By Richard Pettit – Secretary
It’s been another busy year for the Club with
a visit to Cornwall, our Scottish National Simmental Show in July
and an Open day in the South West of Scotland as well as all the
Shows and Sales.
Perth February Sale
The year started in February
with the last sale to be held in Perth, Judged by Mr John Moore
from Northern Ireland. Bulls averaged 4,554gn’s for 129 sold
up £471 on the year. Overall Champion was Shanehill Victor
from Barry Chambers, Portadown, Northern Ireland selling to D.C
Houldey for 11,000gns. Top price was 16,000gns for Blackford Viceroy
by Kilbride Farm Strabane from Club members Billy and Anne MacPherson
who have since sold a major part of their herd to Jim McLaren.
On the Monday evening we held our Annual Social evening at the
Lovat Hotel, the evening was well attended and a bottle of whisky
was auctioned, raising £120 for Macmillan Nurses. Guest speaker
was Mr David Leggat from United Auctions.
Junior Stockjudging
In March we held our Annual Stockjudging training
day by kind permission of Neil McGeoch (Hazelden Herd) at Loch
Lea to select our teams for the Royal Show. The Judge was Mr John
Young. Gayle Houliston, Jenna Ballantyne, Claire Strathern & Robert Currie were selected
to represent the Club at the last Royal Show. Once again the Club
was amongst the prize-winners with Gayle 1st for reasons over 21,
and Claire Strathern 2nd in the individual under 21. Well done
to you all.
Also congratulations to two other Club Members, Varrie
Dyet for being selected by Council to go to the Australian World
Congress in 2010and to Kirsty McCaig who won a trip to Agribition
in Canada in November.
Scottish Clubs May Sale
The Club held its
Annual sale of commercial females at Perth Mart on 1st May, once
again kindly sponsored by Pfizer.
There were three classes:-
Heifer
with calf at foot 1st D. Moffat, Innerwick - £2250. 2nd Messr’s
Baxter, East Skeichan - £2050.
Bulling heifers under 15 months
1st Messr’s Clark, Cast - £1100 2nd Messr’s Short,
Balquhaldy - £980
Bulling heifers over 15 months 1st Messr’s
Berwick, Barbarafield - £1220 2nd Messr’s Berwick,
Barbarafield - £1300
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| Brian McIldowie (Judge), Mrs Berwick, Russell
Drummond (from sponsors Pfizer), Tom Henderson (Scottish Club
Vice- Chairman) |
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| Brian McIldowie (Judge), Mr Clark, Russell
Drummond (from sponsors Pfizer), Tom Henderson ( Scottish Club
Vice- Chairman) |
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| Brian McIldowie (Judge), Dorothy Moffat,
Russell Drummond (from sponsors Pfizer), Tom Henderson (Scottish
Club Vice- Chairman) |
Multibreed Bull Sale
At the Show, Judge
Neil McGowan selected Balmaud Valuable by Innerwick Renown, from
Geraldine & Wilson Strachan as his Overall Champion which sold
for 5800 gn’s. Spey-Bay Winston by Ballinalare Farm Phantom,
from Richard & Alastair Pettit as Reserve. Simmentals once
again had a good sale with a top price of 6000gn’s for Islavale
Vinny from Stuart Stronach, Berryleys. Simmentals averaged £3643,
for 14 sold.
Club trip to Cornwall
by Dorothy Moffat
Members
of the Scottish Club travelled to sunny Cornwall at the beginning
of June, where Penny Lally had kindly organised a varied and interesting
programme for us. We were warmly welcomed at her farm, where not
only did we enjoy seeing her cattle but were also impressed with
her pet cemetery and crematorium - diversification at the very
best. Holiday accommodation & artist’s studio completed
her enterprise in a beautiful setting.
From then on, we were accompanied
by Jim Buckland, whose local knowledge made such a difference to
our enjoyment and who also impressed us with his own cattle en
route. The remainder of the day was spent on the tourist trail,
seeing St Michaels Mount, and visiting Lands End, Sennen, and the
Minnack Theatre. We all felt we could have been abroad!
The next
day saw us visiting the Eden project - we could not fail to be
impressed by this famous attraction. Following lunch here, we were
warmly welcomed at Trenodden Farm, Liskeard, home of Stephen and
Angela Pearce, where we were shown both good cattle and exceptional
hospitality, the spread laid on for us was wonderful homemade pasties
and the best meringues ever to name a few.
Our final day began
early at the Royal Cornwall Show which hosted the National Simmental
Show a large entry of quality cattle were ably judged by Joe Wilson
and ended with Boddington Estates winning the top honours. The
day and indeed the whole trip was nicely ended off with a barbeque
provided by the Cornwall Club Members.
