The year is flying by with 2019’s major sales creeping ever closer! Over the last couple of weeks Tullamore Show, Dunster Show and Pembrokeshire County Show have all taken place, with the latter being a completely new show for the Society, attending for the first time. The second edition of the Cud is in its final stages, just awaiting the inclusion of an update following the council meetings next week and should be with you early September. Please find below a roundup of some, but by far not all, of what has been keeping us gainfully employed in and around the Society over the last 14 days.
News Roundup
The FBD Insurance National Livestock Show in Tullamore took place with a bumper entry of over 80 Aberdeen-Angus cattle catalogued for the largest one day show in the country. The female section was described as exceptionally strong with female exhibits taking three of the four top championship positions on the day. To view the full results from the show then check out the show and sales news of our website!
The launch of the 2019 All-Ireland Aberdeen-Angus Championships took place in the stunning surroundings of Ballyowen House in Dualla, with over 60 show members, volunteers and their families present. The 2019 All-Ireland Aberdeen-Angus Championships will take place at Dualla Show, Cashel, Co. Tipperary on Sunday, August 25th. We look forward to bringing you updates from the event next week!
The Thrussendale herd dispersal will take place on Friday 30th August 2019 at Thrussendale Farm, Acklan, Malton, North Yorkshire at 1pm. Viewings will take place in the morning of the sale. Check the show and sales section to view the catalogue and to find out more.
The full list of results from the Perth Show Aberdeen-Angus classes can be found on our website. The Overall Champion from the show was Cheeklaw Blackbeth by Brailes Livestock, with the Reserve Champion going to Retties Evita V505 by R & C Rettie. Also in the Show and Sales section of the website is information on the results from the Pemrbokeshire County Show and New Forest Show, along with a short round-up from local shows around the country. Make sure to check them out if you haven’t already done so.
The South West Scotland Aberdeen-Angus Club would like to invite all members and any non-members to the Chapleton Herd Visit on Sunday 25th August 2019 at 12:30pm by kind permission of Donald Bigger OBE at Grange, Castle Douglas!
Congratulations to both Sarah Armstrong and Sam Matchett who both received grants from the Godfrey Neal Trust Fund. The panel had a hard decision to make with some great applications, you can see what the both Sarah and Sam will be using the grant towards by checking the news piece on the website!
We look forward to bringing you the second edition of the Cud which will be arriving through your mailboxes in early September after the August Council meetings – make sure to keep an eye out! We will be attaching a tear out advertising form for the next edition of the Review, providing youwith a handy way to make sure you can get your booking in sharp and early.
The National Young Stars Show took place this week at the Royal Three Counties Showground, Malvern, in which the Angus team ‘De Ja Moo’ took the Cattle Championship. Massive congratulations and well done to Kian Frain from Launceston, Cornwall and Robyn Westcott from Exmoor, Somerset who represented the breed excellently – you can both be very proud of yourself!
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
I would like to add my personal congratulations to Sarah Armstrong and Sam Matchett for entering and coming through victorious with their applications for the Godfrey Neal annual awards – well done both.
I had a really enlightening meeting with a potential new Aberdeen-Angus Calf to Beef scheme in Lincolnshire, looking to start with 20 – 40 calves per week.
As intimated, a visit to meet some contractors at Stoneleigh Park took place to demolish the stand and reinstate the ground it stands on as per the terms of the lease. All costs are now in and will be put to Council to decide on its future next week.
Although the market for export is quiet now, two consignments have gone in the last couple of weeks. Please let us know if you have cattle going into the EU as they need to have a Zootechnical Certificate with them under the new legislation.
I managed to catch the latter half of the last YDP day for 209 at Stephanie Dick’s farm – well done to all the coordinators and to Tina and all regional co-ordinators for managing the programme through this year. We’re all looking forward to the final weekend in Ireland and all are welcome as spectators – keep a look out for details.
We have finally managed to complete a task, all being well, to have some new photographs for our advertising and publicity with Isla Campbell and Natalie Cormack heading to Orkney to visit 4 farms and pull together an article alongside the photographs on Aberdeen-Angus members and the challenges that farming on Orkney gives. Many thanks to all for opening the doors.
Well done and thanks to John James and Paul Westaway, Keith Jempson et al for manning the stand and flying the Aberdeen-Angus flag at the Pembrokeshire County Show. Congrats to Paul for his success in the showring at the event too.
A processor of many Aberdeen-Angus cattle called to say that they had a potential new customer in Italy that needed a bit more due diligence on a particular aspect of their production. We are just awaiting confirmation that a Broken Needle policy submitted will comply and we will communicate this to you in due course as required.
I called in at the Farm Open Day in aid of Parkinson’s UK at Maryfield Farm home of the Burgess family at New Abbey, Dumfries. Considering it was a shocking day weather wise, you are to be congratulated for the day that you laid on and also the sum that you raised for a great cause, which at the latest count was £12,000 and rising!
We have just been a bit thin on the ground in Pedigree House over the last week or two as the staff all squeeze in the time to take their summer holidays, but back to normal now. Special congratulations go to Yvonne in registrations department who became a Grandmother again.
Willie McLaren’s massive piece of work on the history of the breed has meant a couple of visits to both Denvir and Scotbeef to figure a way of preserving it all to best effect. Many thanks to John Elliot Snr for coming up and adding his thoughts into the mix. We look forward to working on this project and bringing you a great piece of work in the coming months.
