Cookstown High School pupils in Angus Challenge final – again!

A GROUP of pupils from Cookstown High School has received an early Christmas present of a mini-herd of Angus cross calves, courtesy of ABP and the Northern Irish Angus Producer Group.

Over the next year, Nathan Blair, Luke Hamilton and Jonathan Burrows will have to rear their calves and sell them to ABP as part of reaching the final stage in the ABP Angus Youth Challenge.

They are competing against three other schools teams from Banbridge Academy, Newtownhamilton High School and St Catherine’s College Armagh for the title of overall winners.

This is the second time in a row that Cookstown High School has reached the final.

Three other pupils are currently taking part in the ABP Angus Youth Challenge, having received their five calves back in June. Alongside gaining practical experience in beef production, the finalist teams will have to work on special projects.

The Cookstown High School team’s project will examine the characteristics of the ‘Beef Farmer of the Future’.

A College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) advisor will mentor the team during the coming year. They will also benefit from first-hand insights into ABP’s sustainable business practices and be trained in communication and interview skills relevant to the world of work.

To reach the final four, the pupils had to compete against 21 other teams at an exhibition that was judged by an independent panel of industry experts.

Their performance across all aspects of the final stage will be continually assessed.