This week has seen great sporting success as the Scotland Women’s Football team have qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time in their history with a dramatic victory over Albania. Following the theme of great female success, we have recently heard great news of Ruth Perry, our 2016 YDP final winner, as she continues to impress on her Angus Travel Scholarship around South America (read about it below)! We bring you the latest news from in and around the Society over the last 14 days!
Last week saw the August meeting of Council
Council convened on Wednesday 29th August with a very full agenda and many topics up for discussion and further debate and progression. This included YDP updates and future activities, Sire Verified Aberdeen-Angus Scheme, Finance updates and the confirmation of the end of the probationary period of the CEO to mention but a small selection of the topics discussed. There will be more on the proceedings in the September newsletter that will be with you as an update later this month. There is much work to be done between now and the next meeting at the beginning of December, to progress much of the subject matter of the meeting towards completion and making the Society work for you better in the months and years to come. The Breed is in a very good place at the moment with demand for stock and the meat that it produces being very firm in all industry sectors. Long may that continue and make your choice of Breed pay dividends.
Ribble Aberdeen-Angus: Open Day and Herd Dispersal
The well renowned Ribble Aberdeen-Angus herd will be going under the hammer on the 22nd of September at Craven Cattle Marts Ltd, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1UD at 10:30am. This will be one of the largest ever sales of Aberdeen-Angus cattle to ever be staged in the UK with over 400 head of cattle to be offered for sale.
Prior to the sale, there will be an Open Day held this weekend at Windy Pike, BB7 4HZ, on Sunday, September 9, at 2pm, giving everyone an opportunity to view the cattle in their natural environment.
To view the online catalogue and to find out more information then click the link below:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/ribble-aberdeen-angus-open-day-and-herd-dispersal/
Blackacre Herd Dispersal
The Blackacre herd will be holding a Dispersal Sale, due to the retirement of the owner, on 22 September 2018. The sale will be held at Worcester Livestock Market in conjunction with McCartneys Special Autumn Sale of Traditional Breeds Cattle, to include Aberdeen-Angus and Beef Shorthorn cattle. The Aberdeen-Angus section of the sale will commence at 12:30pm, following the Beef Shorthorn section. In addition to the Blackacre Dispersal sale, Aberdeen-Angus cattle from Oakchurch, Woddston Manor and Temple herds will be on offer.
For more information on the Blackacre Dispersal, please contact John Biggs on 01994 241129, email jfwbiggs@btinternet,com or for more information on the whole sale contact McCartneys Auctioneers on 01905 769770, email Worcester@mccartneys.co.uk.
To view the online catalogue and to find out more information then click the link below:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/sale-news/blackacre-herd-sale-2/
Reduction sale at Dungannon for Ian Colville
Following on from the Glen Cowie herd’s success at the 150th Balmoral Show this year, there will be a selection of cattle for sale at Ballymena Mart on 14 September 2018. The sale will take place at Ballymena Livestock Market at 12.30. For further details then please click the link below:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/sale-news/reduction-sale-of-glen-cowie-herd/
Presence for Aberdeen-Angus at Countryfile Live through George Coles’ Red Oak Farm
George Coles from the Red Oak Farm attended the Countryfile Live event down in Oxfordshire on the 2-5th of August. He was able to give us a valuable insight in to the event and how it is worthwhile for our Breed to be present there, giving the great opportunity to communicate to the end user exactly what we do and answer any of the questions the consumer may have! Click the link below to hear George’s experience from the event:
Review process kicking off
Plans for the review are well and truly underway and we hope to bring you updates over the coming weeks. The 101st edition of the review will be in the usual format and will be mailed to you as usual early January 2019. We have been busy putting together a plan covering all content and topics in this years edition, whilst design options will be explored in the coming weeks. A reminder that once booking forms are received this year, then to please return at your earliest convenience. Likewise we also need to receive club reports as early as possible this year. We look forward to bringing you more updates of the review in the coming weeks.
September Newsletter
The September Newsletter is currently being prepared and we hope to bring you this in the coming weeks. The newsletter will include an update from the CEO Barrie, Council Meeting, Ruth Perry, DNA and more – watch this space!
DNA Sire Verification
If you have not yet returned your form giving permission to run the DNA samples that we already hold for you, could you please as a matter of urgency send these back to us. If you have lost or misplaced the list then please contact the registrations department and Fiona, Caroline and Yvonne will be more than happy to re-send you them. We are in the process of notifying everyone who has not yet sent them back so please look out for the Email.
We hear from Olivia aged 8 as she attends the Yorkshire Youth Development Workshop
With the last YDP workshop happening last weekend we will have a number of reports to share with you over the coming weeks! It has been great to see so many keen youngsters up and down the country attend the YDP workshops and we would like to thank everybody involved for making these workshops happen!
This week we speak to Olivia aged 8 years old as she gives us her account of the workshop down in Yorkshire in the small village of Yearsley.
