It was great to see and speak to so many of you at this year’s Royal Highland Show as we seen people come out in their masses to watch the Aberdeen-Angus classes – a great few days had by all. It’s been a busy few weeks here at Pedigree House with the Royal Highland Show and Royal Cheshire Show all taking place. Take a look at what’s been happening in and around the Society over the last 14 days!
News Roundup
As the 2019 Royal Highland Show got off to a great start on Thursday 20th June, the crowds were out in their masses for the Aberdeen-Angus classes kicking off at 2pm. The Overall Breed Champion was Junior and Female Champion McCornick Keira by Skail Dino from first time exhibitors Martin McCornick and daughter Gemma from Newton Stewart. The Reserve Champion was Male Champion and class winner, Carruthers Grenadier who is out of Carruthers Gemma by Morven Kilo Master.
The Northern Ireland Aberdeen-Angus Club has announced that the 2019 Ulster Championship will take place at the Randox Antrim Show on Saturday 27th July. Entry forms and schedule can be downloaded from the Randox Antrim Show website: www.randoxantrimshow.com.
The Interbreed/Breed Champion from the Royal Counties Show was Angus Neish’s cow Rodmead Bonny Lass with her Nov 2018 born bull calf Rodmead Ben Lomond.
The North East of Scotland A-A Club caravan will be attending both the Echt Show on Saturday 13th July and the Turriff Show on Monday 5th August! If in the area make sure to pop along for a chat and enjoy a BBQ in the sun (hopefully)!
You can check out the South West of England Aberdeen-Angus Club summer newsletter in the news section of our website which was kindly shared from Becca Thomas – check this out for an update of show results and information about upcoming herd walks!
The Connaught/Leinster Aberdeen-Angus Club will be hosting an open day on the farm of Malachy Tighe, Batterstown, Dunboyne, Co Meath on Sunday, June 30th – make sure to get yourself along is in the area!
We recently had the pleasure of working with renowned Irish TV chef, author and proprietor of the Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Catherine Fulvio. Catherine shared some of her most loved Aberdeen-Angus beef recipes with us in our January 2019 Review publication. You can check out her North African twist to our beef as she shares with us her Moroccan Style Aberdeen-Angus Fillet – check it out in the news section of our website!
To keep up with all other news from the Society as well as all the latest updates from shows, sales and other events, just head over to the appropriate sections on our website.
News and features: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/
Show and Sales news: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/show-and-sales/
News and Notices from the CEO
• Just prior to the end of the last Bi-weekly update I took part in a teleconference about the implications of the change in Animal Health Regulations that are proposed to bring the EU in line with WAHO rules. More will unfold going forward but there are some implications on the TB rules that need to be challenged.
• Owing to extenuating circumstances we have appointed two interim chairs to two of the committees within our structure. Thanks to Will Chrystal for taking up Interim Chair of the YDP and also Andrew Hodge for stepping into Interim Chair of Technical.
• Hopefully the final translation of the last document required for the acceptance by the German authorities that ensures our rules satisfy their rules and allow us to continue our trading partnerships in Germany.
• The weekend saw the opportunity for the CEO to get some tools out and make a few alterations needed in Pedigree House. Apologies to the girls in the PCS office especially Helena who came into the transformation unaware that it was happening!
• Twice a year the office staff have one to one meetings with the CEO with an opportunity to review the past 6 months and what we need to do in the following 6 months. Thanks to all for your input over the two days, great ideas to take the team and the efficient operation of the Society and PCS here forward.
• Tuesday is traditionally set up day at the Royal Highland Show, which gives us a day if anything is not right. Thanks to Laura, Caroline and Fiona for their help and experience in setting the stand up. Our Flower tub supplier had retired unbeknown to us so a call at the garden centre for the CEO and a quick pull together of two planters solved the problem!
• Wednesday saw the CEO review past performance is discussed and priorities for the key areas going forward established. Thanks to Paul Jeenes and Angela McGregor for their time thoughts and guidance
• First two days at the Royal Highland show were very busy days with one of the best venues to meet members from all parts of the country and also the affiliated trades and our partners all in the one place.
• A great job done by Yvonne, Amy and Helena from the office manning the stand selling the accessories and meeting and greeting our visitors over the first two days. Well done to Amy for trying everything to live stream the judging but unfortunately everything just beat us on the day!
• A well-attended press briefing on the second day to convey where we are at as a breed and a society to the press and coverage at the time of writing has been very positive with more to come.
• Congratulations and thanks go to Past President David Evans for his efforts in the ring judging the classes and for persevering through the best rain shower that Scotland had to offer. Accessory sales went up particularly umbrellas with all the stock being sold and Forum Caps flew out as well!
• My personal thanks go to all the exhibitors and the stock attendants for making me so welcome and extending the hospitality to me on the lines, you are all stars and without you the show would literally not go on! Special mention to the Drumdow Delicacy “Mrs Browns Chocolate Balls” a Turnberry delicacy.
• Saturday is usually a bit less business orientated and more public with less to do, this year it was exceptionally busy, and my thanks must go to Ken and Margaret Howie who manned the stand all day with me. It was non-stop with some really good quality visitors and potential newcomers to the breed.
