A TEAM of brothers have been crowned beef champions at a national livestock competition.

Angus, Charlie and Donald Maclean from Mortimers Farm, Fair Oak, were also awarded best promotional stand at the National Young Stars competition at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern.

The event featured more than 200 enthusiasts competing in beef, sheep, dairy, pig, auctioneer and butchery categories.

The Charolais ‘Brothers in Farms’ team were tasked with dressing a display area for which they had to prepare materials in advance.

Teams were asked to demonstrate why beef is more than just a Sunday roast and to promote their breed, the beef industry and convince the public why beef cattle are a vital part of the British countryside.

The Macleans came up with materials including a recipe leaflet, a video and a poster campaign to demonstrate how the quick finishing Charolais makes less of an impact on the environment.

Angus said: “I have been brought up with Charolais and have always admired the breed for their power, docility, growth and strength. I see the Charolais breed re-gaining its place in the beef sector in the future due to the demand to feed the nation.

“The breed’s ability for growth and consistency at the abattoir will surely meet the demand required by the industry and more importantly the consumer”.

The oldest of the brothers Angus, 22, works as a stock manager for a pedigree herd and his duties include embryo transfer work, semen collection and preparing animals for export.

He previously worked as stockman on the Isle of Wight after finishing his Level 3 Diploma in Agriculture at Sparsholt College.

Charlie, 21, joined Stamford Park Farm in Oxford on an agricultural apprenticeship, attending Sparsholt on day release. For the past year he has been working in Cambridgeshire as stockman for a pedigree herd.

Donald, 18, studied engineering, gaining a distinction and is now starting his second-year apprenticeship as a welder and fabricator with an agricultural engineering company in Eastleigh.

The brothers have been brought up with Charolais as father Charlie manages the Mortimers herd - established in 1983.

The competition included a show ring, for which the trio spent the morning washing, clipping, soaping and combing their cattle.

During this time, the judges were moving through the lines and judging the competitors on their handling and preparation skills.

Once the cattle were ready, Donald and Charlie led their two heifers in the showring and Angus was called upon to answer questions on the breed and beef industry.

The ‘Brothers in Farms’ Charolais team were announced as overall beef champions with a total score of 866.5 out of 1000.

They were also awarded the prize for best promotional stand having only dropped one point in the presentation and promotional section.