All language subtitles for This Week on the Farm - 1x01_track3_eng

Hello and welcome to This Week on
the Farm.

This is a brand-new series,
celebrating farmers up and down

the country, as they take
care of their land,

the crops that grow on it and the
animals that graze it.

That's right, spring has turned
into summer.

The weather's getting warmer,
the days are getting longer

and farmers up and down the
country are as busy as ever.

On tonight's programme,

looking after livestock

goes way beyond lambing

when this little cutie gets treated
for an injury.

Oh, that's a nasty one, is that,
isn't it?

We'll find out where these 800 cows

will be spending the
summer holidays.

And everyone's favourite farming
heart-throbs,

Rob and Dave Nicholson,

go head-to-head with a round to be
reckoned with.

Welcome to This Week on the Farm.

I'm excited!

Right, let's start as we mean to go
on by saying hello to farmer Rob

and farmer Dave at Cannon Hall Farm
in South Yorkshire.

Guys, I imagine your summer's
got off to a busy start, hasn't it?

We've been really busy.

We've got sheep to sheer,
we've got hay to make,

we've got lambs to vaccinate.

So, yeah, we've loads to do,
loads to do.

Well, boys, it is great to see you
again, albeit virtually this time.

And there's no getting going from
the fact we all thoroughly enjoyed

following your adventures through
the springtime.

But now that summer's here,

how does the new season really up
your workload as farmers?

I'm keeping my shirt on, thank you.

Yeah, can you all keep them
on, please?

This is a family show.

It sounds like you two are very
hectic, but nevertheless

you've agreed that have us once
more, so thank you very much.

Shortly, we'll find out what
happened when one of the boy sheep

had a bit of a clumsy encounter
with its newborn baby lamb.

First though, let's talk about that
Pick For Britain campaign,

which has been sweeping the nation.

No doubt you'll have heard of it.

The idea is, people who have been
furloughed roll up their sleeves

and quite literally help harvest
the nation's fruit and veg.

It's an idea that's received royal
backing, His Royal Highness,

Prince Charles, has lent his support
and says it's a similar idea

to the efforts made by the Land
Armies during the Second World War.

On his North Yorkshire farm,

Richard Moritz's crop is one of the
summer's fastest growing veg.

Asparagus can be a bit of a
bully, really.

If you start getting a few days'
hot weather, it grows like mad.

Because it grows so quickly,
timing is key

and it can be too late in the blink
of an eye.

The perfect spear is going to be
straight, the tip is quite

tightly closed and you're just
cutting below the soil surface,

like that.

For his annual harvest of ten
to 12 tonnes, Richard relies

on a regular workforce that arrives
each summer from Eastern Europe -

until this year.

When we realised that we couldn't
get people from abroad this year,

because of the lockdown,

we...had a mild panic,

wondering what on Earth we would do,
who would cut our crop.

Faced with fields of rotting
asparagus and financial ruin,

Richard put out a desperate plea on
social media.

Enter a small army of students

and furloughed workers who
answered his call.

I'm really amazed at the response

for the people who wanted to come
and work for us.

It's absolutely saved the day,
really.

Couldn't have done it without them.

One person riding to Richard's
rescue is Emily Packer.

Last summer, 60-year-old David was
a loyal customer of the farm.

This year, with this full-time job
in finance currently on hold,

he is working on the farm.

When Richard put on his lnstagram
page that they were needing

some people,
I thought, "Hey, why not?"

I'm 60, but it's great exercise,
it's really enjoyable,

and I think, for all of us,
it's something new.

The opportunity that's arisen,
shall I say,

from the current circumstances.

And, of course, the other thing
we're doing is

we're helping getting food out to
the people as well,

which is obviously very,
very important.

On top there.

For David, it's also become a
family affair.

In the packing shed, he's joined by
daughter Lucy.

It's different, working with my dad.

Yeah, he's the oldest one here,
so it's quite funny, really.

She's OK.