A visit over to Ireland took place this week and I had a highly informative meeting on all aspects of research into cattle breeding and management at AFBI with Francis Lively. Thanks to him, Alan Cheney and Noel Hooke for their inputs on the day.
I also had a follow up meeting with AAQB Eamon, Lowri Charlotte and Ann Morrison at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus after our brief meeting at the Balmoral Show to further establish ways of utilising the Sire Verified Aberdeen-Angus Scheme to best effect.
Congratulations must go to Robyn Westcott and Kian Frain for taking the title in the cattle section in this year’s Young Stars competition at the Three Counties Showground at Malvern. Many thanks also to Keith Jempson who has mentored the triumphant pair and it is the second year in succession that Keith’s mentoring has come through to be associated with the winning team. Well done Jempo, your efforts do not go unnoticed!
Robyn was also selected to be part of the international team to compete at the Toronto Winter Fayre later this year. Sadly, until Kian is 18, he can’t qualify. He has tremendous skill and is a great ambassador for the breed – a huge well done to both. Thanks to Glympton Farms for their support with the cattle, and Daveys Transport for their support too.
Upon return to Perth it was time to work through and assimilate the information required to prepare, in conjunction with the Committee Chairs and Laura Stewart, for the Council and Committee meetings scheduled for next week. We are looking forward to the thrice yearly gathering of the minds to take the Society forward and look forward to reporting the outcome to members.
The next couple of weeks presents a heavy schedule with the follow up from Council and dissemination of the information and decisions throughout the team at Pedigree House and the membership.
A meeting with one of the largest providers of meat to the Foodservice sector is planned in, whilst we also have the Holstein UK Dairy day to attend following last year’s successful pilot trial. We are looking forward to catching up with Past President Bob Lane and thanks go to Bob for his offer of a helping hand on the day.
News and Notices from Angela Cumming in the Finance Department
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News and Notices from the Registrations Department
CARLISLE SALE: Closing date is 30th August at H&H, however, please contact the Society prior to this with tag numbers of animals being entered to enable DNA/MYOSTATIN testing. The closing date does not allow sufficient time to guarantee results to be back in time for the sale.
The 2019 initiative of having all male calves that are registered, DNA profiled using the new SNPS technology is well under way. Please be aware we can only sire verify each calf if its sire has a SNPS profile. Should you currently have an active stock bull which has not been tested on the new SNPS platform, you may wish to contact us to request this to be done. This is NOT compulsory however it would ease the transition of moving from Microsatelite DNA to SNPS DNA.
Please contact the Registration Dept with Tag numbers of animals being entered for any Official Society Sale this Autumn. It is vital we arrange DNA/MYOSTATIN testing in plenty time. Occasionally we may require a repeat sample for testing if the original sample fails, therefore it is VITAL we get this process started ASAP.
We are still finding females are being flushed for Embryo work without a DNA test being done. We MUST have a DNA on file if we are to register any calves from these flushes, all ET calves must be fully parentage verified.
News and Notices from the Pedigree Cattle Services Department
With October Bull Sales just around the corner, please remember to have all scanning data and weightings into the office by the 9th of September to make the Aberdeen-Angus new run of figures in time. If the data doesn’t make the September run, then it will NOT show in the catalogue.
With the autumn months upon us it will soon be weaning time, please remember when weaning calves to make sure to be taking a note of the mature cow weight for the dams. If you require updated weigh sheets just drop us an email or call the office.
If anyone wants to start on the performance recording please contact Barbara, Helena or Amy in the Breedplan office. This makes data available that you can use to develop your enterprise and breeding programme. It helps monitor your herd and individual animals’ performance and benchmarks against breed average, which is a very worthwhile thing to be part of.
News and Notices from the YDP
Our last workshop was held up in Stirling with a super turnout of young people, all with their eyes set on qualifying for the final.
The list of finalists has been agreed and all have been notified, travel arrangements are being made and things are shaping up nicely for the YDP 2019 Final in Southern Ireland. Well done to everyone who has qualified this year, it is a very strong list of 36 young people, all of whom have accepted their place.
Kian Frian and Robyn Westcott represented the Aberdeen-Angus YDP at this year’s National Young Stars competition held at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern and we were so pleased to congratulate them on winning their Trimmed Beef Section. The standards were exceptionally high. This is the second year that Kian has won this competition and he is still only 16 years of age.
We are also so proud that Robyn has been selected to join the over 18-year-old international UK team at the Toronto Winter Fair in November.
Finally, the team and I would like to thank all the host farms and trainers that have given their time and expertise freely to enable us to put on the 11 workshops around the UK this year. Without their help and support it would not have been possible to hold such tremendous opportunities for young people who are keen to learn more about the beef industry.
Shows, Sales and Events
Key upcoming events are shown below:
- 14th September 2019 – Stirling Female Sale – Stirling Agriculture Centre, Stirling FK9 4RN, UK
- 12th September 2019 – Westmorland County Show – Westmorland County Showground, Lane Farm, Crooklands, Milnthorpe LA7 7NH, UK
- 17th – 19th September 2019 – National Ploughing Championships – Ballintrane, Fenach, Co. Carlow, Ireland
Merchandise
Special offer on Society Ties
Make sure to pick up one of our Society ties as these go on offer for a limited time only – make sure not to miss out!
A full suite of Society ties is available below:
You can have all four ties, one for every outfit or occasion, all for just £25 (including postage and packaging) while stock lasts. Normal price £53, so this is more than 50% discount – a great opportunity for these two weeks only!
You can purchase by emailing Yvonne at Yvonne@aberdeen-angus.co.uk 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!
