Pictured (l-r) are Robert Rogers, David Benson and Jamie Leather, North Yorkshire farmers with Limousin cattle at Askham Bryan College before heading for the Calgary Stampede
Three Yorkshire farmers headed off on the trip of a lifetime last month after winning a livestock rearing competition at Askham Bryan College.
Jamie Leather, Robert Rogers and David Benson packed their bags for Canada and the famous Calgary Stampede after taking the honours as The Matadors in the competition at the York based college. Accompanying them was Oliver White, project co-ordinator of the ground breaking Fantasy Farming competition.
During the week long trip they visited cattle farms at Edmonton, Jasper and then Banff before arriving in Calgary. Held over 10 days, the famous festival attracts more than a million visitors, with world class rodeo, exhibitions, concerts and competitions on the programme.
It was a total change of scene for Jamie, who runs a mixed dairy farm at Green Hammerton, York, Robert of East Heslerton, Malton and David of Stillingfleet, Selby who are beef and arable farmers.
Oliver White commented: “We held the first Fantasy Farming competition last year that involved rearing beef animals at our National Beef Training Unit, here at the college. The regime The Matadors used was the most successful and won them the trip.