She doesn't nag me too much,

she makes sure I don't work too
hard,

makes sure I don't eat too much
at lunchtime,

and keeps a good eye on me.

So, this is the sort of beginning of
the packing process.

This is asparagus that was
picked yesterday

and it goes on this conveyor belt,

and in here is a slicer and it's
also washing them.

So, coming out the other side of the
conveyor belt,

they're all of an equal size.
They then go through to there,

where they sort it.

The asparagus starts to
come together

and, once you get it in uniformity
of size in a bundle,

that's when it starts to look
quite nice

and then you want to send it off to
your customers then.

What do you want? Speak. Speak.

And the current climate has also
brought about a difference

in Richard's clientele.

New local customers have filled the
hole created by the big dip

in the catering trade.

But none of this would have been
possible without his new recruits,

picking and packing and, hopefully,
returning next year.

Of the 21 years that we've been
cutting asparagus, harvesting it,

I think this has been the most
challenging, really.

But I would like to do the same
again next year,

if we can, using local people.

I think that would be the way to go,
really.

I'm quite looking forward to
it already.

Well, I'm delighted to say
that David,

who you saw picking all that lovely
asparagus, joins us now.

David, I bet you didn't imagine

you'd be picking asparagus
this summer.

We saw lots of different people from
all walks of life.

Was there a real sense of
camaraderie between you all?

I guess the brilliant thing is that
it's now redefined

your experience of lockdown

and probably given all
of you a new appreciation

of what's involved in farming.

Clearly, this was light years
away from what you're used to.

How did you cope with the
physicality of it?

I mean, how are the hands
and the back holding up?

Well, I have to say, I think it's
absolutely brilliant

and it's great to hear so many
similar stories

from up and down the country.

Hard-working people rolling
up their sleeves

and getting their hands dirty.

And we'll certainly be meeting many
more of you over the next few weeks.

Still to come tonight, a lamb with
a broken leg

spells trouble for Dave.

This is an emergency because, if
this lamb doesn't get a pot on it,

chances are he's not going
to survive.

And some incredible images,
as 800 cows are released

onto the Cumbrian salt marshes for
the summer.

That's when we return in a few
minutes for more

This Week on the Farm.

Welcome back to This
Week on the Farm.

Now, earlier, we saw how David in
North Yorkshire

had swapped his spreadsheets for
some asparagus picking,

but he's not the only one who's had
to swap jobs because of lockdown.

Just recently, the Nicholsons had
an emergency of their own

in their lambing sheds
and it was their colleague,

farmer Dale, who picked up the
camera to bring us this story.

Summer has well and truly arrived in
South Yorkshire.

The sun is shining,
the grass is green

and the animals are enjoying
the great outdoors.

But the farm's newest residents

are still under close
supervision indoors,

and Dave has discovered an urgent
problem in the barn.

Just hours ago, one of his yews gave
birth to twins

and she accidentally stood on one of
her newborns,

causing her daughter's leg to break.

The mum is a first-time lamber.

She's a little bit flighty,

she wasn't quite sure what was
happening when she gave birth,

so that's probably why she trod
on the little lamb's leg.

Now, she didn't mean to do it.

This kind of thing does happen from
time to time.

This is an emergency because, if
this lamb doesn't get a pot on it,

chances are it's not going
to survive.

Vet Matt Smith is on-call and has
made this job a priority.

You all right? I'm not bad.

Chief!

Want to have a look?
Yeah, let's have a look at it.

It's looking brilliant.
How old is it?

This morning. A boy or...?

Oh, yes.

A little girl. Oh, that's a nasty
one, is that, isn't it?

Matt's set up a makeshift clinic to
get the little lamb

back on her feet.

Hey, little girl.

Come on.

So, how do you want it, Matt?

What we'll do is, if you just lean
her on,

lean her on her back for me,
like that.

And then if you can just hold up
that leg up as well -

that means I can line this
up as best I can. No problem.

It's a clean break, there's actually
no mess of that.

So, it'll be uncomfortable,
little lamb,

but I just have to line you back up.

