Scottish Club 2018 round up

The SBSC has had another very successful and active year and we have welcomed a good number of new members to our Beef Shorthorn family.

In February 2018, on the Saturday night of the bull sales, we welcomed many fellow Shorthorn breeders and friends to Stirling Golf Club for an excellent supper and fun race night. Also, during that evening (and at the Society dinner), we also sold 100 squares at £5 each for charity, the prize being five straws of Meonhill Geronimo kindly donated by Graham Mather and Simon Farmer. As a result, £616 was donated to RSABI and Andrew Ivinson (Sandwick) was the delighted winner of the semen.

The February bull sales saw Jack and Grace Ramsay realise 20,000gns for Millerston Kasper.

Moving on to the Royal Highland Show in June, the Beef Shorthorns, having the largest cattle entry, put on a great spectacle with the Supreme Championship going to Dean and Andrew Anderson (Smallburn Farms) with Smallburn Jethro. The Scottish Club again provided teas, coffees, biscuits and cakes enjoyed by members and friends for the duration of the show. Our annual barbecue was again held on the Saturday night and was as as popular as ever; a very sociable evening.

The Glenisla herd at the SBSC's visit to Glenisla and Balnabroich

At the end of July, the Club had their annual day trip to Glenisla and Balnabroich. Welcomed at Glenisla in the morning by Major and Mrs Gibb, Catriona and Nicholas, we all enjoyed a cuppa and goodies, followed by the history of Glenisla Beef Shorthorns by Major Gibb.

We then took off by foot in two different groups to see the cows and youngstock which had all been brought down from the hill to be near home for our visit. As expected, they were looking extremely well with tremendous power and character.

After a most interesting morning Major Gibb led a convoy over the hill to Balnabroich to be welcomed by Sir Michael and Lady Sally Nairn. Before we enjoyed a scrumptious lunch, Sir Michael gave us a very informative talk on how his retiral from business made them focus on developing the estate, hence the emphasis on Beef Shorthorns. We then took off in trailers on a circular tour to see the four distinct herds which they call A, B, C and D.

First, we saw ‘B’, the Highland cows crossed with Beef Shorthorn bulls to provide heifers for Herd ‘C’, the commercial herd. They were up on the hill and what a sight as about 100 cross cows appeared out of the mist in the distance and, as they approached at speed, we witnessed extremely good calves at foot showing what the Beef Shorthorn as a maternal breed can do.

Moving on to the ‘B’ team, the pure Beef Shorthorns, we saw Glengloy Lovely Cecilia (by Glenisla Centurian) the mother of Balnabroich Kermit, which sold to Donald Biggar for 15,000gns at the Stirling bull sales in February; a good herd in the making. Finally, on to a lovely group of pure Highlanders, group ‘A’, altogether showing how well the two breeds combine to prove ideal for a very viable commercial enterprise. After more tea and cake, we all went home in our various directions with plenty to talk about. A superb outing in spite of the weather.

Nearer the end of August, Brenda Wear (Redhill Beef Shorthorns) judged 23 Herds in our second Scottish Herds Competition, travelling from the Borders to Thurso, up the east coast and down the west.

On Friday 21 September, the club travelled to Pooley Bridge in the Lake District for our annual weekend away. The Saturday morning saw us travel over to Riding Mill, near Corbridge, to visit the Lipwood Beef Shorthorn Herd owned by Maurice and Tonya Tailford, an up and coming herd where the young cows by Dunsyre Esperanza look very promising.

Moving back to Brampton, we visited John and Caroline Elliott and family, of the Farlam Herd. After a tasty lunch, we took of in trailers on a tour of the farm where we saw stock bull Longmoor Formidabull Bob, which has bred extremely well for the Elliotts.

Our last call on Saturday was Nord Vue, where Charles Lowther had just moved his cows across to this farm the Wednesday before our visit. They were just settling in after having had a hard summer at the previous farm. At 11 years, Blelack Minstrel was looking extremely well, as were his daughters.

Back to the hotel where we had a lovely meal and a few drinks along with John and Caroline Elliott and Andrew and Caroline Ivinson. Sunday morning saw us take the short trip up into the Pennines to see the Sandwick Herd on Andrew and Caroline Ivinson’s farm, where a proven stock bull Engineer of Upsall has really left his mark.

Our final visit was to the Barwood Herd managed by Paul Coates and Morrisons. First, we looked at the fattening unit along with some young bulls, where Jim Holden explained what Morrisons are trying to achieve. After a tasty lunch, we took a farm tour of all the different groups and ages of Beef Shorthorns; the herd based on cattle from Dumfries House. What a superb farm, really well managed with the cattle looking tremendous. A great end to a superb weekend.