We are a very lively club who enjoy taking part in competitions; from sports to public speaking and dramatics!
We are part of West Group!
Exford every other Wednesday at 7.30 pm
Chairman - Jo Fuller - 07811 020080 / 01643 831300 /
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Secretary - Stephanie Wade - 07891 488956 / 01643 851551 /
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2009 Year Report
By Suzanna Stanbury Exmoor Young Farmers, with 28 females and an ever-increasing 12 males, have had a rewarding yet fun packed year. At the County AGM we were awarded the shield for “Club of the Year” so we thought we had better live up to our name. Here’s a few of our highlights… As a club we like to keep our name up there in the headlines – we’re finding out this is paying off…go anywhere, drink a fair few shots, talk quite loudly, dance like there’s no tomorrow and you will be accused of being an Exmoor member! However, this can also be achieved by our members being seen everywhere. To start the year, we ventured up to Chard for a fantastic ball…a game of collecting numbers was played with no paper, just a black marker pen and our bodies. With double points for the Bouncer, it was Jo Fuller who won with her genius initiative! Just days later, and a fair bit of scrubbing, Steph Wade sang beautifully at the County Harvest Supper. Next it was time to swing on one leg on our “Swinging Sixties” float at Tiverton Carnival. Here we came 2nd in the spectacular “Under 30 Foot” class and then, in contradiction, 1st in the “Most Environmentally Friendly” Class – our generator did breakdown hence saving petrol and the environment! In November we also held our Club Field Day where the Overall Points and Handicraft cups’ were picked up by Mark Williams and the Cookery cup shared between Claire Pugsley and Tom Lock. Next we hit Christmas – this means time for being paid to leave in our annual carol singing where we raised £250 for Devon Air Ambulance and our annual party where Katherine Williams was nominated “Best Gossip”, Vicky Wade “Sleepiest Member” and Suzy Stanbury “The member most likely to become a politician” (I obviously talk a lot of rubbish!). This was followed by a selection of proper party games with our chairman of the advisory, Richard Lock as our compere! Of course there were many young farmers parties crammed into this festive fortnight. One of our favourites being at Yarcombe with our legendary statue of liberty poses. As soon as Christmas was over panto season begun…This year in our production of “Jack in the Beanstalk” we had Serena Stanbury and Vicky Wade naturally filling their roll of the village idiots (at least Vicky kept her trousers on this year!), a selection of malicious gremlins and Stacey Wade as a ravishing pantomime cow we managed to come 2nd in a very competitive West Group round. Well done to our baddy, Jo Fuller who won “Best Actress”. At our heaving follow up performance we raised £302! Thanks goes to our director Denise Stanbury for all her hard work and tolerance! At the end of February we held our bingo in Exford Village Hall, and this year with no stupid comments about photocopying the cards or the Lock’s white-washing the floor, the event was a great success raising £600, as was our Military Whist Drive which raised £175. Thanks goes to Katherine Williams, a very fine fundraising officer and treasurer indeed! In West Group’s skittles league this year we won two matches and lost two. Congratulations however must go to Mark Williams and his dad, Charlie, for coming 3rd in the county in the Generation Skittles competition. Other sports we have attempted this year being led by our fine Sports Secretary Katie Lock include Netball, Football, Badminton, Climbing, Rounders and even swimming but probably the most ambitious of them all was our compelling yet brief attempt at Ballroom dancing…if only I knew my left from my right (a reoccurring problem also when travelling to functions). Paintballing was also very energetic for ‘a group of oompa loompas’. Kingsbrompton YFC’s blind drop was certainly exhilarating especially when you thought you were going to be mistaken for a fox and shot! It was then time to leave the hill for a brilliant South West Area weekend. Here our Brainstrust team consisting of Dan Stanbury, Serena Stanbury, Steph Wade and Suzy Stanbury and our Call My Bluff team consisting of Katie Lock, Natalie Beck and Lucy Pugsley competed being placed 4th and 2nd respectively after both winning the County rounds. Somerset’s Hockey team with Sarah Howe and Serena Stanbury came 4th on the Sunday with our West Group Boys winning the rugby 7’s, we wish them luck at nationals! Three Counties Ball in April was messy to say the least, as were both Devon and Somerset’s County do’s before them. One thing for sure is that we weren’t expecting to be told we were too heavy to cross Clifton Suspension Bridge and so in 3 inch heals and ball dresses we ran, screaming all the way! Emma William’s organisation skills at all the parties this year have been greatly appreciated! This year was Exmoor’s turn to host West Group’s Rally. The day was a great success with a high standard in the cookery and handicraft competitions as in the stockjudging. Added extras were a competition involving gathering tame lambs as a blind folded dog and of course playing the afternoon games on a 70% gradient, but hey, it is Exmoor! Being Exmoor, of course a true country girl would win the cross country run – well done Amy Eggins! We won the Overall Points cup, as well as having our members Mark Westcott and Oli Cowling win the Boys Cookery cup, Claire Pugsley win the Girls Cookery cup and Serena Stanbury win the Stockjudging and Overall points cup. Summer brought Shearing Competitions where Exmoor had great success at the group round with Rob Branfield coming 1st as he did at the Bath and West Show and Mark Williams coming 2nd in the junior competition. Jo Fuller and Stacey Wade also came 1st and 2nd respectively in the ladies competition, good work! 4 members gained their certificates in first aid (just remember to do a 9-er!) before Exmoor held a raft race. The event was well supported, lots of fun but cold, wet and rather physical! We’ve recently held our last disco of the year with a “Summer Neon” theme aka Primark special! This was lots of fun and bought our total of money raised at discos to over a £1000. To conclude the year we held our annual sheep show with prizes being shared out between Claire and Lucy Pugsley, Serena and Suzy Stanbury, Mark Williams and Tom Lock. Our Tally Chart of the year’s ongoings…. Daddies Money Spent on cars Miles to PartiesMoney for CharityPictures on facebook we don’t rememberHours in meetingsHours spent on the phone on a Friday eveningServings of scrambled eggDressing up outfits boughtDevon Males associated withHours in panto practiseTimes we’ve lost Jo FullerHours took to learn one dance routineMembers jumping off a pontoonSomerset males associated withTies and Bow Ties gainedJockeys Argued overBras lost…just the one Miss Steph Wade! We’re looking forward to next year!