If the lamb is ever to walk again,

her bones need to be fused
back together,

so Matt needs to make sure that the
two broken bones

are properly aligned.

So, now I've got it nicely lined up,

I'm going to get some supporting
bandages put on

and then put the cast on.

Now, all being well,
things should go to plan

and it should start to heal up over
the next couple of weeks.

But unfortunately,
sometimes, for whatever reason,

they don't heal as well.

So, nothing's 100% in this game.

That's it, that's it.

I know, I know, little munchkin.

Put some padding up there.

The first layers of the bandage will
provide support and comfort

so that the cast Matt is about to
apply doesn't dig in

to her tiny leg and cause her pain.

So, this is called vet glass, this
is a fibreglass cast

and it sets absolutely rock solid.

So, we've got to be
relatively quick

because, as soon as it gets wet,

and it starts to dry out,

it solidifies.

So, I've got to make sure we
get this right the first time

because, after this is on,
there's no going back.

Oh, I'm pleased with that.

That's really good.

And after waiting a few minutes for
the cast to set,

there's an important decision
to make.

So, we've got a big question now,
Dave.

To seal all of this in place,
we're going to put a final layer.

So, the big question is,

do we want a tractor bandage or
a little piggy's bandage.

Well, I'd go tractor myself,
but it is a little girl.

So, what do you think?

Little pink piggieg?

Little pink piggies.

Because the edge of this cast here,
you can just see there,

the last we want to do is that to
flapping off

and causing her problems,

so this just seals everything
in nicely.

I think we made the right choice
with the pigs.

The little lamb is soon patched up.

Right, all sorted.

Let's see how this little lady
gets on.

But how will the newborn cope with
her new weighty cast on?

She's doing well there, isn't she?

Straight down.

To see her stood up so well,
straight off the bat,

there's not many little lambs and
cows that can do that.

I'm so pleased.

I'm very optimistic for her.

She's got a good chance.
She's got a good chance.

After her dramatic start in life,
the little fighter is soon back

drinking from mum,
under Dave's close supervision.

Fantastic.

Who could ask for anything better?

And vet Matt will be back soon to
check on her progress.

Aw, such a cute little lamb.

And, don't worry, we will check in
on her later in the series.

Now, I absolutely love summer.

I don't know about you, but I
just feel so much happier

when the sun shines and the weather
gets a few degrees warmer.

I like to think the animals feel
the same way too and get a little

smile on their faces when things
pick up a little bit,

especially ones that live in remote
and usually cold and wet places.

Now, earlier this year,

we visited James Marshall on his
farm in Cumbria,

whose job is hugely affected by the
changing of the seasons.

It's quite a
challenging environment.

Some days, when it's sleet and the
wind is blowing, you think,

"Whoa, this is tough out here."

But you certainly toughen up to it.

James Marshall has over a thousand
cows in his herd.

For nine months of the year,

they live on 2,800 acres of remote
Cumbrian marshland.

But, every March, they need to be
brought inside

to calve in the warmth and comfort
of one of his barns.

We use a lot of hay at this time of
the year.

Nice dry feed, keeps them
full, keeps them healthy.

And, hopefully, they just pop
the calf out.

And, earlier this year,
much to James' delight,

there were 76 new additions to
his herd.

There's always a bit of a buzz.

You come in in the morning, there's
two or three cows calved.

You think, "Well, that's a job well
done."

Well, I'm pleased to say that
James joins us now

from his farm near Carlisle.

James, how are those gorgeous
little calves getting on?

Oh, absolutely excellent.

They are filling up on their
mother's milk,

lying in the sun and really,
really thriving.

That's exactly what we want to see.

And when will they be going out onto
the salt marshes?

The calves will go out next year,
probably in the middle of May,

depending on the tides.

Once they're over a year old,

they really, really thrive out
there, in that environment.

Tell me a bit more about
that environment

because it's a gorgeous part
of the world,

I know it well,

but it's a challenging part of the
world as well.

