The Farmers Mart Feb/Mar 2014 - Issue 32 | Page 28

RALPH COWARD

The man who
started with just
a £2.50 calf....
Chris Berry meets Ralph
Coward at Thorganby.
Ralph Coward hesitated
when I asked him whether
he would describe
himself as a farmer or a
livestock buyer - as most
of those who see him
weekly around the auction
marts - or have heard of
him by reputation would
probably think he would
choose the latter. Ralph
is also chairman of Selby
Livestock Market so there
are those who will only
ever have seen him as a
‘mart man’.

After a brief consideration,
Ralph said: “I would say I’m
a bit of both. I spend three
days a week on the farm and
three days a week at market
in Selby, York and Thirsk. I
sometimes get to Carlisle
too.”
But his response would
have been different years ago
when he was seen at livestock
markets throughout the north
of England. They were the
days when Ralph enjoyed
visiting the likes of Malton,
Driffield and Hexham, three of
his personal favourites.
He explained why: “Malton
would have 800 cattle and
5,000 sheep every week
and Driffield would have 600
cattle and 3,000 sheep. You
just cannot imagine those
kind of numbers now and of
course, there is no longer a
Driffield Market at all.”
Born at Corner Farm, Selby
Common where his parents,
George and Lucy tenanted
around 60 acres, the family
moved to East Grange Farm
in Thorganby near to the River

Derwent when Ralph was