• Sunday was a particularly quiet day, but I did have two very interested visitors that gave me the chance to talk them through why they should choose Aberdeen-Angus as a breed. It’s quite simple really “if you are going to go to the bother of producing beef, you might as well produce the world’s best beef”
• Three days in the office then I travel to Dublin for a meeting with Identigen to get updates on a number of initiatives on the DNA programme and keep proactive on improving systems and protocols going forward.
• Looking forward while I am in the Emerald Isle to attending the first YDP workshop very kindly hosted by Council Member John McEnroe at the Liss herd Saturday 29th June. Well done to Niall Lynch for setting this up and helping me with Accomodation.
• Details on the workshop can be found below in the YDP section!
• Sunday 30th June sees me attending Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association Open Day and takes us to the home of Malachy Tighe who is opening the gates to all to view the Tara Herd, the address is Piperhill, Batterstown, Dunboyne, Co Meath. Looking forward to meeting as many of the IAAA members as I can there.
• A week full of appointments follows the weekend and some precious office time before the Great Yorkshire Show set up on Monday 7th for Tuesday 8th, I look forward to catching up with all the breeders from North of England and hope we have a great show.
Short of a Birthday or gift for an Aberdeen Angus breeder?
Then look no further! Make whatever the occasion a very special one.
Why not consider giving a back copy of the Aberdeen-Angus Review from vol 1 – 101 – we have them all here.
We have several back copies of the all the Aberdeen-Angus Reviews in stock in Pedigree House and we were thinking about what we could do with them to spread the resource around a bit and preserve the history of the breed contained within them.
What better gift could you give an Aberdeen-Angus Breeder than perhaps a copy of the review for their Birth Year! Or was it a special year for your or their herd? Did we do a farm report on their farm that year? Many reasons to buy an original.
These are available at a cost of £10.00 including post and packaging – make sure to grab one while stocks last!
To get your back copy for any particular year, E mail Fiona@aberdeen-angus.co.uk with the year that you would like to have and we will check to see that we have one and send it on to you.
News and Notices from Laura Stewart the Office Manager
• Busy time with preparation for the forthcoming shows which the Society has a presence at
• Arrangements and set up of our stand at the Royal Highland Show has been a priority
• Planning for the Great Yorkshire Show is well underway
• Breed awards have been posted to all of the July regional summer shows this past week
• All arrangements for the August Council meetings have been put in place and the meetings will be held on Tuesday 27th & Wednesday 28th August
News and Notices from Angela Cumming in the Finance Department
• FINAL REMINDER
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION JANUARY 2019
If you have not yet paid your annual membership can you please do so by return as this was due on the 1st January 2019. If we do not receive payment by the 31st July 2019, we will presume that you no longer wish to be members.
News and Notices from the Registrations Department
• The project to transfer the information from the older herd books to a useable spreadsheet format is on-going. Angus Smith has recruited a willing bunch of volunteers who are each working on a volume at the moment. However, more volunteers are always needed so if you did have a few hours to spare please email herdbook@aberdeen-angus.co.uk and Angus will be in touch with the details and the instructions. He assures us that it is very straightforward.
• Can members please contact the registrations department with a an updated list of animals on farm, in your ownership.
We need an accurate record of live animals, registered in the society.
• There will shortly be an update in how late fees are applied, this will be automatically done by the registration system, please ensure all your registrations are up to date to ensure none will be applied to you.
Watch our bi weekly for more information on this.
News and Notices from the Pedigree Cattle Services Department
• EBVs EXPLAINED
We are often asked for more information on the interpretation of EBVs – there is a lot of helpful information on the ABRI website which explain the individual traits, follow the link below for tip sheets or give us a call if there is anything you would like discuss further:
http://breedplan.une.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=35
News and Notices from the YDP
• Friday 28th June will see the YDP attending the Kids Country event at Peterborough Showground. Jess and Ruth will be taking along an Angus cow and calf for school children to view and will look for future recruits to the YDP programme.
• A South West workshop has now been planned for Sunday 14th July at the Exmoor Herd of Ruby Red Devons, kindly hosted by Mr and Mrs Poad, Furzemoor, Exford. Please do come along and support the day, this event will open the doors wider to young members from other breeds to work alongside our own Angus young people. For more info and to book your place please email ydptina@gmail.com.
• The last few weeks has seen a lot of Shows around the country and so our Regional Co-ordinators have been tied up with their local shows, but our next workshop is this weekend of 29th June at Liss Herd, Co Meath, Ireland – our first workshop in Ireland for 2019!
• Following on from the success of the Multi Breed Event held at Stirling Bull Sales in May, we can confirm that there will be another friendly event at the Great Yorkshire Show on the Wednesday early evening, in one of the Show Rings. An Interbreed Competition of 6 beast will be put forward for the young people to stock judge, with prizes for the winners. Come along and have a go.
Shows, Sales and Events
Key upcoming events are shown below:
• Saturday 29th June – Southern Ireland YDP Workshop
• Saturday 6th July – Mid Counties YDP Workshop – Melview Herd
• Tuesday 9th July – Thursday 11th July – Great Yorkshire Show
Merchandise
It’s official, summer is finally here! Make sure your prepared for the BBQ weather by purchasing one of our Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society aprons for just £15. For inspiration on what to cook then check out our latest Aberdeen-Angus recipe from well renowned chef, Catherine Fulvio!
You can purchase by phoning the office directly. Speak to Yvonne who can deal with and dispatch your orders for all our merchandise. 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/2019/02/Merchandise-poster-2018-web.pdf
From all at the Society, have a great weekend!