How difficult is it to get cows on
and off a salt marsh?

Quite a routine, how we do it.

What we do in the morning,
we let the cattle out

of what we'll call the pen.

Put them on and off, so, every
night,

they come back off the salt marsh.

And we keep doing that for about ten
days and that trains them all to

come back to the same spot at night.

And does that work then, to come
back by themselves

to the same spot and to safety?

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

They can be right out the
furthest point in the marsh,

which is nearly towards Annan,
or Port Carlisle.

If you set them off from there,
with the quad bikes and dogs,

they just generally head straight
back to that one point,

back to the boathouse pens.

And why are the cows that you that
you farm,

why is that breed so suited to life
on a salt marsh?

We're mostly native breed crosses.

They're just that much tougher,
they've got a bit more skin,

bit more hair,

they don't take as much harm from
when it does become rough weather

and they're also very good at
grazing grass

and they turn the grass into meat.

James, thank you so much for talking
to us

and giving us a bit of an insight
into your life,

kiss the tarmac in Cumbria for me,
lots of love, James.

So, from the county I was born
in, Cumbria,

to the county I now live
in, Yorkshire,

let's head back to Barnsley,

where, before lockdown at the
Nicholsons' farm,

Rob had a reason to be looking down
in the mouth.

There are over a thousand animals
living at Cannon Hall Farm today

and every single one of them is a
shining star in its own right.

And taking centre stage today is
this chap,

a Shetland pony that holds a very
special place in Rob's heart

and not just because they share the
same taste in music.

He is called Jon Bon Pony for
obvious reasons.

He's got a really funky hairstyle

and he's a bit of an equine
rock star.

He's managed to get all these five
mares pregnant,

all on the same weekend,

so he's a monumental worker.

He's a really good stallion.

But now Rob's concerned that poor
little Jon Bon

hasn't been his usual self lately.

It's been sad to watch, really.

He's normally a feisty character,

but he's just become a real
pipe and slippers man.

It just doesn't seem like him.

He's just lost his sparkle,
he's lost his vim and vigour

and we really need to find out
what's wrong with him

and hopefully get him back to the
old Jon Bon Pony.

Time to call in the services of farm
vet David Melanie

to see if he can get this little
rockstar back to his former glory.

He's just a little bit, you know,
under the weather, lacking energy,

and he just looks a little bit down
in the mouth.

Compared to the other
Shetland ponies,

he's obviously in worse condition

and he's losing a bit of condition.

Let's give him a thorough
check over,

see what's going on and we'll take
it from there.

All right.

Right, you catch him.

The cause of Jon Bon's weight loss
is a mystery.

It could be due to any number
of things -

a stomach ulcer, dental problems, or
even a life-threatening infection.

But whatever the issue, Rob needs to
know so we can get his four-legged

friend the treatment he so
desperately needs.

How long have you had him?

We bought him, probably last May,

so he was certainly fit and
firing then,

but he just seems to have lost the
sparkle, really.

Oh, bless him.

So, just looking at the condition
of his feet,

at the hoof, the hoof walls

and just seeing if there's any
obvious signs of lameness...

...wounds or defects in there and,
funnily enough, lameness issues

can lead to weight loss because,
understandably, quite sore,

they stop eating properly.

There are no obvious issues with
Jon Bon Pony's hooves,

so it's time to move on to
his mouth.

They're looking quite flat back
there. Maybe worth having

a really good look with a gag and a
head touch at some point.

You want me to shine the torch in?

Yeah, that'd be brilliant.

And, sure enough,

a closer inspection reveals a
potential problem tooth.

You see how his...both his upper and
his lower sets,

they're not quite fitting
together properly?

And actually, at the back there,

there's some really sharp areas.
Right.

Certainly could be interfering
with his bite.

There's nothing worse than
toothache, is there?

As any pony or horse gets order,

you do get a bit of natural
deviation in the teeth.

When they're starting to lose
weight,

that could well be the source of the
weight loss.

