ayrshire who took home third. Well done, to all our finalists who reached this last stage and especially our incredibly deserving top three! After the results announcement it was time to celebrate, and it was brilliant to see members from across the country socialising and dancing long into the night.

The weekend was not over yet, for Sunday held our final competition and the last chance at a national title. As the sun shone down on Inverness, our dogged members gathered once more at Bught Park pitches for our National Mixed Hockey competition. After a long weekend of competition, the players dug deep to put on a fine display of skill and sportsmanship, leaving it all out on the pitch. Eventually after some tense but entertaining matches overseen by members of Scottish hockey our final champions were crowned. The last prize of a brilliant weekend went to the Ayrshire Red, the mixed hockey powerhouse retaining their title once again. Second place went to a determined Strathearn team and third went to East Kilbride completing their hattrick of awards in our sporting competitions. It was a fantastic end to a highly successful Competitions Weekend.

We asked National Competitions & Events Chair Lois Scott to summarise her thoughts on a brilliant three days of competition:

“Competitions weekend certainly didn’t disappoint this year! I am pleased for how smoothly everything ran and want to say a massive thank you to all those who helped steward over the weekend. It was a great buzz to see clubs from all over head to Inverness and even better to see new teams competing across the weekend. Huge well done to all the competitors and prize winners and I can’t wait to see where we end up next year.”

We’d like to join Lois in thanking all the judges, stewards and competitors who helped make this weekend such a success. We’d also like to thank Harbro Ltd for their support for this event, being able to hold events like these where members’ hard work and skills can be recognised and rewarded is a cornerstone of Young Farmers and we could not do that without the support f sponsors and the agricultural community.

Final Results

National Member of the Year

1^st Place- Louise Carr, Perthshire and Banks of Tay

2^nd Place- Brodie Bain, Deveron & Speyside and Keith

3^rd Place- Karen Shepherd, Ayrshire and Kilmaurs

Finalists

Mhairi Stewart- Lothian & Peebles
Lauren Todd- Border Fed
Bethany Swanson- Caithness
Eilish Johnston- RNI
Robbie Dick- Clyde & Central
Karen Shepherd- Ayrshire
Kayleigh Turner- West Aberdeenshire
Jack McKinna- Lanarkshire
Louise Carr- Perthshire
Greig Christie East- Aberdeenshire
Craig Marshall- Dumfries & Galloway
Iona Bruce- Angus Tayside
Brodie Bain- Deveron & Speyside
Holly Farquharson- Fife & Kinross
Jack Leitch- Orkney