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The Ark
THE RARE BREEDS SURVIVAL TRUST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2010
In this issue:
AGM 2010

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The Ark
CONTENTS
SUMMER 2010
Cover photograph
Bradden Breathgill Jill, a Northern Dairy Shorthorn calf:
a five-year programme, funded by RBST, is underway to
increase NDS numbers and secure the breed’s future.
In this issue, we report on its progress.
NEWS 6-11
EQUINE 11-13
SHEEP 14-15
FARM PARKS 16-17
AGM 20-24
PIGS 26
CATTLE 27-29
SHOWS AND SALES 30-32
REGIONAL NEWS 34-39
Volume 2101-03 Summer
RBST, Stoneleigh Park, Nr Kenilworth,
Warwickshire CV8 2LG.
Tel: 024 7669 6551, enquiries@rbst.org.uk. www.rbst.org.uk
Registered Charity No: 269442
Editor: Linda Trotman
Tel: 01564 742731
Email: editorial@thearkmagazine.co.uk
Advertising: Ian Stewart Tel: 07958 120829
Liz Terry Tel: 07889285041 or 01827 715422
Email: advertising@thearkmagazine.co.uk
Design: Gambit Graphics
Tel: 01562 731 313, www.gambitgraphics.co.uk
Email: info@gambitgraphics.co.uk
Published by: Westpoint Printing Co Ltd
Tel: 0121 2021610
Email: ianstewart@westpointmarketing.co.uk
Views expressed in The Ark are not necessarily those of RBST. RBST regrets
that it cannot in any way guarantee the subject of advertisements in the Ark.
The autumn edition of the Ark will be published in November 2010.
Editorial material including regional news is required by 17th September 2010
In this issue ….
RBST National Gene Bank
The Matriarch
Owners of rare breed
stallions are being asked to
put their horses forward for
semen collection to go into
the RBST National Gene
Bank. We explain how the
scheme works and profile
the two studs involved.
Peter Farmer tells the story
of “Weenie” the orphaned
lamb who went on to
become the matriarch of his
flock of Hebridean sheep.
3

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Chairman’s
Comments
President
I am delighted to announce that Peter
Titley has agreed to be our first “new style”
President. This new approach means that
we will use the Presidency to recognise
someone who has made a significant and
outstanding contribution to RBST over
a number of years. There is a profile of
Peter elsewhere in this issue and this fully
explains the Trustees’ decision to appoint
him for a three year tenure which will be
ratified at the AGM.
Ambassadors
Your Trustees have also wanted to
recognise people who have a unique
skill and expertise but who perhaps do
not wish to become Trustees. Thus we
have appointed Sally Anne Oultram and
Peter Hayford as our first Ambassadors in
honorary positions.
Sally Anne is very well known in the
equine world with her Clydesdale Ted,
whilst Peter has unique knowledge and
contacts in the poultry world which we can
dip into. I am very conscious that poultry
is perhaps our weakest area so Peter will
be helping Claire Barber, our Conservation
Officer with developing a much broader,
robust and different type of Watchlist for all
poultry including waterfowl and turkeys.
Annual General Meeting
This year we have decided to have
the AGM at the Arthur Rank Centre on the
showground at Stoneleigh. You will find
full details about this event elsewhere in
this issue. There is nothing particularly
controversial and proxy voting rights are
allowed. We would be delighted to see
any members on August 26. Please let
us know if you are coming to help us with
catering numbers.
Our separate members’ open day will
be a special weekend event at Cotswold
Farm Park in October by kind permission
of the Henson family. As everyone will
fully appreciate Joe Henson was one
of the original instigators of RBST and
indeed was our first Chairman whilst Adam
continues to give rare breeds an incredibly
high profile every Sunday on the BBC
Countryfile programme. So, this should be
a really good day. Clearly though, we could
not postpone holding the AGM until the
autumn hence why we have split the AGM
and Open Day this year.
Change of Government
It is very early days to see how the
change of government affects agricultural
policy but it is reassuring that we have a
Secretary of State and Minister for Food
and Farming who have wide agricultural
experience and knowledge. Much remains
unclear about the future of executive
agencies such as Natural England and
Animal Health but we continue to be
actively involved with both of these.
With the former, we are synchronizing
native breeds at risk lists for it is very
likely that in due course if a breed or
breed society is not registered under the
appropriate EU zootechnical legislation
they will not be eligible for payments under
any future agri-environment schemes. This
is why we invited all relevant Watchlist
breeds and the Wildlife Trusts to a recent
meeting here at Stoneleigh to get a briefing
from DEFRA on the current consultation
on the Simplification of Live Animal
Movement Rules and Holding Identifiers.
This superficially looks good news on
CPH numbers etc but as usual the devil’s
in the detail. We used the opportunity to
update all those present about the new
arrangements for the Breeds At Risk
Register and how to become registered
under zootechnical legislation.
