CHAMPION farm in the Moreton Show farms and crops competitions has been named as Capt Lennox Hannay's Springhill, Moreton, winner of the medium-sized farms competition last year.

Farm manager Ros Allen attributed the success to her four-man team of two tractor drivers, a beef stockman and a shepherd. "They love working here just as much as I do," she said, "and Capt. Hannay is a marvellous man to work for."

She added: "We have a busy life but I would not swap it for the world."

The estate on the top of the Cotswolds comprises 2,000 acres in total which includes 400 acres of woodland, 500 acres of arable land and 1,100 acres of permanent pasture.

On the livestock side there are 180 beef suckler cows, half Simmental cross and half Aberdeen Angus cross with their calves sold as stores at a year old and Miss Allen said replacement heifers were retained.

The flock of 450 ewes lambed is made up of half North Country mules and half Scotch half-breds, put to Suffolk rams. As many wether lambs as possible are sold fat and the remainder go as stores, with ewe lambs sold for breeding.

"We also buy about 1,400 ewe lambs from Scotland and Yorkshire every August and September and sell them on a year later," she explained.

Miss Allen is a keen supporter of the Moreton Show farms and crops competitions and also has the opportunity to look at other farms in the Cotswolds during her duties as a competition steward accompanying the judges.