So, I think what we need to do is
get some dental work done,

flatten off those sharp areas and
see if that gets him eating better.

Let's hope so.

David will be back in a few clays'
time with some specialist

equine dental equipment,
which means an anxious wait for Rob.

Hopefully, we'll get to the bottom
of the problem and get him back

firing on all cylinders because
we want him for the long-term.

He's a really special lad and we're
really, really fond of him.

And we'll see what happens to the
brilliantly named Jon Bon Pony

later on in the programme,

as well as finding out why Rob
and Dave spent so much time

on this highland bull's
summer hairdo.

My wife's a hairdresser,

so she's got some really nice
herbal-smelling shampoo.

I think he's enjoying it.

Looks like Donald Trump.

And we'll be watching as the
brothers come face-to-face

with their farmyard foe.

So, join us again in a few minutes
for more This Week on the Farm.

Welcome back to This Week on The
Farm, where, for the next six weeks,

we'll be keeping a close eye on
what's keeping the nation's farmers

busy this summer.

That's right, and we'll have regular
visits to Cannon Hall Farm

in South Yorkshire,

where, earlier in the year,
Rob had to call in the vet

when he was worried about the health

of one of his favourite
Shetland ponies.

It's been a few clays since Canon
Hall's equine rock star Jon Bon Pony

had a visit from vet David.

Come on, let's have a look.

He's been losing weight recently

and it could be down to a
dental problem.

Jon Bon Pony's really, really
special to us.

I'm really feeling for him at the
moment because I hate the dentist

and this poor [ad's got that to come
today.

I'm just hope that he comes
through it OK

and it's not too uncomfortable
for him.

David has returned with
his colleague,

Mick Hancock, who has over 30 years
of equine experience.

Morning, Rob.

Hiya, Dave. How are you doing?

I've gotjon Bon Pony for you.

Come on, Jon Bon. Come on.

On his last visit, David discovered
some sharp areas on Jon Bon's teeth,

so he's returned with Mick to take a
more detailed look.

Certainly, if there's any question

that they might not be
eating properly,

it could be an indication that
there's a little bit of dental pain

or discomfort there and you can get
what we call hooks or spurs forming,

which are really quite sharp.

So, we just want to checkjon Bon
and see that he hasn't got

any of those and if he eats better
afterwards, then that's brilliant.

First, Jon Bon needs a mild sedative

so he doesn't move too much during
the procedure.

And vet Mick has got some handy
power tools to file down

Jon Bon's teeth, which will make his
trip to the dentist a lot quicker

than if the team were doing the
job with the traditional rasp.

Next, Jon Bon has a
head collar fitted,

which will help open his mouth
wide enough

so David and Mick can have a
look inside.

It might look a bit scary,

but it doesn't hurt him at all.

If his teeth are starting to grow
abnormally, he'll find it harder

and harder to eat and he's not going
to get the nutrition he needs,

he will eventually waste away
from it,

so I'm really glad we can get on
top of this today.

Good.

Yeah, he's certainly got some sharp
spikes on here.

Sounds like quite a bit of work to
do there.

Is that right on his back molar?

Nick's found a sharp tooth that
could be making it painful

when Jon Bon's eating and that
could explain his weight loss.

Good boy.

Good lad.

Well done.

Well, thank you ever so much,
I'm really pleased with that.

I'm thrilled that you found
something significant

because hopefully that's going
to put him right.

We look forward to hearing how
he's doing.

I'll keep you posted.

Right, let's clean up.

Right, come on, Jon Bon,
back to your ladies.

Come on.

Come on.

I'm really, really pleased
with that.

I think Mick and Dave did a really
good job.

The icing on the cake for me was to
find that significantly sharp tooth,

right at the back, that we couldn't
possibly have seen without

all that high tech equipment.

And, hopefully, Jon Bon Pony will be
putting on weight

and looking like his old self in
no time.

And Rob's prediction is spot on.