As far as Animal Health is concerned,
we are gearing ourselves up for taking
part with the BPA in Operation Silver
Birch which will be a full scale simulation
exercise of a Foot and Mouth Disease
outbreak schedule for the weekend of
November 7 and 8. We are developing a
number of simulations that could occur to
“our breeds” to fully test the system.
Approved Conservation Farm
Parks
Viki Mills, one of our trustees, organised
a very useful meeting of Farm Parks at
Sandwell a few weeks ago. The RBST
Approved Conservation Farm Parks
are incredibly important as they provide
a major shop window for us as well
as supporting a number of important
conservation initiatives. The annual
inspections for all of them have taken place
very successfully but with potential cut
backs from local authorities and the recent
Griffin report this poses a real threat to
some of them so we need to remain vigilant
and supportive.
We are also continuing to build good
relations with inner City Farms which
receive amazing numbers of visitors but
which are often short of space. However,
many keep rare and native breeds and
they are often working with important
bloodlines. We are looking to see if we can
work together and whether there is the
possibility of farm parks acting as mentors
to city farms and perhaps assisting with
over wintering stock for them. These are
huge opportunities and with Ruth Dalton
and Richard Broad now fully operational as
our Field Officers we are beginning to see
good progress.
Finally to end on a really good news
story….
GAP
As you may recall RBST is the lead
partner working with the National Trust,
Natural England and Defence Estates
on the Grazing Advice Partnership. Tom
Cairns the Development Manager, recently
put in a bid to the Heritage Lottery fund
for £260k for a series of apprenticeships
and the bid was successful! More details
follow in this edition.
Tim Brigstocke
5

NEWS
AUGUST
AGM
The 36th Annual General Meeting
of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, will
be held on Thursday August 26 at
the Arthur Rank Centre at Stoneleigh
Park, starting at 12.30pm.
This year’s proceedings include
the announcement of the result of
the election for Council members.
There are five Council vacancies with
seven members putting themselves
forward to election. Profiles of all
seven candidates appear on page 24
of this issue.
6
Exclusive
RBST
Members
Day
at the Cotswold Farm
Park, 22nd October,
10.30am to 3pm
This year our members day
is being held at the Cotswold
Farm Park which was the first
rare breeds farm park, opened
in 1971.
Today it continues its
important conservation work
and it raises the profile of native
breeds through the Adam’s
Farm feature each week on
BBC’s Countryfile.
Members will have
exclusive access to the farm
park and events on the day
will include a buffet lunch,
a walk around the park, a
demonstration on the history
of sheep and talks on the work
of Cotswold Farm Park and the
RBST.
If you would like to attend
the event please call the office
for a ticket on 024 7669 6551 or
email enquiries@rbst.org.uk .
Cotswold Farm Park is at
Guiting Power, nr Cheltenham
GL54 5UG
The First in a New
Peter Titley sorting out his Hill Radnor
Show team for 2010
After a four-year period when
the role of RBST President has
remained vacant, a ‘new style’
presidency has been formed,
designed to recognise the
outstanding contribution made
by an individual to the work of
the Trust. Former Chairman
and Council Member Peter
Titley is the first to take up
the honour.
Peter comes from farming stock – his great
grandfather was an established farmer and
breeder of Shorthorns in Staffordshire in the
1800s – but subsequent generations moved
away from the land. He feels, however, that his
roots run deeply into farming and countryside
interests: as a boy he was at a school with its
own farm, keeping Red Poll and Ayrshire cattle
as well as both of the old breeds of Essex and
Wessex pigs.
He originally worked in the footwear
industry but in the 1960s made a dramatic
career change to enter the criminal justice
arena – firstly to become a Probation Officer
and then, over the next 40 years to hold a
number of senior posts in both the Probation
and Prison Services before retiring in 2004
from his role as a member of Her Majesty’s
Inspectorate of Prisons.
Throughout his career he was an advocate
for connecting people with the land and
livestock. He says “I saw at first hand how, for
example, prison farms provided demanding
but rewarding experiences to some of those
who were at odds with society; caring for
animals, especially some of our old, native
breeds, was a positive and life-changing
experience for some people. ” And he adds: “I
was lucky to find small elements of my day job
which reflected my own interests and values”
Peter, who has lived on his Staffordshire
smallholding for the past 32 years, joined
RBST in 1980. After seeing informal local
developments in various areas of the country,
he was instrumental in setting up a national
RBST’s First Official
Sally Anne Oultram
place in modern equestrianism.
Sally Anne Oultram and her Clydesdale Ted Sally Anne says: “Everything I have done
are well known figures at shows and events up has been driven by Ted; working with him to
and down the country. An RBST enthusiast, promote RBST has become a complete way
Sally Anne makes the most of their public of life. We have travelled together all over
appearances to promote the work
the UK, with highlights being the
of the Trust.
invitations to appear at the Horse of
Originally from a farming
the Year Show. The first time, Ted
background, Sally Anne initially
was just three years old but he took
chose a career as an actress but
to the atmosphere of the large arena
she says, farming is like a magnet
as though he had been born to it.
that draws you back. The
Wherever we go, he is a directional
catalyst for Sally Anne’s return to
sign for the Trust, particularly with
her roots was Ted, a Clydesdale
children.
foal bought from a dispersal sale.
