The YFC eliminator for the National Efficiency with Safety competition was held at Newton Rigg College on Saturday 14th March 2015, with machinery kindly loaned by Newton Rigg and Carrs Billington.

Dave Ross, Richard Gargett, Tony Jackson and Paul Clarke advised on health and safety throughout the day and judged a number of skill based activities:

Task 1 required competitors to carry out safety checks on a tractor , attach

a reversible plough and ensure that the machine was suitable for work. For task

2,competitors carried out a daily maintenance check on a tractor and three point

linkage hedge cutter before attaching the mounted hedge cutter to the tractor.

Task 3 required competitors to carry out tasks on a "cold" tractor, identifying faults

and answering judges questions on how these could be rectified.

Competitors put their driving skills to good use during task 4, where they

safety checked an ATV, hitched and loaded a trailer to it and then drove it

through a ‘set’ course as instructed by the Judge. During the course of the First Aid

Task a practical exercise involving a mock farm accident was staged and judged by

Shelagh Hickson of The British Red Cross.

The Greysouthen team of; Dave Wilson, Craig Fearon, Rob Graham and Andrew Gott

Came a well deserved first. Phil Mulcaster, Craig Coward, John Longworth and Jamie

Philipson from Lowick were placed second. The Penrith team of Ryan Mounsey,

Mark Fisher, Chris Riley and Michael Hunter came third.

All three teams are now through to the Northern Area Finals at the Northern Area

Field Day, to be held at Thirsk Auction Mart., on Saturday 27th June 2015.