A summer of sporting success continued as the Open Championship came to a close this weekend with Francesco Molinari becoming the first Italian golfer to win the prestigious tournament in Carnoustie, despite a comeback in the last day from sporting legend, Tiger Woods. Long patches of yellow fairway were there for all to see, not just on screen but also up and down the country with grass still in desperate need of rain – something we are sure that many of you will be feeling the effects of, so fingers crossed things get a bit better for us quickly! The effect of the dry weather is seeing store prices falling with some areas struggling, but Aberdeen-Angus are holding their own and demanding more than the average in many areas as the breed to buy into for finishers. We bring you the latest news from in and around the Society over the last 14 days.
REMINDER: please complete and return the Sire Verification test lists
We would like to issue all members with a reminder to please promptly return their list of registered sires that has been sent out. We would appreciate if all members could ensure they have done so ideally no later than this Sunday 29th July. Thanks very much for your co-operation. We can’t stress enough how important this is in terms of protecting our UK and Ireland Aberdeen-Angus brand against food fraud and competitive imports, ensuring that we can police even more effectively the name that so many retailers are using on the pack. To be clear, we can with your co-operation track meat in packs on ready meals mince, burgers in retail stores, restaurants and food service back to a registered Aberdeen-Angus Sire, hence increasing the demand for your animals.
Help us to help you going forward by taking part in this initiative and send the completed lists back without any delay to speed the process to completion.
Council Meeting 28th /29th of August 2018
The next council meeting is arranged at the end of August and if you have anything that you would like to bring to the council’s attention please ensure that you either contact your area council representatives to make your voice and feelings known on the way forward. Their contact details and all the other contact details of all staff and council members are on the website. We are planning to send out a newsletter shortly after the council meeting with an update.
2018 Royal Welsh Show
A trip down to Wales this week for the CEO to have a presence at the Royal Welsh show to meet up with Terry Ives, Oliver Edwards and John James and family and be on the society stand to welcome breeders old and new to the show. Thanks to John and Harriet James for providing refreshments for the exhibitors and guests a great job done. With some 250,000 visitors over the four days and a huge entry of livestock the royal Welsh Show is one of the top shows in the country Judging day on Monday with classes in the afternoon sponsored kindly by M&S saw a really class field judged under the Auspices of Rob Bishop who found his Champion the Senior Bull from the Shadwell herd taking the honours. In temperatures later in the day reaching what could only be described as “dizzy heights” a challenge for the animals and stockmen alike. Success in the Native pairs with the pair being champion and going on to reserve champion overall was a great day in the ring for the Aberdeen-Angus breed. The stand was extremely busy with commercial breeders visiting and discussing the merits of the breed and many since the presence last year having dipped their toes in the water with Aberdeen-Angus and seeing the benefits of the breed. Areas of Wales with severe lack of rainfall and where a few cattle have been introduced into herds it was loud and clear that Aberdeen-Angus were better than the rest at thriving in the conditions that the farms were facing with the more traditional beef suckler cows needing supplementary feeding to get through. Many discussions about costs and particularly cost of production challenging times like we are experiencing currently demonstrate clearly the lower cost of keeping the Aberdeen-Angus dam lines is plain to see for all. Visits from Cogent and Genus to the stand has revealed some interesting statistics on the use of Aberdeen-Angus breed in terms of AI sales with some breeds static and others going backwards, sexed semen in the dairy herd is seeing an increased demand for Aberdeen-Angus semen. They have huge amounts of data that will be very useful to key into and the CEO has arranged visits to review this in more detail.
A highly successful four days for the breed in a part of the country where we at present are not the breed of choice, but the groundswell of interest clearly demonstrated at the show is there to see.
For the full show results visit the link below:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/show-news/2018-royal-welsh-show-full-results/
Launch of the 2018 All-Ireland Aberdeen-Angus Championships
The pinnacle of the Irish showing season, this year’s All-Ireland Aberdeen-Angus Championships will take place at Mohill Show, Mohill, Co. Leitrim on Sunday, August 19th. The very best Aberdeen-Angus cattle from all around the country will compete for the biggest and most prestigious titles of the year with the attendance of several high profile show winners from the 2018 season already confirmed.
If you would like to find out more information or would like to view the show schedule and entry forms then click on the links below:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/launch-of-the-2018-all-ireland-aberdeen-angus-championships/
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/all-ireland-aberdeen-angus-championships-schedule-and-entry-forms/
Sale of all breeds of pedigree females: Stirling – closing date
We’d like to remind all members that the closing date for entries for the sale of all breeds of pedigree females in Stirling this September is Friday 10th August. For information and where to enter, click through to the website on the link below:
Londonderry Show Results
Coolermoney herd claim double at the Londonderry Show as Graeme & Adrian Parke secured both of the top positions in the final championship line-up. The yearling heifer and reigning Ulster Provincial Trophy holder, Coolermoney Frances T703 took the supreme breed championship whilst herdmate Coolermoney Eventer T747 was awarded the reserve supreme championship.