Just a week on from having his
teeth done,

Jon Bon Pony is starting to look
like a rock star again

and his number one fan David is back
for a reunion.

Morning, Rob. Meet the new man.

Jon Bon Pony. He's looking well.

He's got his sparkle back.

The low mood has disappeared.

He's now bossing the girls around.

He's eating like an absolute horse,
dare I say.

Is he? Brilliant.

It seems like he's already got a
little bit of weight.

It's going to take time to get a bit
of his condition back.

So, he's no longer living on a
prayer then?

David, really?

You went there.

Right, let's check in with Dave
and Rob and find out how

the little rockstar's getting on.

Yeah, Jon Bon Pony's absolutely
fabulous now.

His toothache is cured, he's putting
weight on, he's really relaxed,

he's full of his old presence,
he's fully recovered,

we're really thrilled with him.

Now, guys, as farmers, famously,

you're not supposed to have
favourites amongst your livestock.

But there's no getting away
from the fact that he's clearly

pretty important to you, isn't he?

And what does the summer hold for
him now?

Jon Bon Pony is going to have a
fabulous summer.

He's going to go outside, he's going
to spend time in the paddocks,

he's going to spend time wooing
his ladies,

he needs to find a way to get
them pregnant,

to get them delivering foals
next year.

So, yeah, he's going to have a
fabulous time.

He's got the very best of lives.

Hang on a minute, it sounds like
he's already been wooing the ladies

because there's been a new addition,
hasn't there?

Yeah, we could not be more proud of
Jon Bon.

He has become a father.

He's had the most gorgeous
little foal.

It's the cutest animal we've had
born on the farm this year,

in my opinion,

and he's the proudest dad.

So, we're absolutely thrilled for
him and thrilled with him.

And what have you called the foal?

Pony Hadley? That can't be true.

That is astonishing.

Well, I tell you what,
if I don't get a haircut soon,

I'm going to become a new
romantic myself.

Well, thank you, Jon Bon, for
your contribution.

Well, it sounds like you've got
another little star in the making,

which brings us nicely onto our next
story, featuring a rather

presidential-looking cow who goes by
the name of Ted.

Country shows are the highlight
of a farmer's summer,

a rare day off to mix with other
farmers and also show off

their best livestock.

We've been looking forward so much
this year to the show season -

it's where all the farming community
comes together.

They bring the livestock, they
compete against each other,

but they come together as friends -

and we've lost that opportunity with
the coronavirus outbreak.

Last year, Rob and Dave took
Highland cow Fern

to the great Yorkshire show

and came home with a first
prize rosette.

Congratulations.

This year, they had great hopes for
Fern's son, Ted.

For the competition, the lads have
to do all the same things

for regular a show.

Preparation starts months before
the event.

Now, luckily,

we carried on prepping Ted as if he
was going to go to the Yorkshire

show, we kept his feed levels high,

we've looked after him,
we've kept him neat and tidy.

I think if there's anyone that can
manicure him up

to look absolutely perfect,
it's you.

Come on, son.

It's time to take Ted
to the hairdressers

to get him catwalk ready
to impress the judges.

Ted's winter layer is combed out,

revealing a softer summer coat.

Looks like Donald Trump!

ROB LAUGHS

I'm going to stand back.

Go on, Donald.

Ted, are you ready for a blow-dry?

Dave's certainly picked up a few
tips at the salon.

We want a bit of lift.

It's got to have volume.

Now Ted's all set,

Dave also needs to look the part.

The judges for this
virtual country show

need to see a few photos

and a video of Ted being paraded.

SHEEP BLEAT

I need you to concentrate,

walk in a straight line,

down towards the bottom fence
and straight back again, please.

TED BELLOWS

That's it, Ted...
..lift your head, show some style.

SHEEP BLEAT

Show his presence.

Look like you own this field.

Oh, you do!

DAVE LAUGHS

TED BELLOWS

Everything's in the can.

Now to get it sent to the judges.

What do I do next?

Rob and Dave have done all they can.