Click the link below to read Olivia’s account from the Yorkshire workshop:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/we-hear-from-olivia-aged-8-as-she-attends-the-yorkshire-workshop/
CEO visits Dunlouise Native Angus Herd
After a week of being cooped up in the office the CEO took the opportunity to visit the Dunlouise Herd of Native Aberdeen-Angus at Kingston Farm near Forfar to get some fresh air and see some cattle. Geordie and Julia, Duncan and Louise made me very welcome and it gave me the opportunity to see where the Breed had come from with the Native Angus being very different to the mainstream Aberdeen-Angus that I have been used to looking at around the country. The small easy fleshed cattle were a wonderful sight and with the herd being fed from grass on the farm it was very apparent that they have their eye on the economics and costs of keeping cattle. Grass leys being part of a crop rotation of Potatoes and beans great emphasis is put on to the utilisation of the forage to the maximum to produce breeding stock for sale and as quoted the finest quality grass fed beef. Very interesting to hear how far and wide the Dunlouise Genetics have spread with demand for the Native Angus coming in from the four corners of the globe! A pleasant afternoon spent with the Soutar family, and the exceptional hospitality received was very welcome.
TB tests: important information about the Westmorland show
As the time approaches for the Summer National Show preparations are well underway to get the background work sorted out and there are many of you showing Cattle. A gentle reminder that if you are attending the Westmorland Show on 13th September then click the link below to read an excerpt from the show’s schedule related to TB test requirements.
On page 11 it states, all show entrants require a TB test prior to the show, and a clear certificate must be available on arrival to the show. We know that many of you are already aware of this, but wanted to communicate it for those who may not be.
Click the link below to find out more:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/tb-tests-important-information-about-the-westmorland-show/
Aberdeen-Angus New Member Focus: Nick Mellin
With our wonderful membership growing everyday, it is always nice to stop and take the time to get to know more about some of our members. This week we take the time to speak to one of our newest members, Nick from Pendle, Lancashire who operates the Jacobs herd. Nick gives us a great insight in to his background, his operation, how he got involved with the breed and what he is looking to achieve in the future.
To read more about one of our newest members Nick, then click the link below:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/new-member-nick-mellin-and-the-jacobs-herd/
YDP Final: Ruth Perry Update
We are very proud to share that Ruth Perry, our 2016 YDP final winner, is excelling whilst on her Angus Travel Scholarship around South America, receiving amazing feedback from numerous well-respected breeders! Ruth has been an excellent role model to the Breed and the Society and we are very proud of the amazing work she has achieved.
Seeing the amazing work our youngsters are achieving not only domestically but internationally is amazing to see and with the YDP final coming up later this month, we are sure this sets a great example for youngsters looking to follow in Ruth’s footsteps!
If you would like to find out more then click the link below:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/ydp-final-winner-ruth-perry-update/
Preservation and digitalisation of the herd book
Retired Aberdeen-Angus breeder Angus Smith from Aberdeenshire has not lost his passion for all things Aberdeen-Angus. He is very passionate about the herd book and preserving it as a resource and eventually incorporating into the ABRI system which we have established with them can be done all the information contained in the herd books prior to them going digital after volume 110 was published. Angus has ploughed through the first 36 volumes of the herd book but is realising that a one-man band cannot process all the data we are looking for volunteers now that nights are drawing in to enter a herd book volume onto an excel spreadsheet. It’s a very interesting project that when completed will enable you to trace family lines back to Volume one and give a complete picture of pedigree back to “Old Jock” “Grey Breasted Jock” “Black Jock” or “Young Jock” Animals one – four respectively in Volume one.
For a bit more on this valuable project to all breeders, please click here as Angus explains in more detail his mission.
Stock for sale
We continue to share some great opportunities for stock for sale on the website. Please feel free to browse this section of the site regularly as it is being updated throughout the week and be sure to get in touch with any stock you might have for sale that you’d like promoted through this platform. Get in touch by phoning the office or emailing Laura in the office at laura@aberdeen-angus.co.uk. The stock for sale section on the website is available at: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/stock-for-sale.
Events
Some key upcoming events in the calendar are as follows:
Shows and Sales:
– Ribble Aberdeen-Angus: Open Day – 9th September – 2pm, Windy Pike, BB7 4HZ
– Westmorland Show 13th September – Entries are now coming in and its looking like we will have a great show and don’t forget exhibitors the evening before we will have the “Barrie and Mary” Barbeque so get your stock in early and be ready for a relaxing evening with good food, good company in a beautiful location.
– Ploughing Championships – 18-20th of September, Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly, ROI
– Show and Sale of Aberdeen-Angus – 18th September, Thainstone Centre, Inverurie
– Ribble Aberdeen-Angus: Herd Dispersal – 22nd September – 10:30am, Craven Cattle Marts Ltd, Skipton North Yorkshire, BD23 1UD
– Blackacre Herd Dispersal – 22nd September – Worcester Market
Merchandise
What better way to show your love for the brand than to purchase one of our “I (heart) Aberdeen-Angus” T-shirts for only £8! With Christmas dare I say it, 3-4 months away why not purchase one for friends and family. You can purchase one or two or more by phoning the office directly, speak to Yvonne who can deal with and dispatch your orders for all our merchandise where you can pay over the phone by card or simply add it to your next invoice. Full range of merchandise available to view online at: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/attachments/Merchandise-poster-2018-web.pdf
From all at the Society, have a great weekend!