Breed Society

Red Poll Cattle Society

The Society continues to grow steadily with more commercial farmers becoming members. There is also an increasing interest in members starting up dairy herds. Last year there were five with one establishing a herd of over 50 milking cows, the dual purpose characteristics of the breed coming to the fore again. The increase in environmental schemes and the use of native breeds in the management of these sites has also had a beneficial effect on the increased numbers of animals being kept. Heifer registrations were slightly up last year with 775 registered compared to 756 in 2021. Bull registrations were the same at 30. These are from 116 members compared to 110 in 2021. Igenity Beef Profiling is being carried out on both males and females with nearly 500 results in the database. We have also started to sample animals for the A2A2 milk gene. It is too early to have any significant details but it looks at first glance that about 30% of the breed are carrying the gene.

The 2022 Herds Competition again proved to be very popular with over 70 herds taking part divided into 4 regions.

The National Herd Competition and Small Herds was won by Nigel Steer, Welsummer herd, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The Large Herds winners were Sarah & Gerald Barnes’s Hopeham Herd, Tasburgh, Norwich. A very big thank you to Judge Mark Cheetham.

Regional winners were:

Midlands – Watergate Herd, The Hunt Family, Hockcliffe, Beds. (Judge – Denis Jenkins)

East – Hopeham Herd, Sarah & Gerald Barnes’s, Tasburgh, Norfolk (Judge – David Hunt)

South – Ruscombe Herd, Rebecca Charley, Stroud, Gloucestershire (Judge – Joy Broughton)

North – Pinguis Herd, John Williams, Telford, Shropshire (Judge – Ray Bowler)

Area Presentation days were well attended, it is an ideal occasion to view members’ herds and to interact with other likeminded people.

A big thank you must be given to all the Judges who gave up their time to judge.

The show season was disappointing due to the lack of exhibitors and numbers forward, however it is hoped that 2023 will be more successful with our National Show being held at the Royal Cheshire Show in June.

The Society continues to catalogue all the Society archive material, we now have it all in one place, documented and easily available for scrutinising when required. A very big thank you to our Archivist Joy Broughton for carrying out this work. Our website has been updated to cope with all the latest technology necessary these days. It has become the first point of call for anyone looking to buy or sell Red Poll Cattle and a useful tool for information and news.

We are hoping that 2023 will bring even more interest in the breed and we are looking forward to getting out and about again at both county and local shows.