THE two judges presiding over the County Final of the Young Farmers' Clubs Junior Public Speaking Competition had a difficult task.

Only nine points separated the first and sixth placed teams with Longtown YFC emerging victorious and going forward to the Northern Area Final in Scarborough on March 12 with Drigg YFC.

During the evening Tom Hudson from Grayrigg YFC spoke about fly and course fishing, rods, floats, baits and how he caught a 12lb pike. Grayrigg A speaker Kerry Procter, 16, talked about her 11 years service in the St John Ambulance and of its 100-year history in Kendal. And Sarah Graham's speech entitled "hopping Mad" described the caring and rearing of rabbits and then she proceeded to put her rabbit called Thumper into a trance.

Dennis Sharpe from Kent Estuary YFC spoke about the rearing and shooting of pheasants.

The judges were Frank Gate and Margaret Hodgson