“Since his very first outing,
With Ted’s public outings,
we have been working to raise
Sally Anne has had two
awareness and bring new people
objectives: to promote the
to an understanding of the work of
RBST’s role in ensuring a
RBST and that’s exactly what we
future for all rare breeds and to
will continue to do. It’s an honour to
encourage people to think of heavy horses like be given this official title. Ted and I will be with
Clydesdales as riding horses which have a real RBST until the end of our days.”

Style Presidency
network of RBST Support Groups – becoming
their first national Chairman in 1984 – and
subsequently serving on Council for several
terms until 2009, including periods as Vice
Chairman and Chairman. His principle
livestock interest has been in sheep, including
Wensleydales and Kerry Hills in the past. With
his family he now retains flocks of Hill Radnor
and North Ronaldsay sheep – the latter having
been established for 30 years.
The “new” Presidency
Peter is conscious of following in some
prestigious footsteps:
“I am aware that the position has remained
unfilled since the untimely death of Lord Carter
in 2006 and prior to that RBST had a line of
distinguished Presidents. The fact that Council
has invited me to be the first of a new line is a
great honour. Since my earliest days in RBST
I have placed a high value on the so-called
‘ordinary members’ who are actually far from
ordinary. They form the bedrock of RBST –
paying subscriptions, keeping livestock and
promoting the cause. It is from their ranks that
I have drawn my energy and to their ranks
that I will pay due respect during my period of
office.”
He is also quick to praise the contribution
of successive teams of Trustees and staff
with whom he has worked over the years:
“The often unseen and quite selfless efforts
of Trustees over the years have been among
the established strengths of RBST and have
sustained it through many changes. The
endurance of staff past and present has also
been seriously tested by events but I am
confident that our team is now well placed to
steer RBST into a future that will do credit to
its past.”
In optimistic vein, Peter believes that
British farming could be on the threshold of an
‘Agricultural Renaissance’ which will actually
be driven by reviving traditional values to
match modern demands for higher welfare
standards, lower food miles and accurate
traceability of quality assured products:
He says:” In the end, quality speaks
loudly and need not mean higher prices at
the shop counter. Products of traditional
breeds are wholesome; meat is full of flavour
and succulence. Beef can be produced
extensively. Lamb and Mutton is distinctive
and memorable. Wool is rich in variety and
finding ever more eco-friendly outlets. All can
be produced without expensive concentrated
feed inputs and in natural circumstances
which would not sustain their more modern
counterparts. Equine programmes to promote
particular breeds also include grazing
schedules which greatly improve the habitat
for other species. It is self-evident, therefore,
that an effective link between landscape and
livestock is an essential ingredient – producing
quality stock while maintaining and conserving
the natural environment. That is the essence
of our future and the ultimate multi-benefit aim
for us all. I look forward to doing my bit in my
new role”
Ambassadors
Peter Hayford
of which he is now Chairman. In addition
Devon farmer and RBST Devon Chairman, he keeps geese and water fowl and is the
Peter Hayford says that what he really enjoys President of Domestic Water Fowl Club.
about his involvement with the Trust is working Not surprisingly, Peter’s role as Ambassador
at the grass roots level.
will focus on poultry. He says: “We need to
Peter has farmed at
forge closer links with the
Bearscombe in Devon for 45
rest of the poultry world
years. Having started with a
and I would hope that in my
milking herd of Guernseys,
role I can help to encourage
he now keeps beef cattle and
wider co-operation between
British Lop pigs. His main
the different organisations
interest and hobby, however,
involved. It would be a great
is poultry. His interest began
thing if we can get more
as a child in Dorking where,
people interested in keeping
appropriately he got involved in
poultry and I hope I can do my
keeping Dorking poultry.
part in encouraging that.”
Having always had what
he describes as “a side interest” in poultry,
Peter, an Honorary Life Member of the Poultry
Club of Great Britain, has kept many different
breeds. He has also kept most breeds of turkey
and started the Turkey Club of Great Britain,
ARK TRIBUTE
Dr C. R. Harrison (1922- 2010)
The ancient church of St
Michael and All Angels, nestling
in the Yorkshire Dales hamlet of
Hubberholme, was packed to
capacity with friends, neighbours
and fellow RBST members for the
funeral of Ross Harrison who died on
24th May – just three months short
of his 87th birthday.
Ross and his wife Avril moved to
the Dales twenty five years ago when
Ross retired from general practice
in Eccleshall, Staffordshire. They
immersed themselves in developing
their beloved Beckermonds Flock
of Whitefaced Woodland sheep
on their holding in Kettlewell. They
saw much success in the show ring
and Ross was well regarded by
fellow RBST members for his wise
counsel, his integrity and his genuine
commitment to the breed.
