When flooding struck last week, two farmers from Nidd leapt into action alongside the emergency services to rescue a young bull and herd of cows from drowning.
Sisters Fran Robinson and Hannah Blakey, who tend cattle and sheep on their 150-acre farm, were alerted to the plight of the stranded animals on social media.
Fran told the Stray Ferret:
“Hannah and I instinctively knew that we had to lend a hand. We couldn’t bear the thought of the cattle being stranded and at risk of drowning in the River Ure.”
The Blakey family has been farming in the Ripon area for 25 years and, with a call to their auntie Anne, they were able to find a telephone number for the farmer whose bull was in peril, having slipped into the river from a field near Ure Bank Top.
In safe hands — Splash the bull, after his river ordeal
The bull’s owner was in Halifax and at least 40 minutes away – so welcomed the offer of help from two women who are highly experienced in handling cattle.
Fran said:
“We got to the field at around 1.30pm and saw cattle in quite deep water.
“The emergency services arrived as we were shouting the animals, trying to encourage them to swim over to us, but the river was flowing pretty quickly.”
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The cows moved further down the flooded field onto a small section of banking at the bottom of Ure Bank Top.
Hannah, said:
“People who live in a house near the Ure joined in the rescue. They were absolutely brilliant and knew what to do.
“They guided the cows away from danger and put the frightened cattle into the safety of their stable.”
Although the cows were safe, the young Limousin bull’s life was still in jeopardy.
Fran said:
“We watched him struggling in the water and going under the bypass bridge and then raced with a blue light escort to the racecourse bridge at Bridge Hewick, hoping the current would sweep him this way and we could get a halter around his head and guide him to safety.”
The bull did re-emerge, bobbing upside down like a giant cork in the swollen water with legs flailing.
Hannah ran across to the other side of the bridge shouting to the bull, trying to get him to right himself and swim to the bank.
Fran pointed out:
“I did manage to touch him as he came towards me, but had no chance of being able to pull a tonne and a half bull to safety.
“He got swept away again and we felt awful. We thought that was it for the poor animal.”
But it wasn’t. Hannah said:
“I was elated when a farmer who farms near Newby Hall rang at 5pm to say that a bull had washed up on one of his fields.”
Fran added:
“We collected him and took him to our parents’ nearby farm where he stayed overnight in a nice dry shed, with hay to eat and fresh bedding to sleep on after his ordeal.
“Hannah and I decided to call him Splash and his owner collected his newly-named Limousin the following morning.
“We are delighted to report that he is doing well.”