Now, they just have to sit and wait
for the results.

Oh, nice.

May the best...

...cow win.

BOTH: Or bull.

Brilliant job, guys, and what
a transformation you gave Ted.

That is a great example
of how the show must go on.

And why are country shows
so important?

Country shows, Helen,
are the highlight of the...

...of the farmers' social calendar,
the summer social calendar.

We look forward to it all year

and to see it taken away from us,

to see them cancelled,
was really disappointing.

So, when we saw the online show,

we thought, "This is our chance
to bring Ted out,

"to see how he compares and to give
him a little run through his paces."

So, yeah, they are really important.

Do you know? I couldn't agree more.

I'm certainly missing the
country show season of this year.

But I was lucky enough to be at the
Great Yorkshire Show last year,

when you came out of the ring
with a red first rosette,

so, dare we ask,

how did it go this year?

I'm going to call for
a judges' inquiry.

Ted is a triumph,
as far as we're concerned.

Fifth?!

I mean, was it worth all the effort?

You were combing him,
shampooing him,

I mean, you used more hairspray
than I use in a year!

And that's just David!

We're definitely going to go again.

We're definitely going to enter,
next year.

We're hopefully going to go to
the real country shows, as well.

So, yeah, we thoroughly enjoyed
the experience.

Ted enjoyed it.

And we're really, really proud
of him, whatever the result.

That's the spirit, boys.

And we should point out that, as
well as working together every day,

providing essential care for their
hundreds of animals,

brothers Rob and Dave
also live on the farm,

so they have been
in lockdown together.

Now, after the break, we'll be
heading straight back to Barnsley,

where Dave faces
yet another challenge

and this one is a sheer delight
to watch.

Dave, it's all about
Arnie's safety,

but you're a competitive soul,

you want to know whether you can
beat last year's time.

Go.

So, join us in a few minutes
for more This Week on the Farm.

Welcome back to
This Week on the Farm,

our summery celebration of all
the hard work done by farmers up

and down the country at this
time of year.

Now, earlier on, we saw Dave

and Rob's competitive nature come
to the fore when they entered Ted,

their presidential-looking Highland
cow, into an online country show.

Now, sadly, they didn't come up
trumps on that occasion...

...but let's see how Dave
got on earlier in the week

when Rob set him a little challenge.

The Nicholsons' farm is home
to 12 different breeds of sheep

and, whilst they each have unique
characteristics,

they all have one thing in common -

at summertime,
they all need shearing.

They obviously need the wool to keep
them warm in winter -

it keeps them waterproof.

However, it now summer,
the weather's hot,

they need that wool taken off so
they can enjoy themselves.

The wool, it's so heavy,
they can't roll over,

and they actually die if they get
stuck on their back, so it's

better to get the wool off, and you
take that hazard out of the way.

Today, the boys will be working
with the Jacob sheep

and Rob is particularly looking
forward to it.

I'm really excited about it,
mostly because I'm not doing it

and David is. I were just going to
say that, yeah.

It is a tough job.

Does it make you want to weep?

Sometimes, but hopefully not today.

Now, just the small matter of 30
ladies to shear in 20-degree heat.

Careful with them!
Oh, and they've got horns!

Look at that,
they're lethal weapons!

SHEEP BLEAT

At one time, the wool cheque,

the money received for your fleeces,
would pay the rent on your land.

Now it costs more to pay
a contractor to shear the wool

off then you're paid for it, so it's
very much a welfare issue now.

SHEEP BLEAT

Dave, you've missed a bit.

You'll be next!

ROB LAUGHS

That's that batch done, Rob.
Well done.

Fabulous, fabulous effort, that.

I feel tired just watching you.

After a busy morning with
the clippers,

it's time to return the ladies
to the summer sun, complete with

new haircuts and a whole load of
weight off their backs - literally.

But there's still one
member of the flock to shear,

and the boys have saved
the toughest task for last.

Meet champion ram Arnie.

The boys' first challenge is to
catch him.

He's a mean character.

