2008 REPORT
by The Chairman

I was concerned that the Midland Club had had a very quiet year and that my report would be very short and sweet but when I look back and reflect on the year it’s actually been quite a busy one.

January the Midland Breeders Club quiz teams travelled away to visit Moreton Hall where the Centre West Club hosted a quiz night. Giles’ Midland Club 1 team (Mandy, Richard, Chris & Kath) triumphed over the remaining sub standard twenty other teams!

Nice to see the Simmentals winning the first inter breed competition of the year, and not a blue tongue in sight! In March it was our turn to host a quiz night at the Greyhound in Yarlet. Thanks must go to our ‘quiz master’ Chris and ‘scores on the doors’ Kath Martindale who kept order. They also managed to ask all the right questions for the Centre West Team, led by David Bell and his fellow egg heads, retained their Champions trophy for the third year in a row!

May saw the youngsters gather at Wroxall for a Stock judging practice to steer them in the right direction for the main event at the Royal Show. Master judge David Bell tutored the youngsters with his fountain of knowledge.

June another busy month for the various club members involved with entertaining the international visitors attending the 17th World Simmental Congress. This was a great chance for the breeders to make friends and business contacts on the World Simmental Stage. It was a shame more members did not take advantage of this opportunity.

Peter Burgess from Tilbrook Simmentals was the judge of this year’s Herd Competition and thanks to all who entered and congratulations to the winners. The Midland Club members were again on duty at this year’s Dairy Event with Terry Ford sourcing the cattle for the stand and manning it for most of the event with Fiona Sloan, thanks Terry.

This years Herd Visit saw the club venture over to Bill Adams, cross bred Simmental Herd and Peter and Sarah Burgess’ Pedigree Simmental Herd in Northamptonshire. A very informative day with something for everyone, top commercial Simmental cows producing exceptional cross bred calves for the Dovecote Park Scheme were seen at Bill Adams.

This was followed by a superb, if not very wet, walk around the Tilbrook herd in the afternoon viewing some exceptional Simmentals.

The day was finished off with a fantastic banquet produced by Sarah with scrumptious puddings produced by Rosie and Alfie. Many thanks to all those involved in the day, Bill Adams, his stockman Ed Dudley and his wife and son, and also to the whole Burgess family.

November saw the members working tirelessly again at the Winter Fair at Bingley Hall. Terry Ford had again sourced some pedigree display cattle, a cow and calf from Steve White (Tirley) and a home bred bull from his Shebdon herd with the stand running along the “weight for age” theme. A successful show with most members meeting on the Sunday for the club’s AGM.

Late November we held our Video Competition which was a great way to see everyone’s cattle in their natural surrounding at home. I felt this was a novel way to promote the breed. On the evening club members and guests gathered around a big screen to watch and judge the cattle parade in the videos. Four classes to judge, so armed with our score sheets and pens we all judged the classes before us. Of course we were all right!! Many thanks to Jack and Jackie Smith for organising/videoing and running the event and to all the doubters I hope you enjoyed the evening and feel encouraged to get involved this next year.

This just leaves me to thank my fellow officers of the club. To our accounts department Bill Turrell and his driver Liz for keeping the financial books in order. To Terry Ford for driving up and down and around and around the M6 to source cattle for both the Dairy Event and The Prime Stock Show, sorry Winter Fair! and also for finding the sponsor for the Winter Fair in ‘Eccleshall Fencing’.

Finally my biggest THANK YOU has to go to Mandy Green our Club Secretary without whom I’m sure we would not have a club. Mandy works tirelessly ringing round members, organising events, ringing around members again, booking events and ringing around members again….. I feel we all owe it to Mandy for making the club what it is today and so Thank you Mandy, we all appreciate what you do, even though we don’t all show it!!!!

<<back