The super stock handler at the top of his game

Fergal (left, holding the rope) hails from Claudy

An obsession born at an agricultural show has taken Fergal Gormley to the peak of stock-handling.

The 21-year-old from Claudy, County Londonderry, has just been crowned the All-Ireland Senior Young Stockperson 2024.

He impressed at raising cattle and managing them in competitions, through agricultural shows including Balmoral and Clogher.

Participants were whittled down to just 12 in the national final in County Carlow, where Fergal won the title and a cash prize.

What is a stock handler?

Stock handlers work with cattle and are put through their paces on caring for the animals to their advantage but also showing them off.

They have to observe animals closely to notice any differences in their health or temperament, and they have to train them to be comfortable in the ring.

In competition, stock handlers are assessed on:

• raising cattle

• preparing them for competition

• being able to manage them in the ring

• ranking the animals in competition

'Out of your comfort zone'

Fergal says competitions allow him to put his "dedication on show"

And it was an intense experience for the newly-qualified Greenmount Agricultural College student who came fourth in the same competition last year.

"It's not like anything you would be used to doing, it really puts you out of your comfort zone.

"You're judged on your dressing of the cattle, then you're judged on your actual handling of the animal.

"And then you're judged on stock judging and it's all done on a points system.

"We're getting ready all winter, growing their hair right, getting it long and thick for presentation, training them, walking them, keeping them exercised, watching their diets.

"There's so much to it."

"You put your own hard work and dedication on show."

Fergal has won competitions at Balmoral and Clogher

There is also an interview to assess the competitor's agricultural knowledge.

Fergal bought his first show calf after attending the Beef and Lamb Championships when he was a young teenager and "loving the atmosphere".

He was soon winning at competitions all over Northern Ireland, including at Balmoral in 2024.

But Brexit brought an extra challenge when it came to the stockperson final.

Competitors have to use animals from the Republic of Ireland if competing there, as export regulations mean they cannot move livestock across the border.

Fergal said: "That's another disadvantage for finalists from Northern Ireland, we had to work with a completely strange animal that we have never used before while finalists from the South were able to use their own animals."

'For the glory'

It proved no barrier to success for Fergal though, with his handling of the pedigree Simmental, which is cattle farmed for both meat and milk, landing him the plaque, rosettes and animal's sash.

It was just reward for months of hard work.

But with agricultural shows under pressure, the opportunities for showing off may be more constrained in the future.

While sponsorship used to make it a financially rewarding undertaking, times have changed.

"You're definitely not making any fortune at it," said Fergal.

"It is pure for the glory."