RYEDALE farmer and radio presenter Gareth Barlow was among the winners at last night's Yorkshire Awards.

Gareth won the Countryside Award in the ceremony at the Hilton Leeds City Hotel, reflecting his contribution to Yorkshire farming.

Now the presenter of his own show on BBC Radio York, he became a farmer aged 17 when he sold his Xbox to buy his first Hebridean breed sheep.

In the years that followed, Gareth’s six sheep became 500 as his Howardian Hebridean lamb business went from strength to strength at Terrington and on the Castle Howard estate.

Although no longer running his own farm, the 25-year-old plays an active role in championing Yorkshire's countryside.

He said: “It’s a huge honour to accept the Yorkshire Award for the Countryside and to be in a position to report on our fantastic landscape.

"Yorkshire is unrivalled for the quality of its rural areas, farming and food – a situation that means this award is truly shared by a great number of people.

"There are incredible stories throughout Yorkshire’s countryside and I can’t wait to help tell them.”

Last night's awards were hosted by BBC Look North presenters Harry Gration and Tanya Arnold and featured nine categories.

The other winners included eight-year-old Bailey Matthews, who defied cerebral palsy to complete a triathlon unaided plus Yorkshire and England cricketer Joe Root.

For more information, visit www.yorkshireawards.org