As we now move into August, we look forward to what’s going to be a busy few months at Pedigree House as we prepare for the busy upcoming schedule. Take a look at what’s been happening in and around the Society over the last 14 days with news from the North Devon Show, YDP workshops and more!

News Roundup

The Munster Aberdeen-Angus Club embarked on its annual club tour last week with this year’s tour taking a group of travellers to the Borders in Scotland. The club would like to thank all herd owners, their families and stockpersons for their warm welcome received throughout tour and showing off their farms. Images from the tour can be found on the clubs Facebook page!
The full results from the Black Isle Show are live on our website – make sure to check them out!

The Abbey Herd of Aberdeen-Angus will be holding an Open Farm even in aid of Parkinson’s UK on the 11th August from 10.30am to 3.30pm. The event will involve some great fun events with brilliant prizes to be won, and all for a wonderful cause in Parkinson’s UK. Make sure to get yourself along – details on the event can be found on our news section of the website!

We have been doing a lot of work on the Cud behind the scenes and it is coming together nicely as we look forward to bringing you the second edition of the publication. This will be arriving through member letterboxes in early September off the back of the August Council meetings. The Cud will also contain a tear-out advertising form for the next edition of the Review – so make sure to keep a look out and get your advert bookings in nice and early.

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 Notices from the CEO
• Congratulations go to Laura Doyle for her winning bid on the Facebook auction of the William McCombie book offered for sale for charity, staving off stiff competition throughout to win!
• Gathering of information for articles and content for The Cud Summer / Autumn newsletter continues which will be with you early September following the council meeting at the end of this month. Thanks to all contributors for their input!
• Holiday time is with us in the office where we always end up a little light on the ground staff wise, the situation is manageable during harvest and silage / hay making until we have a wet spell offering the chance for members to catch up on admin when we can become a bit stretched!
• We have developed a new part to the web site that welcomes membership from Commercial cattle producers so please, when you sell a bull to commercial or dairy customers encourage them to link up with the Society we can keep them into Aberdeen-Angus by feeding them the good news that we are hearing from the trade that will keep them with us.
• Our new phone system designed to help you get the most from the Society will be implemented over the next ten days, keep your eye on information that will help you do this as the way that calls are handled will be changing which we hope will be for the better!
• The final “I’s” dotted and “T’s” crossed on the preparation for our forthcoming compliance audit on the Zootechnical regulations will mean changes to our pedigree certificates. We have regulations to comply with when exporting cattle and also for our membership in the Republic of Ireland – 98% of the way there!
• Further encouraging meetings on the CAAB scheme remapping with our partners in the industry which is being well received by all so far
• Good enquiries from India and Kazakhstan over the past two weeks looking for ways to procure UK Aberdeen-Angus Genetics from our domestic herd perhaps there are opportunities post Brexit!
• A skype meeting with a company in China who is looking to import Aberdeen-Angus beef from specifically the UK with their infrastructure being put in place when the finalisation of the red tape being cut on exports from UK to the market is lifted.
• The Black Isle Show is a great opportunity to see our most northerly membership, a good show of cattle and the hospitality offered by the Highland Club to visitors and guests is second to none. Great to catch up with you all and share the plans for the future and as always a great show of cattle under the experienced eye of Judge Robert Coghill from Caithness.
• One member did ask me for more information on the Maternal Index that we are establishing with ABRI as a long overdue enhancement to our performance recording. It is difficult in this communication initiative to go into the detail that was required. Communication of what we are doing is however a key part of keeping the membership up to date with developments and I will revisit this and see how we can further improve the transparency of what we do within the Society.
• A trip up North for our annual meeting with our patron at the Castle of Mey, for myself and wife Karen, Paul Jeenes and his wife Sandra. A look around the herd with HRH Prince Charles The Duke of Rothsay, with herdsmen Danny and Sandy McCarthy, joined this year by Judith Batchelar, own brand director for Sainsbury reviewing the Kinermony project.
• Our thanks for the hospitality to Castle of Mey Trustee and Agricultural Advisor Malcom McCrae and Sarah for keeping us right with everything and entertained throughout the weekend! Your company throughout was very much appreciated by us all.
• An exploratory meeting this week with a restaurant chain to feel our way into a new market revealed an appetite for what Aberdeen-Angus produced in the UK can offer them. Working now with the supply chain to establish a route to market for what may be a premium offer on the menu. Thanks to the Allen Family for offering the venue, creating the opportunity, and their hospitality during the meeting at Humbleheugh.
• A further meeting with Buitelaar this week revealed a desire for them to engage their business with an addition to their portfolio of an Aberdeen-Angus offering bringing further demand for Aberdeen-Angus to the party.
• For those who remember with affection the Aberdeen-Angus Stand at the Royal show the end may be nigh! We are looking at the options on an exit from our lease agreement and as per the terms of the lease returning the site to original conditions. Anybody requiring a piece of it please let me know!

