St Killian’s College Carnlough ABP Angus Youth Challenge Overall Winners, from left, Alex McAlister, Emma Mitchell and Peter Agnew with Charles Smith Certified Irish Angus and George Mullan Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland.
Three Year 12 pupils from St. Killian’s College Carnlough are the overall winners of the 2022-2023 ABP Angus Youth Challenge.
Emma Mitchell, Alex McAlister and Peter Agnew, who all come from farming families, impressed the judges with their sense of pride and responsibility in carrying on the agriculture traditions of the Glens of Antrim.
They demonstrated real leadership by bringing their year-long assignment ‘A Health Approach to Agriculture’ to life with the help of their CAFRE mentor Sineád Mathers. Alongside their project the team also had to rear five Angus cross calves through to beef and sell them to ABP at a profit.
The pupils received the ABP Angus Youth Challenge Cup and a £1,000 cheque from Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland, George Mullan and the General Manager of the Certified Irish Angus Producer Group, Charles Smith.
Orlagh Donaghy of St. Louis Grammar School Ballymena, Outstanding Achievement Award Winner, in the ABP Angus Youth Challenge Class of 2022
The teenagers intend to reinvest their prize money into furthering agricultural studies at their school.
Congratulating the award winners George Mullan said:
“As a leading employer and business partner within Northern Ireland’s farming and food sector, ABP is committed to supporting ambitious young people make the transition from education to working in our sector.
"The ABP Angus Youth Challenge provides practical experience to support this study and career choice within schools. By completing the Challenge our Class of 2022 have gained many strengths and relevant work-life skills which should stand them in good stead for their future studies and beyond school. ”
The awards ceremony took place in the Logan Hall at Balmoral Park in front of their teachers, parents and industry guests. Also present were 31 new Yr. 11 teams who were taking part in the 2023 ABP Angus Youth Challenge Exhibition in the hope of becoming the next group of finalists.
Four successful teams will be selected by a panel of judges to then embark on a year-long journey of rearing their own Angus cattle through to beef and take part in a study tour with ABP & Certified Irish Angus.