The Thanksgiving Service heard
tributes from those who had known
Ross in his various roles as GP, local
politician, school governor, shepherd
and anonymous benefactor of many
causes – including sport, agriculture
and conservation. Peter Titley knew
him for sixty years and paid a tribute
which reflected the esteem in which
Ross, a modest and self-effacing
man, was held by many. Andrew
Colley from RBST Dales told of
Ross’s unstinting assistance to
others who wanted to keep Rare
Breeds and of his willingness to help
with advice and practical training.
Rick Halsall, who assisted Ross with
the sheep in recent years and who is
now the owner of the Beckermonds
Flock, told how this “retired Doc
from up the Dale” had won the
respect of the once sceptical local
farmers and also revealed a little
known side of the “respectable”
man we all knew and loved – his
membership of a local Malt Whisky
Club where he had been known to
climb on a chair and give a robust
rendition of a Gaelic toast!
Ross was buried in a coffin of
pure sheep’s wool in a woodland
glade across the river from the
church where he had served as
Churchwarden from 1989 until
his death. The sound and sight of
sheep on the hill made a poignant,
yet fitting backdrop as friends and
family gathered at his graveside. His
send off was orchestrated to the
finest detail by Avril whose dignity
and example made this an uplifting
celebration of a life well-lived.
Dr Ross Harrison addressing his
85th birthday celebration in 2008.
Photo credit: Stella Lambert.
7

NEWS
Can You Help the
Membership
Drive
Do you sell rare breeds meat or
other produce How about helping
to sell RBST alongside it
With the show season upon
us, RBST groups up and down the
country will be actively promoting
membership but it’s not just at these
events that we have the opportunity
to
spread
the
rare breeds’
message
and encourage more people to join.
Increasing membership is one
of the ways the Trust has of raising
funds to support the work it carries
out and this is an activity that doesn’t
have to be confined to RBST stands
at shows.
As more and more people come
to appreciate the quality of rare
breeds produce, we have an excellent
opportunity to explain more about
why RBST does what it does. If you
sell meat or other produce either from
an on-farm shop, through farmers’
markets or other outlets, why not give
your customers RBST promotional
leaflets along with their purchases It
doesn’t have to be a hard sell, but it
could help people understand more
about the role of the Trust and help
boost membership numbers.
Leaflets and posters are
available free of charge from RBST at
Stoneleigh.
To request a supply simply email
enquiries@rbst.org.uk or call 02476
696551.
Joe Henson when he created the
Cotswold Farm Park to enable
members of the public to see at
RBST Farm Parks Tick All The Boxes
A recent round of RBST Approved At the same time, research conducted by the
Conservation Farm Park inspections saw every Countryside Alliance Foundation and published in
establishment pass with flying colours. The
a report
Outdoor
education
–
the countryside
as a
latest visits have completed the inspections
for
classroom
shows that
92 per
cent
of parents
think
the whole RBST network and confirmed that the their children should have more opportunities to
high standards set by the Trust are consistently get into the countryside to learn about farming and
maintained throughout the farm park network. nature.
The Farm Park concept was pioneered by
RBST Trustee Viki Mills says: “Godstone
RBST founder member and farmer
cast a
shadow
over farm
parks
in
general, particularly those in the
South East where the situation
received maximum publicity.
first hand his collection of rare
However, having carried out the
and native breed animals. From
inspections of its approved network,
those early days, RBST has had
RBST is confident that those farm
an established set of standards
parks are operating to the highest
for farm parks. Indeed until
standards.
relatively recently, it was the only
“Many have reviewed what
organisation with a published set were already more than
adequate
of standards.
facilities and introduced extra measures such as
Farm parks hit the headlines last year with double fencing, additional hand washing
stations
the outbreak of e-coli at Godstone in Surrey and and increased signage warning parents of the
in the wake of that event a number of farm parks importance of hygiene measures.
experienced falling visitor numbers. One
concern
“As
well as offering
high
quality
leisure
is that
lack
of public
confidence
could
inhibit facilities, farm parks do have a key role to play in
educational
and family
visits
to farm parks.
education and it is essential that we do everything
Published in June, the official Griffin report we can to ensure visitor confidence. The RBST
on the Godstone outbreak drew attention to the endorsement has enormous credibility because
potential risks associated with young children it is so well established. We would encourage
coming into contact with animals and
their faeces.
all members
to help spread the message that
It also stated
that it is
primarily
the parent or carer’s provided sensible hygiene
measures are followed,
choice whether their child is allowed to touch or RBST-approved farm parks can be a safe
feed animals.
environment for young children to learn in.”
Vaynol Update
Field Officer Ruth Dalton reports on an RBST
Lincolnshire Group visit to Neville and Maureen Turner
to see how the three Vaynol cattle purchased last year
by RBST are faring in their new home.
