2007 REPORT
by David Burkill

The clubs year started in March with the AGM which saw very little changes to the club officials. It was a good meeting with plenty of ideas for further club events, although it was poorly attended.

North East members did well at Carlisle in April, Ian and Margaret Steele winning a class with their bull Blakewell Schubert who later sold for 2300gns. They also won the Female and Reserve Overall Championship with their heifer, Blakewell Mischief’s Rosette, which later sold for 1500gns. John and Gill Smith won the Reserve Female Championship with their heifer Moorside Roseanne, which later sold for 1700gns.

The sale at Thirsk in May saw a very mixed trade. Ian and Margaret Steele topped the sale with their heifer Blakewell Gentians Snowdrop at 1550gns. This year the sale did not coincide with the store sale and there was a lack of commercial buyers in attendance.

In June the club visited the Goskins herd of the Greensit family, here the members had the opportunity to view a very high quality pure bred commercial herd. The field of cows and calves really were something to see, these well fleshed and large cows were very quiet and really were a credit to the Greensit family on the day. The crop of calves were obviously being done very well and looked a picture. The herd’s stock bull Hazeldon Promise looked very impressive and behaved very well as we walked through. Afterwards the club enjoyed a barbecue in the garden overlooking the cattle on a nice sunny day it was hard to imagine what was on the way.

Some club members made the annual visit to Ripon races the week after. The report I got back was the picnic was good, no mention of horses.

After the rain at the end of June the shows started. At the Royal Show the club were represented in the junior judging by Katie and Robert Lambert, with Katie winning The Henry Pickering Memorial Trophy for the highest placed club member. The Yorkshire Show the week after saw better weather and another record attendance. The Simmental classes were good with Jimmy and Vicki Wood taking the Yorkshire Show Championship to Lancashire. Club member Gill Smith had a good day taking both heifer classes; Moorside Lorna’s Snow Queen won the senior and her sister Moorside Lorna’s Treasure the junior. Thank you to all the club members who brought refreshments and helped in the box, it was well received by all who were at the show. Driffield was the only other show in our area to survive the weather with Gill Smith winning with Moorside Lorna’s Snow Queen; the reserve was won by Ian and Margaret Steele with Blakewell Kisses Sweetheart.

Everything then came to a halt with the Foot and Mouth scare until September when club visited the Moorside Herd of Gill and John Smith. The herd was the overall winners in the clubs herd competition last year and have been shown very successfully around the country. The club were treated to a wonderful show of cattle and the weather was kind. The young cattle really showed themselves a good field of heifers were followed by a yard of strong bulls ready for the sales. The two show heifers looking as well as ever in their paddock ended the walk, before a barbecue finished the day nicely.

The clubs last outing of the year was a joint herd visit to the Scathingwell herd of David and Jayne Pick and the Beaghall herd of Mike and June Brears. The members had a very interesting day and saw some very good cattle at both herds on a warm sunny day.

The clubs dinner is to be held in November at The Golden Fleece at Thirsk with Fiona Sloan as guest speaker.

The club are also working towards an exhibition of Simmental cattle for the World Congress next year. This event is to take place on the 24th June at Thirsk Rural Business Centre, and will give breeders the opportunity to display their cattle to the delegates as well commercial breeders from the area. This event is intended for both pedigree and commercial cattle and will hopefully help to raise the profile of Simmental cattle in the area.

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