To find out more about the Londonderry Show then please click on the link below:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/coolermoney-herd-claim-the-double-at-londonderry-show/
Castlewellan Show
The supreme champion at the 51st Castlewellan Show was Old Glenort Ethan S246 from James Porter’s Gillhall Estate based at Dromore, County Down. This home-bred bull was making his show ring debut at the County Down event. Claiming the reserve championship was the junior bull class winner Dartrey Viscount Cid T655 bred by Brian Johnston and Hylda Mills, Scarva. For the full results from over in Ireland, head to:
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/show-news/old-glenort-reigns-supreme-at-51st-castlewellan-show/
New West Country record for Aberdeen-Angus at Sedgemoor Auction Centre
The major reduction sale for Mrs UM & Mr RJ Venner of their Woodington herd of pedigree Aberdeen-Angus set a new Sedgemoor record and what is believed to be a “West Country” record for an Aberdeen-Angus heifer with calf. The amount of £6,510 was paid for Woodington Pinky Gloria R488, born January 2015, and you can read more about it at:
Westmorland Show and 2018 Summer National Aberdeen Angus Show 2018
The Westmorland Show will take place this year on Thursday 13th September at County Showfield, Lane Farm, Crooklands, Nr. Kendal. Entries for this year will close on Monday 20th of August and the Aberdeen-Angus schedule and entry form for the show are now available. The society will be hosting a barbeque for all exhibitors on the evening prior to the show at around 6.30pm so bring your cattle early and settle them and we can have a get together prior to the show. The Westmoreland show committee have been very helpful to us in terms of hosting the summer national and it would be really good to give maximum support and showcase the Aberdeen-Angus breed in a highly commercially orientated part of the agricultural map in terms of beef producers.
To view the show schedule or complete an entry form then click the link below
http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/2018-westmorland-show-schedule-and-entry-form/
Stirling October sale
The sale at Stirling in October is developing into a major event for the Aberdeen-Angus breed so if you are looking to expand your herd, make sure to head along to the sale where there will be some top class and well bred Aberdeen-Angus Cattle. The event at Stirling is one for the diary and will be undoubtedly a display of top quality pedigree breeding stock, and a great day for the Breed and the brand. We look forward to bringing you details of dispersals, production sales and herd reductions that will be happening at the Stirling event in due course.
Society Open days
Following on from the successful open day on 4th July at Longford Farms, the CEO has taken time to visit a commercial herd in North Yorkshire owned and run by brothers Richard and David Lister. The 220 graded up Aberdeen-Angus suckler cows that are grazed on Newby Hall estate grassland are looked after by Pete Orton (shown below) who manages the cattle and has become an Aberdeen-Angus enthusiast after working among other breeds and finding them a delight to look after.
David’s daughter Grace has developed a farm shop and Café where an Aberdeen-Angus beef burger was enjoyed by the CEO and the display of home reader beef pork and lamb from the farm was in really great demand from the North Yorkshire region and a tremendous reputation for to quality meat and delicatessen produce has been built up.
All things being equal there is an offer from the Listers who are happy to host an open day on the farm in 2019. The full story from the visit will be available soon, make sure to keep an eye out on the website!
Merchandise
We are delighted with the amount of interest we have received and the continuous purchasing of our branded merchandise – we even managed to sell out of one of our ties last week! This week why not show your support for the Aberdeen-Angus brand by purchasing one of our A-A WAF Polo Shirts for only £15 – think of them as a great way to remember the great event we had back in last year’s summer.
You can purchase this along with any of our merchandise by phoning up the office and paying by card, or we can simply add it to your account for your next invoice. View the full range of: https://www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/attachments/Merchandise-poster-2018-web.pdf
Upcoming Events
Shown below are upcoming events:
- Banchory Show this weekend – the North East Scotland will have their usual caravan and hospitality
- Black Isle show on 1st and 2nd August South West Scotland Aberdeen-Angus Club are visiting the show as part of their annual tour and a warm highland club welcome we are sure awaits them
- 1st August – North Devon Show: Umberleigh Barton Farm, Umberleigh, North Devon
- 5th – 6th August – Turriff Show: The Haughs, Turriff, AB53 4EF
YDP workshops:
- Westwood, Rostellan, Midleton, Co Cork, Republic of Ireland. By kind permission of John & Kate Tait. Date: 28th July 2018. Time: 11am
- Grange, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire, DG7 3EU. By kind permission of Messrs James Bigger. Date: 29th July 2018. Time: 10am
- Carlyon Farm, Kea, Truro, Cornwall. TR3 6AJ. By kind permission of the Laity Family. Date: 4th August 2018. Time: 10am
- Morebattle Tofts, Morebattle, Kelso, Roxburghshire. TD5 8AD. By kind permission of the Playfair Family. Date: 5th August 2018. Time: 10am
Stock for Sale
Following the relaunch of the “Stock for Sale” section on the web site we have been finding a huge amount of success for members with packets of stock of all stages that are for sale, just put up some good photographs, some information on what you are selling and then send to Laura at the society office to ensure that your cattle get in front of a worldwide audience.
If you are interested please get in touch by phoning the office or emailing Laura in the office at [email protected]. Alternatively if you would like to view the current stock for sale then head over to: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/stock-for-sale/
We hope you all have a great weekend!