It is now nine months since three Vaynol cattle
made the historic move from Temple Newsam Home
Farm to a 15 acre nature reserve in Lincolnshire. The
land is managed by former RBST Trustee Neville Turner,
who is passionate about rare breeds and especially
fanatical about Vaynols. He currently manages a
conservation grazing scheme using Shetland, Lincoln
Red and Hereford cattle on a range of woodland and grassland sites across
Lincolnshire. The Vaynols graze a pasture rich in wild flowers and with plenty
of natural cover from trees and scrub.
The breed is considered to be semi-feral in its behaviour patterns,
becoming easily stressed and unpredictable. Staff at Temple Newsam
worked hard when they first acquired the herd in 1989, gradually
accustoming the cattle to more contact with people. With a wealth of
experience of farm livestock, a quiet manner and a keen eye, Neville has
continued this strategy to great effect. On our Group visit, we were delighted
to be able to stand within metres of the three cattle as they grazed.
Neville has two white cows with black points, similar to White Park
colouring, and one black, a colour that used to be culled in the superstitious
belief that it would bring death to the family at the breed’s original home,
Vaynol Hall. On our visit, the black cow seemed to be the most wary of the
three animals but all were happy to remain in close proximity to us. Neville
answered questions as the cameras came out and there was much animated
discussion as to which looked most definitely in calf. All three were in
fantastic condition, evidently thriving on the herb-rich pasture and ample
opportunities for browsing.
For Neville and his wife, Maureen, the next few weeks are an anxious
wait to find out whether the cows are indeed in calf – the breed is renowned
for showing little sign of an imminent calving, sometimes developing an
udder only after it has produced a calf. Hopes are high that this next
generation of Vaynols, born in Lincolnshire, will help to safeguard the future
of one of our rarest native breeds.
8
Ruth Dalton: ruth@rbst.org.uk, 07880 584551/01539 816223

A New Face for
Membership Message
East Midlands member Marie
Webb has become the new RBST
“cover girl” for membership
posters and leaflets.
Featured with Marie is one of her
Castlemilk Moorit ewes and her two lambs,
the breed that Marie has chosen as the start
of what she hopes will one day be a rare breed
farm park.
Working in farming is something Marie
has wanted to do since she was a small child
who spent all of her time in the back of her
father’s tractor as he worked the land. By
BBC Farming Today Follows
Gareth’s Dream
Over the coming months, BBC Radio 4’s Farming
Today and On Your Farm will be following the fortunes
of 20-year old Gareth Barlow to find out how a lad
with no agricultural background or land of his own is
turning his passion for farming into reality.
Gareth lives in Bulmer, one of the original Castle
Howard villages near York, and it was here that
the BBC spent a morning recording Gareth with
his Hebridean sheep. Gareth bought his first six
Herbridean ewes and a ram called Hadrian when he
was sixteen, having saved his birthday and Christmas
money, sold his Playstation and carried out gardening
jobs for local villagers. These proved the catalyst
and led to Gareth’s ambition to one day run his own
farming business.
Such was his passion that he wrote to HRH The
Prince of Wales asking for work experience on the
Duchy of Cornwall Farm which had a rare breed flock
that included Herbrideans. After a very successful
two weeks, the farm manager David Wilson asked
Gareth to return for a paid job the following year.
A member of the Herbridean Sheep Society,
Gareth now has a flock of 21 animals. He says:
“Herbideans are very hardy animals, foraging almost
anything to produce a premium meat that delivers
a rich gamey flavour with a lower fat content, so it
the time she got to ‘A’ levels, Marie knew that
she really wanted to go to agricultural college
but, worried about job security in the industry,
her parents advised against it. Instead she
studied and worked in horticulture. A stint
in an accounts office convinced her that she
really did want to work outdoors and so she
returned to horticulture, all the time knowing
that what she wanted to do was farm.
That step was made when Marie asked
a local farmer whether he had any part-time
work – to begin with she did farm work three
days a week. That is now full-time and Marie
also attends agricultural college part-time.
is considered not only to be
tasty, but also healthier and
easier to cook. One of my
regular customers said that it
reminded them of how lamb
used to taste, years ago.”
Things are slowly moving
along for him and he acknowledges that he could
not have got even this far without the support of his
family, the Fosters at Grange Farm, Bulmer and other
locals who have helped with grazing. He currently
funds the business by working in the Castle Howard
farm shop as a part-time trainee butcher and by
working for local farmers. He is also due to embark
on a part-time degree course at agricultural college in
September.
As viewers of BBC’s Countryfile will have seen,
Gareth has already received some advice and support
from Adam Henson when acquiring more sheep. He
hopes that this media exposure might help find more
people to mentor him, particularly successful local
farmers and rare breed sheep champions who might
enjoy sharing their knowledge. He says: “I know I
still have a lot to learn about farming, but I am a hard
worker who enjoys a challenge and I intend to make
my business a success.”