Royal Highland Show
Chris
Martindale had the task of placing the large entry of Simmentals
at this year’s Royal Highland Show. Supreme Champion was
Omorga Veron from Brian Allan, Glenturk. Reserve was Corskie Sabrina
from the Greens. The Scottish Simmental Club also organised the
Interbreed Stockjudging competition at the Highland Show this year,
four breeds were judged, there was a large entry of teams from
most of the breeds. Our Judge was Brian Allan (Glenturk), thanks
also to Douglas Barr & Neil McGowan for organising the day.
After judging we served refreshments in the marquee
while we waited for the results, due to computer problems this
took some time!! But eventually the winning team was announced
- Simmental breeders took top honours with Morag & Douglas Smith & Gillian Greenhill
first, with the Young Welsh Simmental team of Owain, Gethin & Carys
Davies second. On the Friday evening Dorothy Moffat organised our
Annual Highland Show barbeque, which was enjoyed by all who attended.
I would like to thank Kirsty & Morag Thomson and Rosalyn Carnie
for serving refreshments and to all the Members who set up and
helped on the stand.
Scottish National Show
The Club held its second Scottish
National Simmental Show at Doune and Dunblane on 4th July, our
Judge Peter Goldsbrough travelled from Yorkshire to place the cattle,
selecting Corskie Valiant as his Overall Champion with Hazelden
Carina as Reserve. Photos are available on Anne MacPhersons website
www.anniemacphotos.co.uk Thank you Anne for taking all the photo’s,
especially just a few days before your wedding to Robert!
Club Open Day - Culnoag & Newbie Mains
The Club organised an
Open day on two farms in the South West of Scotland, we were delighted
with the number of farmers who visited both herds. In the morning
we toured Culnoag near Newton Stewart by kind permission of Jim,
Rosanne & Neil Galloway a commercial herd of 170 Simmental
cows.
Then after an excellent lunch of locally sourced
produce, we headed to Jim & Patricia Goldie’s Pedigree herd at
Newbie Mains near Annan. Thanks to both our hosts, and to the local
businesses who sponsored the day.
Balmaud dispersal & Annick
reduction Sales
Wilson & Geraldine Strachan dispersed their
Balmaud herd at Stirling on 25th September, cows sold to 4500gn’s
twice for Mausi an Austrian import & Balmaud Tracy a 3 year
old cow by Corrick North West. Top price was 10,000gn for the stock
bull Woodhall Volcano. Lachlan Quarm also held a major reduction
of his Annick herd, top price was 4200gn for Annick Helen a 22
month old a heifer, selling to Jimmy Green, Corskie.
Club Open
Day
Blessed by the only dry day, in what was otherwise
a wash out August, the Scottish Club held a beef focus day in the
South West of Scotland. The aim was to promote the use of Simmental
Cows and Bulls in the area.
The day began at Culnoag Farm Sorbie.
Here Tom and Roseanne Galloway, along with their son Neil, run
a herd of 170 pure Simmental cows as a commercial operation with
the majority calving in the spring. The event was opened by NFU
President Jim McLaren before around 180 attendee’s took to the trailers
for a tour of the Galloway’s stock. On view were extremely
growthy maiden heifers followed by bulling heifers running with
the Limousin bull to calf down at 3 years of age. Tom and Roseanne
are dedicated producers and have sourced most of their stock bulls
through Perth Bull sales. The trailers went on to see three separate
batches of strong cows with calves at foot running with Perth purchases
including, Blair Soloman, Innerwick Nelson, and Annanwater Rascal.
These bulls, over an excellent herd of cows, are producing quality
grass finished Steers and Heifers at big weights. The trailer then
returned to the shed where we had a hearty feed of local produce
all donated, before a raffle was held and Vice President of the
Scottish Club Tom Henderson closed the morning event and invited
everyone to go onto Newbie Mains.
The day then progressed onto
Newbie Mains farm at Annan home to the Jim and Patricia Goldie
and the ‘Newbie Mains’ Herd of Pedigree Simmentals.
Jim and Patricia are building their herd, with numbers currently
running at 27 breeding cows with a further 7 in-calf heifers along
with younger female progeny. The day was extremely well attended
with in the order of 200 Commercial and Pedigree cattle enthusiasts
from all corners of the UK attending. The cows and calves running
with stock bull Kilbride Farm Rainman were looking very well with
plenty of potential in the pen. A strong show of in-calf heifers
were also looking very promising, together with a selection of
breeding bulls, some destined for the Bull Sales. The event culminated
in a social evening where we all enjoyed the BBQ and very generous
bar before a vote of thanks was giving to Jim and Patricia and
all their helpers and indeed their sponsors for the day. The Scottish
club are extremely grateful to the Galloways and Goldies for all
their hard work fundraising, organising and hosting this tremendously
successful day.
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| Best Junior Handler with Iain Green and Chris
Martindale |
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| Chris & Iain presenting Scottish Clubs
Tankard for overall Champion to Brian Alan (Glenturk) |
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| Iain presenting Chris with Scottish Clubs
Quaich |
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