A chartered surveyor with a Shropshire-based company has added another prestigious title to her growing list of honours - National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs auctioneering champion.

Kate Oakes, 24, who works for the Rural Professional team at Halls in Shrewsbury, triumphed in the final held at the Staffordshire County Showground, just 10 miles from her Penkridge home, on Saturday.

The only female finalist, she edged out nine rivals from across England and Wales to take the trophy, having finished third last year. She is the first female winner in the competition’s history.

The finalists were given 20 minutes to catalogue six previously unseen items before selling three of them, selected by a draw, in a mock auction before a large crowd of potential buyers.

The final was judged by experienced auctioneers Oliver Hiles and Robert Addison who praised Kate for the way she conducted the auction, engaged with the audience and the natural tone of her voice.

“They announced the final placings in reverse order and I was convinced that somebody else had won, so it was quite a shock when they named me,” confessed Kate. “It was a great feeling and really nice to win on home ground.

“It was a very tough competition, with around half of the finalists being professional, full-time auctioneers..”

Since she qualified as a Chartered Surveyor last November, she has divided her time between rural professional work and Shrewsbury Auction Centre, where she has been mentored by manager Jonny Dymond.

“I think the two roles fit together quite nicely,” added Kate. “It’s a good way to engage with clients at the market and to support them with rural professional advice. Whether I am selling or providing advice, the priority is to get on with people and to keep learning.”

She joined Halls in 2023 as a Rural Enterprise and Land Management graduate of Harper Adams University, where she was joint best graduate in her cohort and won three other awards at the graduation ceremony.

Secretary of Chase YFC, she is a keen horse rider and owns a small flock of award-winning Poll Dorset sheep. Her parents run a smallholding where they specialise in breeding standard bred horses for harness racing.  .

Halls chairman Allen Gittins said: “It’s fantastic news that Kate has won this national YFC auctioneering competition against strong competition. She’s a great asset to our business and I shall look forward to watching her continued growth with the company in the coming years.”

Halls is one of the UK’s leading independent firms of estate agents, chartered surveyors, auctioneers and valuers with 10 offices across Shropshire, Worcestershire and Mid Wales.