• The Godfrey Neale grant applications are in for this year and the successful applicants will be notified next week following a review of all applications by the panel.
• A busy two weeks ahead with a visit to Ireland which is twofold, meeting on the sire verified scheme to progress with two processors in the North and a visit to the Hillsborough Institute research centre to review their work that can perhaps help us promote Aberdeen-Angus females in particular.
• Committee meetings and Council are on the 27th and 28th of August which will take up the rest of the time in the next fortnight, preparing and gathering information and facts and figures to be in a position to help Council make informed decisions on matters on the table to take us forward.

News and Notices from the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society
• The Munster Aberdeen-Angus Club staged the finale of its annual calf competitions at Nenagh Show over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Judge for the occasion was Barry Smith of the Lawsons Ford Aberdeen-Angus herd in Co Cavan. The 2019 Munster Aberdeen-Angus Junior Bull of the Year title went to Edward Dudley, Dovea, Thurles, Co Tipperary with Castlelough Mister Bert U196. John & Kate Tait, Westwood, Rostellan, Midleton, Co Cork took the runner-up spot in the Munster Aberdeen-Angus Junior Bull of the Year contest with Westellen Rocky U83.
The 2019 All-Ireland Aberdeen-Angus Championships will take place at Dualla Show, Cashel, Co. Tipperary on Sunday, August 25th. For full details on how to enter then visit our show and sales section on the website!
• The final major showing event of the Northern Irish summer schedule took place at the 101st annual Clogher Valley Show in Augher, Co Tyrone. The supreme Aberdeen-Angus championship was awarded to SJ Smyth, 12 Milltown Road, Magheracoltan, Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone with the three-year-old cow, Glen Cowie Jackie Erica F096.
• The Matchett family’s Birches Lady Holly T301 continued her winning ways, claiming the prestigious Ulster Perpetual Provincial Trophy at the Randox Antrim Show. The Ulster Championship classes at Antrim Agricultural Society’s 113th annual show were judged by Thomas Beirne, owner of the Drumbeera Herd from Gorvagh in County Leitrim.
• The Dungarvan Show saw a significant increase in cattle numbers in the Aberdeen-Angus section which proved to be a very popular and enjoyable show. Albert & Jennifer DeCogan, Killamuckey, Castlemartyr, Co Cork took the day’s supreme Aberdeen-Angus championship, under first time judge Mr. Tennyson Egar (director of a well-known specialist beef producer group) with their senior stock bull, Cheeklaw Jake Eric R535. Not stopping there, this four year old bull went on to be crowned the overall supreme inter-breed beef champion of the entire show. Albert & Jennifer DeCogan also secured the reserve Aberdeen-Angus championship with their senior heifer, Mogeely Blackbird T542.
News and Notices from Laura Stewart the Office Manager
• Laura is away on holiday this week but she has been busy on the run up to that break getting everything in order for the Council meetings at the end of the month. We’ll have more updates from Laura in the next update!