He's strong, he's agile,
and he knows how to use his horns.

We've got to have our wits about us.

David's bringing the ewes
and Arnie down.

If we can fasten him in that corner,
we've got a great chance and we can

make a move on Arnie, hopefully grab
him and hopefully hang onto him.

Hang on, hang on.

Which way are you 90mg?

If he comes my way, I've got him.

My money's on you, Dave.

It's a battle of the wills, but who
will come out on top? Got him?

DAVE EXHALES

Whoo! That took a bit of doing.

You were nearly down that ditch.

THEY LAUGH

Never mind, Arnie!

And then it's back to the barn for
round two.

Come on, lad.

Tipping the scales at just
over 100 kg,

Arnie weighs more than Dave himself,

so this won't be easy.

Oh, look at that!

It's all in the footwork.

It's another victory for Dave
and, to add to the pressure,

Rob's got another challenge up his
sleeve.

Dave, we know it's all about Arnie's
safety, but you're a competitive

soul, you want to know whether
you can beat last year's time.

On your marks, get set, go.

Last year, Dave sheared Arnie in six
minutes and 22 seconds -

whether he can beat that today
depends on Arnie playing ball.

DAVE EXHALES

Come on, lad.

But with Arnie
throwing his weight around,

it's quickly
turning into a two-man job.

Right, come round.

Hold themmthem two. Yep.

Got 'em? Tilt his head back a bit.

He's called Arnie for a really
good reason.

He's strong, he's powerful,

he's a terminator.

Now that Dave has got Arnie back
under control,

Rob can step aside again.

I was happy to help you out in that
moment of trouble, there.

I was happy to bail you out.

I'm forever grateful, Rob.

ROB LAUGHS

Done. That's better, well done.
That were easy!

THEY LAUGH

Good lad.

Despite the backbreaking work,

Dave hasn't forgotten
about the competition.

How long did that take me?

You did very well
and that's all you need to know.

You keep that time to yourself, Rob.
I'm happy with that.

And now for the final
job of the day, putting Arnie back

out in the sunshine and as far away
from Dave as possible.

Go on, lad. Enjoy your summer.

Right, Dave, I think you need a hot
bath and a cold drink.

I think you're right, there, Rob.

And, Arnie, what do we say to him?

Hasta la vista.

He'll be back.

THEY CHUCKLE

Rob, Dave, we all look forward to
summer,

but it would be difficult to enjoy
if we were all

walking round with huge, heavy
sheepskin coats on, wouldn't it?

Well, hats off to you, Dave,

going toe-to-toe with your woolly
nemesis, there.

I mean, he clearly gave you both,
I suppose, a run for your money,

and you had a bit of a sweat on,
there.

But I'm thinking you probably now
want to know how you did

compared to last year.

Yeah, I really would
because Arnie is a big, tough unit,

so how did I get on?

Well, just to remind you,
last year, you did it in six minutes

and 22 seconds.

This year, wait for it,
a bit of a drum roll, perhaps,

you managed it in six minutes
and two seconds,

so you shaved 20 seconds off the
previous time. Oh, yes! Well done.

I'm happy with that.

I don't know how you managed to get
through it without Rob.

I mean,
he swooped in when times got tough.

Is he always that helpful, Dave?
Er, not really.

Those ten seconds will cost me
dearly,

he'll never let me forget it.

Thank you so much for having us
again, guys.

And that's it for now, but join us
next time for more summer fun on the

farm, and we'll be visiting the real
Downton Abbey to find out if their

brand-new boar has successfully
performed his regal duties.

We'll find out how
a vegetable farmer in Essex has

had to alter his business plan to
survive lockdown.

We started off with just some fruit
and veg boxes to start off,

couple of days later, we said,
"Oh, look,

"we'lljust do it to
the local

"village," and then it
went mad.

And Rob and Dave hatch a
plan in the workshop,

but will their grand
design fall foul

of their feathered
friends' expectations?

That's next time on
This Week on the Farm.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media