Bluetongue
Update
Since June 12 Great Britain’s
bluetongue status has been
reclassified from a BTV8 protection
zone to a Lower Risk Zone (LRZ) for
BTV8. The move has been welcomed
because it means tougher controls
on animals being brought into the
country from countries affected by
bluetongue.
The new rules require that any
bluetongue susceptible animals being
brought in from countries affected
by BTV8 will have to meet more
stringent vaccination conditions
before importation. Before animals
enter the country they must have
met at least one of the following
conditions: vaccination plus a 60-day
wait; vaccination plus a test 14 days
after onset of immunity; a booster
vaccination within a time period of
immunity.
While these tighter measures
will help keep the disease out, vets
are warning that there is a risk that
pregnant animals could be carrying
a BTV infected foetus but still test
negative in post-import blood tests.
The newborn could then infect the
local midge population and restart
the disease’s circulation. There also
remains the possibility that bluetongue
could enter the country through
wind-borne incursion of infected
midges.
John Mercer, the spokesman
for JAB said: “Bluetongue is still
circulating on the continent and there
is a possibility that it may blow across
to Great Britain as it did in 2007. It
cannot be stressed enough that
vaccination remains the only effective
way to protect against the disease
and it is vital that livestock keepers
continue to vaccinate their animals.
Farmers should also remain vigilant
for signs of the disease and report any
suspicions immediately to their local
Animal Health Office.”
As part of the approval process
DEFRA will be required to carry out
monthly surveillance and take blood
samples from stock across the south
of England. JAB is encouraging
livestock keepers to fully co-operate
with Animal Health should they be
asked to participate in the sampling
programme.
Ark Back Issues
An RBST member in
Barnstaple, Devon has
what she describes as “the
best companion for your
moments of relaxation”
– back issues of The Ark
– available free to a good
home. They start from 1995
and are all complete sets
except for ’04 and ‘05.
If you are interested,
please call Ms G Edsell on
01271 858432.
9

NEWS
RBST Recruits its
First City Farm
Situated just 10 minutes walk from London’s financial centre,
Spitalfields has become the first inner-city farm to join RBST’s farm
parks network.
As well as its rare breeds animals, Spitalfields City Farm has
gardening and cookery projects and play areas all designed to offer
a valuable focus for the local community. On the farm side, there
are Castlemilk Moorit, North Ronaldsay, South Down and Welsh
Badgerface sheep, Golden Guernsey goats and a Shetland pony, plus
donkeys and a variety of poultry and small petting animals.
For the local community, the farm offers an after-school club
and a Saturday-morning Young Farmers clubs. Spitalfields’ young
farmers learn to work with the animals and even get the opportunity
to show them at the Capel Manor City Harvest Festival. Run in
conjunction with the Federation of City Farms and Community
Gardens, this show brings together local community farms and
gardens from across London.
Farm animal manager Helen Galland says: “The farm is the heart
of the place. It gives children and young people the chance to learn
respect and responsibility for animals and with the annual show,
gives them a goal to work towards.”
Spitalfields relies heavily on various types of National Lottery
funding as well as the good will of an army of local volunteer workers.
With no natural grazing, costs involve the transportation of hay
for year-round feeding and challenges include finding vets in inner
London with the necessary large animal expertise.
Asked what she hopes the closer link with RBST will mean
for Spitalfields, Helen says: “One of our priorities is some off-site
Helen Galland with after-school clubbers, starting with the
youngest, Maya, Emine, Nuri and Sami Uysal.
grazing so that our animals can spend some time in a more
natural environment – a bit like in the days when cows were
kept in central London to supply milk and then went off to the
countryside for a holiday. It would also be good to form links
with other farm parks so that our young people can get a wider
experience of different animals.”
Welcoming Spitalfields to the RBST network, Trustee Viki Mills
says: “It is very impressive to see what Helen and the Spitalfields
team have managed to achieve on just one-and-a-quarter acres.
They may only have a small number of animals, but what they have
includes some quite rare blood lines which they are keen to build
up. City farms offer important community benefits and we hope
that more will be joining our network.”
10
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Official Show and Sales
Llanbydder Market Saturday
Saturday 28th August 2010
Worcester Cattle Market
Saturday 4th September 2010
Further information 01570 423135 www.llanwenog-sheep.co.uk

EQUINE
RBST National Gene Bank
– Send Us Your Stallions
With funds available
for the collection
of equine semen to
go into the National
Gene Bank, RBST
is currently looking
for owners willing to
put their rare breed
stallions forward.
The RBST National Gene Bank was
set up to ensure that there are adequate
reserves of genetic material for all species
and breeds listed by RBST. At present, the
stocks of equine genetic material in store
are relatively limited and the long-term goal
is to collect semen from 25 stallions from
each of the breeds currently listed.
In order to ensure the best
representation of each breed, RBST
aims to work with breed societies so that
the stallions that come forward are as
unrelated as possible, to reflect the genetic
diversity within each breed. As many breed
societies issue stallion or AI licenses, their
involvement is essential to ensure that any
foals born as a result of using the semen
are able to be registered.