News and Notices from Angela Cumming in the Finance Department
• PEDIGREE CATTLE SERVICES
Pedigree Cattle Services year end was on the 31st July 2019. If you have any outstanding invoices on your account, prompt payment would be very much appreciated.
• INTERNET PAYMENTS
When making payment through the internet banking, please ensure that you quote your MEMBERSHIP NUMBER and SURNAME as a refence. This ensures that your payment is allocated to the correct account.
• RECEIVING SOCIETY INVOICES BY EMAIL
In order to try and save on postage costs we would like to send our invoices by email. If you have not already done so, can you please provide us with your details by clicking here.

News and Notices from the Registrations Department
• 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 Microsatellite DNA to SNPS DNA.
• Please contact the Registration Department 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 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.
• This is the time of year for herds to be type classified, if you are interested in getting your herd classified or want to receive some more information then get in touch with PCS. If any of the Aberdeen-Angus clubs would like Holstein UK to put on a demonstration in their area to show breeders how type classification works, then get in contact with PCS to organise a demonstration day for your club.
• 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
• We have now held our workshop in the Scottish Borders at the Tofts herd, host by the Playfair family, which was very well attended by all age ranges and abilities. It wonderful to see the more experienced young people helping the novices build confidence.
• At the time of writing we are leading up to our final weekend of workshops before the selections for the final take place. The last three are in Northern Ireland, Northern England and Central Scotland.
• Our minds are now all focused on selecting the worthy competitors for the Final weekend in Southern Ireland on Saturday 28th September at the Lough Allen Hotel and Moorlands Equestrian Centre. Approximately 12 candidates from each of the 3 sections, Junior, Intermediate and Seniors will be invited to attend and compete. The winning senior will win a £1,500 cattle travel bursary.
• I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the host farms and trainers who have given up their free time voluntarily to help provide the excellent programme of training to all the many young people that have come along and gained new skills and friendships from attending the YDP workshops this year in 2019. If you were unable to attend this year, look out in the 2020 Review for all dates and venues and put them in your diary in good time. Next year promises to be exciting for YDP!
• We would like to wish Kian Frain and Robyn Westcott all the best at the National Young Stars trimmed cattle competition held at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern on 20th and 21st August representing the Aberdeen Angus Breed and YDP. We would also like to thank Keith Jempson and Glympton Farms for providing and breaking in the yearling heifers. If you are free that day, please go along and support all the young people taking park in various competitions from sheep, pigs, dairy, beef and butchery.

Shows, Sales and Events
Key upcoming events are shown below:
• Saturday 10th August 2019 – North East England YDP workshop, Tree Bridge Aberdeen-Angus
• Sunday 11th August 2019 – Tullamore Show. Location – Tullamore Show, Greatwood Road, Blueball, Brackagh, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland
• Sunday 11th of August 2019 – Abbey Herd: Open farm event. Location – Mayfield Farm, New Abbey, Dumfries DG2 8HH
• 13th – 15th August 2019 – Pembrokeshire Show. Location – County Showground Withybush Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire SA62 4BW
• Friday 16th August 2019 – Dunster Show. Location – Dunster Castle Lawns, Nr. Minehead, Somerset
• Sunday 18th August 2019 – PENWAC Club Pilsbury Herd Visit. Location – Endmoor, Tagg Lane, Monyash, Bakewell. DE45 1JP

Merchandise
Special offer on Society Ties
Has your society tie seen better days? One of the problems with our cattle is the colour, we love the Black Magic though (Not forgetting the Reds!!) when dressing at shows the black particularly can get everywhere! A special offer on replacement ties is on the table for the next two weeks,
A full suite of Society ties is available as follows:

You can have all four ties one for every outfit or occasion normal price £53.00 at more 50 % discount
Special offer for these two weeks only £25.00 the lot inc P&P! While stocks last!!

You can purchase by E mailing the office [email protected] 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 on our Merchandise section of the website.

From all at the Society, have a great weekend!