The 2024 Balmoral Show beef young handler judge, John McCulloch, said the standard of competition on the final day was “hugely high”.
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00:00 Yeah, it's been fantastic. Obviously it's a huge privilege to be invited from Scotland over to Balmoral Show to judge the young handlers.
00:06 Obviously I haven't taken part in many young handlers competitions myself.
00:09 So the standard today was hugely high and you know, it's just a privilege to be here doing the job today.
00:15 So obviously I'm looking for someone who presents himself well, dresses properly, shirt and tie, white coat.
00:26 You know, they're well presented. They present their animal well and then they show that animal to the best of their ability.
00:32 Showing the animal off, presenting all its good qualities and ensuring that the animal is portrayed in its best light in the ring.
00:39 Yeah, I'd say it's fairly similar. You know, we've a lot of really good young people over in Scotland just now on the show scene.
00:49 And you know, this has been no exception today. The standard, like I say, has been incredibly high.
00:54 And you know, it's just good to see that on both sides of the water that the standard is so high.
00:59 Yeah, they're hugely important. Obviously, you know, going up through young handlers myself,
01:08 you know, obviously people my age are now kind of the forefront of showing.
01:13 So we need those next generation of young people coming through and learning the trade and coming up through and showing cattle as well.
01:19 And I would say, you know, the future is certainly looking bright going by the standard that we've seen today.
01:24 Tell us a wee bit about your own farming background back in Scotland.
01:28 So myself, my mum and dad have been stock people of many pedigree herds of charlies and limousines and Abernangus and beef shorthorns in Scotland.
01:38 And then obviously myself, having shown cattle with them, kind of learned the trade through that.
01:43 I've worked on herds of pedigree Abernangus and beef shorthorn myself.
01:48 I obviously worked commercially a little bit as well on a feedlot.
01:51 And then I'm now a trainee auctioneer in Castle Douglas for Wallets March.
01:55 So I've kind of went from pedigree to commercial and now to auctioneering.
01:59 But certainly it's something that I'm really passionate about.
02:03 You're very involved in young farmers as well. Tell us a wee bit about that.
02:07 Yeah, so I got involved in young farmers at the age of 14 and been chair of my club three times and also chaired our National Agri and Rural Affairs Committee in Scotland.
02:16 So looking at the policy issues that affect Scottish agriculture and then kind of using that to kind of find out what is affecting young people and their businesses.
02:24 And then speaking to the government about what young people want to see from policy going forward.
02:29 So I've kind of had quite a bit to do with young farmers in that regard.