A competition run by RECO to win a brand new Kioti Mechron attracted over 2500 entries earlier this year. The lucky winner was Penrith-based Estate Manager Richard Price who was presented with his prize at the Highland Show last week.

Richard, who works for Lowther Park Farms, part of the prestigious Lowther Estate Trust, says that the Kioti Mechron will be a valuable addition to his small fleet of ATVs.

“We currently run a fleet of three ATVs and one other utility vehicle. We were looking to replace one of our ATVs with a utility vehicle anyway, and had already had the Kioti on demonstration. We were really pleased with the way the machine performed on demo, and the fact that the new homologated version can safely carry three passengers on the road is crucial for us.”

“We are obviously really pleased to have won the competition and are looking forward to getting the vehicle delivered to the farm and put it through its paces. When demonstrating other models, we were struggling to find one with a suitable towing limit, but the Mechron seems to cater for this, along with being durable and nimble enough for our needs”.

Lowther Park Farms is part of the Lowther Estate, a Trust which is owned by the Right Honourable Jim Lowther.

The Lowther family own in excess of 90,000 acres of land in Cumbria and the Lake District, of which 3500 is managed byRichard and his team.

Its Lake District location means that the farmland is spread across varied terrain, on land that sits between 400 -1400 ft above sea level. Two thirds of this is used as grazing land and ATV’s and UTVs are a necessity for the day-to-day managing of the land and livestock.

With over 200 summer-grazing cattle and 5500 breeding ewes, Richard and his team are grateful for the additional vehicle which will help the shepherds cover some of the 13,000 km that they drive each year.
The shepherds are assisted by some 20 sheepdogs, which will be transported in the cargo box at the rear of the Mechron.

The machine was supplied through local RECO dealer Carrs Billington (Penrith) who have retro-fitted a sheepdog/livestock crate to the rear of the machine to assist in the safe transportation of the dogs to and from the fields. “Working 20 dogs, their safety is a key issue for us. Having the ability to use the cargo box of the UTV is a great benefit for this” says Richard.

Carrs have also supplied a weather-proof cab for the machine and Richard says he will be getting a ball hitch fitted so that the UTV will be able to assist with trailing duties, topping and their Swales Snacker.
In addition to the grazing land, 1000 acres of the Lowther Farmland is cultivated for arable use, and the Mechron is also earmarked for assistance with slug pelleting duties.

Richard says that the Estate is looking to replace all of their quads in the near future and if the Mechron performs as well as they hope, they could potentially be purchasing more of the Kiotis.