The Farmers Mart Feb/Mar 2014 - Issue 32 | Page 31

RALPH COWARD

WHOLESALE BUTCHERS & FARMERS

Suppliers of High Quality Beef & Lamb
Proud to be associated with Ralph Coward
and we wish him continued success

Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
last year when Jacqueline
Coward, Ralph’s youngest
daughter, became the
National Ladies Point to Point
Champion - providing Ralph
with his proudest moment.
Ralph married Cherry,
daughter of racehorse trainer
Mick Easterby from Sheriff
Hutton, in 1982 and they have
two daughters – Samantha
and Jacqueline. Cherry was
also a point to point jockey.
She and Ralph met through
Ralph’s cattle buying.
“Cherry’s dad used to sell
cattle in Malton and he used
to get me to shift them for
him. When we were married
we lived here in Thorganby.
My mother and father went
to live in a bungalow in
Wheldrake, but we moved to
live in Scackleton about 10-15
years ago. It’s better for the
horses.”
Ralph has only one regret:
giving up playing cricket when
he was 34. He’d played for
North Duffield and Woodhouse
Grange in the York Senior
League and had faced
Yorkshire county legends,
Chris Old and Geoff Cope in
his time.
“I used to bat at No.4,” he
smiled. “I remember going to
Yorkshire CCC for trials nets
twice. The first ball I received
from Oldie knocked my off
stump clean out of the ground!
I then batted against him in a
friendly match some time later,
got my front foot forward and
he hit me on the pad so hard.
He was fast. It was easier off
Copey. I clouted him over the

hedge three or four times and
he took it all very well. I think
Barrie Leadbeater got 100+
against us that day.” Happy
memories!
While Ralph has compassion
for those farmers on the
Somerset Levels he tempers it
with a reflection on the North/
South divide in terms of both
media coverage and political
action, as his land floods
regularly every year.
“Take a look at our land now,”
he said. “The year before last
it never stopped raining here
from October until March and
we were flooded all summer
because it never had chance
to get away. We had 250
cattle that we had to fetch
back in during April and they
never came out again. I feel
for the farmers down south
but the likes of Cockermouth
in Cumbria didn’t get anything
like the coverage - nor
the money that has been
mentioned.”
Selby Livestock Market has
always been understandably
dear to Ralph’s heart and he is
delighted to be chairman.
“We have had a very good
last 14 months with the cattle
trade; and sheep have been
buoyant too. The cattle job has
just gone a bit quiet in the fat
trade but it can’t always stay
right up all the time.
“Continental beef and sheep
are still the favourites of the
butchers as they want little
waste. Our pig market is the
biggest of those markets that
still have them and we regularly
get 500-700 every week.”

To read more, visit www.farmers-mart.co.uk

COWLISHAW FARM, SHAW, OLDHAM, OL2 7BX

Pleased to supply Ralph and his team

We are the largest HONDA ATV
authorised dealer for North Yorkshire, our
extensive range of ATV’s will meet your
individual needs and budget

Telephone [phone]
www.tayloratv.co.uk

We have a comprehensive selection
of ATV Accessories

Hawes depot,
Contact Garry Harrison 01969 667464,
York Head Office
Contact Tom Taylor 01904 758105

Unit 16 & 17 Windmill House Industrial Estate, Sutton Road, Wigginton, York, YO32 2RA

Proud to supply Ralph and East Grange Farm

FarmersMart Feb/Mar 2014

31