Field Officer Report

Writing this report is always an opportunity to reflect on the year’s events and what a monumental year it has been for the Shorthorn breed!

The curtain raiser of the show season was the UK Dairy Expo in Carlisle with the Fisher family of Mossrigg, triumphant in the face of stiff competition. I am writing these notes having just returned from the All Breeds All Britain Calf Show in Peterborough, one of the last shows of the year and once again it was the Fishers claiming the top spot with a Bushmills Jazz daughter in what was an outstanding display of calves. In the time in between these two events there have been numerous displays of quality Dairy Shorthorns exhibited up and down the country with the pinnacle being the marvellous turnout of almost 70 Dairy Shorthorns at the Great Yorkshire Show (which was designated our National Show for the bicentenary year). Congratulations to the Collins family with their the incredible achievement of taking the top three spots in the Championship line with three Churchroyd Wildcard daughters up against extremely strong competition. Everyone who took part should be rightly proud of their contribution to this great spectacle of quality cattle. Despite all of the political and economic turmoil in the world and the continuing covid pandemic the World Shorthorn Conference kicked off at the beginning of July with Dairy and Beef Shorthorn enthusiasts from four continents gathering together for an intensive programme of herd visits that covered the length and breadth of Great Britain, with the Great Yorkshire Show being the centrepiece of the tour. Both the Beef and Dairy Shorthorn breeders put on spectacular display for the international visitors and general public alike. The cherry on top of the cake was the presence of our Patron, The Princess Royal, who went out of her way to engage with all of the show people who had turned out a superb line up of cattle for her to inspect. I was honoured to take part in narrating the Dairy parade and later of having the privilege of introducing the well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award to Graham Madeley of the Rodway herd, an accolade that The Princess Royal presented. The actual Conference in the historic surroundings of Lumley Castle was extremely well received by all of the attendees, a top-class line up of speakers delivered very well presented papers on the theme of the collection of data to enable a sustainable future. The whole effect of the Conference had been to raise the profile and enhance the reputation of British Shorthorns both nationally and internationally. One of the strong messages that came from the Conference was the need to establish a genomic base for our breed so that breeders will have the tools to make sure that genetic progress can be maintained at the same level as our competition. With this aim in mind we have taken advice from industry experts and we are currently seeking to work with dairy shorthorn associations across the world to establish a useful and reliable database. Sales of semen continue to be buoyant with a definite swing towards sexed semen in favour of conventional semen as farmers realise the benefits of this product. Daughters of the widely used Bushmills Jazz are coming into milk and reports from across the country are positively encouraging, likewise Churchroyd Pharaoh and Churchroyd Pure Class calves are receiving good reviews as are youngsters by Oxton Fever. Uptake of semen from Amber Firefox and Shaunlea Gold Rush has been brisk and Cotonhall Solomon has also been in popular demand including international interest. The newest additions to the stud, Cotonhall Spartan and Amber Magnum are already sparking excitement. Shorthorn Sires UK strive to give breeders a choice of well bred bulls that offer genetic improvement in production and type. I want to thank all of farmers who have purchased semen from SSUK, it is only through your support that we can continue to invest in the new bulls that will take our breed forward. Another high point for me was the AGM and Judging weekend hosted by the Moscrop family in Cumbria. Shaun Dixon and Grace Holliday did a great job of demonstrating showmanship skills to the youngsters on the Saturday, the kids then enthusiastically put those skills into action in practical workshops on clipping and handling, as well as having a go at Judging. On the second day Shaun stepped up again as master judge for the Judging school that followed the AGM. It is vitally important that current and aspiring judges attend this event on a regular basis in order for show societies to have an available pool of talent to call upon to officiate at these important shop window events. Many thanks to those who attended and gave excellent reasons. Thanks also to Thomas and the team for all of the hard work put in to enabling the event to happen. Regular sales of Dairy Shorthorns have been taking place at Penrith and Leek, high prices being paid and demand for the breed seemingly outstripping supply. Some buyers of pedigree stock have been impressed enough with their purchases to join the Society with a view to protecting their investment and register the offspring of the animals they have bought. We are living in challenging times, there are signs of seismic changes on the horizon. I firmly believe that our breed has the adaptability to deliver profitable milk and meat production in a sustainable way for the future. Please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss anything related to breeding pedigree Dairy Shorthorns. Graham Bell