To qualify for the semen collection
scheme, stallions must be registered with
their relevant breed society and have an
accurate pedigree covering at least three
generations.
RBST works with two well-known and
highly respected stallion studs: Stallion
AI Services at Whitchurch in Shropshire
and West Kington Stud at Chippenham
in Wiltshire. Both studs have been
specifically chosen because they offer the
highest levels of bio-security, necessary
should there be a need in the future to ship
semen overseas to save a breed,
Although there is no payment to
stallion owners for the semen collection,
RBST covers the cost of the required
pre-entry health checks, livery for the
period that the stallion is at the stud,
generally four weeks, semen collection
and storage and transport or fuel costs up
to £125.00.
Of the semen collected, 55% of
the straws go into a National Archive
maintained by RBST where they will
be kept in long-term storage, 30% are
stored for use in conservation breeding
programmes and 15% are given to the
stallion owner and can be stored on their
behalf, free of charge, by RBST.
For an information pack on the
stallion semen collection scheme,
contact Claire Barber on 024 7669 6551
or email claire@rbst.org.uk.
Stallion AI Services
To walk into a stallion barn at
Stallion AI Services is to walk into
an oasis of calm. Even on a day with
fourteen stallions in residence, all is
calm, quiet and relaxed – quite the
opposite of what many people expect
of any yard with stallions in residence.
For Tullis Matson, who set up this
business on his family’s farm, the
environment that visiting stallions find
themselves in is all-important. He says:
“Owners have reservations about sending
their stallions away, so we do everything
that we can to reassure them that their
horses will be safe and well cared for with
us. The last thing we want is a stressed
horse – or a stressed owner. We pay a lot
of attention to security and monitor the
stallions closely all the time that they are
with us.”
Welfare is of paramount importance. In
total, the unit consists of twenty spacious
and well-ventilated boxes, divided into
three quarantine sections. There are
well-fenced grass turnout paddocks, a
large horsewalker and a lungeing pen.
Individual condition is constantly monitored
and stallions are weighed twice a week.
For additional peace of mind, every
stable is fitted with CCTV cameras so that
the staff can constantly monitor every
horse on the yard – and an added bonus
for owners is that they can log on via the
internet and see the same live footage of
their horse for themselves.
Stallion AI Services is the result of over
20 years of research and development –
work that is still ongoing – but it all started
because of an accident.
After working in racing, Tullis
Matson had returned to Twemlows Hall
in Shropshire to join the family’s stud
business specialising in the breeding of
sport horses. One day, during a routine
covering of a thoroughbred mare by an
Irish Draught stallion, the mare suffered
an internal rupture, which resulted in her
death. Tullis says: “It’s a rare occurrence,
but it can happen and it made me ask
myself if there wasn’t an easier way.
“At that time, although AI was
commonplace for farm livestock, it hadn’t
become established for horses in the
UK partly because there was no training
available for the layman. It is one of the
things that the UK has lagged behind on,
largely because so much breeding here is
focused on the bloodstock industry and AI
wasn’t and still isn’t allowed with horses in
racing.
“In New Zealand, however, AI had been
used on horses for years largely because
the cost of transportation between the
North and South islands for breeding was
so high. My father had bought me a ticket
to New Zealand to study horse breeding as
a 21st birthday present and when out there
I learnt to do AI in horses.”
Tullis returned to Twemlows Hall
Stud and started using AI on their own
horses, gradually offering the service to
other owners. As the business became
established, the number of mares coming
to the stud for AI doubled year on year until
11

Stallion AI Services
around two years ago and there are now
around 400 mares going through annually.
Stallion AI Services is now a major AI
training centre offering one day semen
collection courses and two-day Defra
approved insemination training courses.
Tullis estimates that the centre has trained
about 80% of lay people now qualified to
carry out equine AI.
Although still based adjacent to
Twemlows Hall Stud, which is run by Tullis’s
father Richard and brother Edward, Stallion
AI Services is now a completely separate
business.
Tullis first started freezing semen in
1996, initially in conjunction with Genus
Breeding and has now frozen semen from
between 500 and 600 stallions – including
many rare breeds. He first became
involved with RBST in 2000 and one of
the first rare breeds collections was from
Eriskay stallions which saw semen from
four different bloodlines being collected.
Tullis acknowledges that the concept
of freezing semen is still not fully accepted
by everyone in the horse world. He says:
Tullis Matson in the
Stallion AI laboratory
“What many people do not realise is that
the technology is always evolving. We can
now freeze semen from stallions that we
wouldn’t have been able to do as little as
two years ago. Although in the early days
conception rates were poor we are now
seeing rates in the 80% bracket.
“When we first started only about 60%
of the semen would freeze and we are now
looking at around 90% - the horses haven’t
changed, it’s the technology that’s moved
on and Stallion AI Services have invested
heavily in developing that technology.
