Yorkshire Foot Trimmers
Highland flings, horns and all sizes catered for
On a crisp Friday morning on the hills of Queensbury, Ian Wilkinson met Mandy Cameron and Robert Bradley of Yorkshire Foot Trimmers.
Pennine Feeds Ltd Scarr View Farm, Lindley Moor, Huddersfield, HD3 3SZ
Proud to be associated with Yorkshire Foot Trimming and wish them continued success
Tel 01422 377 704 Email paul. broster @ hotmail. co. uk
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MANDY AND ROBERT GOT together in 2009. Mandy had her own gym and was also a nutritional practitioner and it was at the gym that she and Robert got to know each other. Mandy’ s family are originally from Blackpool and it was after a successful career in the corporate world of IT that she decided to retrain in health and fitness, subsequently launching her own gym in Yorkshire.
Robert has always had the farm, gradually building it up having farmed with his father previously. He now has some 13 acres with a growing herd of Highlands. This is also alongside his agricultural building business via which he can erect buildings literally from field to full shed and yard etc.
I met Mandy at the family house which they purchased in order to be able to see the yard and fields. Mandy spends a lot of time with the Highlands who are now all halter-trained for ease of showing( which they do a lot) and to take to market. It also makes them more placid and they are indeed very impressive animals. The Highlands are sold for their beef as well as for making their own pies. Many and Robert also sell them in one’ s and two’ s for those who just want a couple of animals. I asked Mandy admitted that they do sometimes become attached to them.
“ We do have a couple that will never leave- one of which is Robert’ s pride and joy, Old Meg,” she told me.
‘ a lot of trimmers wouldn’ t tackle the big animals- or ones with horns- and wouldn’ t do front feet!’
Mandy is chairman of the North of England Highland Cattle Breeders Club and has just been voted on for another two year stint. She organises a lot of events to not only promote the breed but also works hard in getting kids interested with agriculture, with events such as the Sheffield annual“ Highland Fling” at which the kids have a real experience with the animals actually doing a full show preparation.
They do keep pigs as well and I had the pleasure of meeting the charming Annabel, whom they took on from someone who thought they had bought a micro pig. Not so- Annabel now weighs in at a princely 300 kilos!
8 Apr / May 2016 www. farmers-mart. co. uk