The UK’s top young sheep farmers, supported by the National Sheep Association (NSA), stepped into the European spotlight last weekend, competing for top honours at the prestigious European Shepherd of the Year competition in Paris at the renowned Salon International de l'Agriculture.

Competing in the high-profile Ovinpiades final, more than 50 young shepherds from across Europe gathered for a demanding one-day contest designed to test every aspect of modern sheep husbandry. From breed recognition and prime lamb selection to an electric fencing challenge and a detailed written questionnaire, the competition required not only practical skill but technical knowledge and calm professionalism under pressure.

Representing Britain in the ‘other European country’ category, the four competitors faced strong continental competition, while French entrants battled for their own national title.

Leading the English charge was Herefordshire’s Tom Garlick, who finished in commanding style. Tackling each element first, Tom demonstrated exceptional stockmanship and composure, finishing five points clear of Wales’s Evan Turner, who secured second place.

Notably, Evan was one of the youngest competitors in the field, having celebrated his 18th birthday just the day before the event. However, his age was no indication of his capability or experience. He demonstrated impressive commercial awareness, particularly in the prime lamb selection task, where his understanding of market specifications and finishing requirements stood out amongst the judges.

Hot on their heels was Scotland’s Kiera Smith, who narrowly missed out on a podium finish by just 0.6 points, following Belgium’s Eleane Ysebaert. Kiera’s depth of knowledge shone through in the written questionnaire, where she achieved one of the highest scores of the entire day, a testament to her technical understanding of both sheep production and European market demands.

Rounding out the British team was Jack Maxwell for Northern Ireland who delivered a brilliant performance to claim fifth place overall, maintaining a solid five-point cushion ahead of sixth place. Jack demonstrated great resilience when things didn’t quite go to plan, an essential attribute for sheep farmers.

For the competitors, the challenge went beyond technical tests. Language barriers, unfamiliar systems and subtle differences in European animal husbandry practices added another layer of complexity.

NSA Technical Communications Officer Anna Wilson, who accompanied the group, comments: “I am immensely proud of their achievements at this competition. The language barrier and differences in animal husbandry could have been overwhelming for many, but all our competitors handled the situation beautifully and demonstrated their knowledge of European markets when asked questions about finishing lambs. The comments received from judges about their stockmanship, animal handling and industry knowledge was a pleasure to hear.”

NSA extends its sincere thanks to Pickstock Foods for sponsoring the UK team, enabling the young shepherds to benefit from what proved to be a memorable and hugely worthwhile experience.

With performances of this calibre, Britain’s young shepherds have firmly established themselves among Europe’s elite and the future of the UK sheep industry looks to be in capable hands.

The group will meet again in July at the Three Counties Showground, Worcestershire for NSA Sheep Event where they will go head-to-head for the national title of NSA Next Generation Shepherd of the Year.