“With all collections, whether the semen
is to be used fresh, chilled or frozen, we
assess its viability, filter for quality and, if
necessary, improve the concentration of
live sperm which increases the likelihood of
conception.
“With frozen semen, we also evaluate
samples from each collection post-freezing
by thawing them at 37ºC for 30 seconds
so that we can visually assess motility and
carry out a morphology assessment. This
latter is done by staining the semen so
that dead sperm cells show up red and live
ones green. We then look at 100 live cells
and note the number of normal ones. The
number of live, normal sperm post-thaw in
each dose can then be calculated to form
a clear, objective view of what the end
product will be, whenever in the future it is
thawed.”
For owners of rare breed stallions
looking to sell frozen semen overseas,
Tullis describes the RBST semen
collection programme as “a golden
opportunity”. He says: “Depending
on where you are exporting to, there
are differing requirements for health
testing. While the owner will have to pay
for territory-specific tests, on the RBST
scheme their pre-entry health tests and
livery costs will be paid so the export
costs will be considerably lower. The
owners already receive 15% of the semen
collected, but it would be possible for
them to arrange additional collections for
export while the horses are here.”
For full details of Stallion AI Services
and a detailed description of the semen
freezing process, visit www.stallionai.com
West Kington Stud
A Highland foal belonging to Her Majesty
The Queen, from frozen semen by
Fynedene out of mare Balmoral Curlew
West Kington Stud easily ranks as
one of the top equestrian centres in
the country. Situated 10 miles from
Bath in north Wiltshire, it is set within
1,000 acres of farmland and consists
of stud, stallion centre, competition
yard and farm.
12
West Kington has a long pedigree in
collecting semen for freezing from rare
breed equines: their first collection took
place in the mid 90s from a Shire and an
Exmoor. In that instance, the straws were
for export to Australia and the United
States. Today, they have good stocks from
a number of rare breed horses and ponies,
and freeze both for long-term storage and
for export.
The whole operation is owned by Tim
and Jane Holderness-Roddam. From
the competition yard, horses and riders
compete under the guidance of Jane who
was the first British woman to be part
of a three-day event team, helping take
team gold at Mexico in 1968. One of the
objectives of West Kington is to produce
top competition horses, with an emphasis,
not surprisingly, on eventers.
Tessa Clarke runs the stallion centre,
in conjunction with consultant vet Martin
Boyle and resident vet Chris Shepherd.
Having started her career as an eventing
student, Tessa joined the well-known
Catherston Stud in 1980 where with
dressage expert Jennie Loriston Clarke she
helped pioneer equine AI in the UK. She
joined the Holderness-Roddam team when
they set up the operation in 1995 at a time
when interest in exporting frozen semen
was starting to emerge.
Martin Boyle MRCVS was senior vet at
the TBA Equine Fertility Unit at Newmarket,
specialising in stallion reproduction work
until 1990. In 1992, he set up his own
company, Stallion Reproduction Services,
specialising in collecting and freezing equine
semen. Pioneering its commercial use he
was the first person to export frozen semen.
Although there is the focus on breeding
top-class competition horses, Tessa
Clarke, herself an RBST member, says that
rare and native breeds are very close to
the heart of the whole West Kington team.
She says: “I’m a farmer’s daughter and I
believe we have to look after these animals.
We work with a number of breed societies,

EQUINE
such as the Shires and Suffolks: we
already have good stocks of frozen semen
from heavy horses and have collected from
a wide range of rare and native breeds.”
As well as its key role in enabling
long-term storage for conservation
purposes, West Kington has also seen
its value grow in export markets. Tessa
explains: “There are pockets of native
breeds all over the world, wherever Britain
had colonies. The descendants of those
horses that were taken abroad are still
there and for people who want to maintain
the breeds, the availability of frozen semen
makes it easier to widen the gene pool and
have access to more diverse bloodlines.
“However, while there is a strong
export market for frozen semen from
native breeds, the stud fees are very low
making the collection costs prohibitive for
some owners. Because native and rare
breeds are important to us, we try to help
contain costs where we can and the breed
societies will also offer support. With the
RBST semen collection scheme owners
can also have an opportunity to have
additional semen frozen – and although
this is done at additional cost, the basics
of pre-entry health tests, livery and so on
are covered by the scheme and while they
are with us, the animals are fulfilling the
necessary quarantine requirements.”
With a wealth of experience in handling
rare breeds, the team at West Kington is
skilled at making sure that any stallion in
their care is settled and happy. Tessa’s
motto is “happy horse, happy semen” so
Tim and Jane Holderness
Roddam.
while in residence, stallions stay as close
to their regular regime as possible, whether
this involves being ridden or turned out.
To give an example of the lengths that
the team goes to, Tessa cites a Dales
stallion, who had been specially chosen
by a breeder from the USA for semen
collection. Tessa says: “This pony came
off a Welsh hillside where he was used
to living with his ‘wife’ and that year’s
foal. When he came to us, he became
depressed and quite miserable but as he
represented an important bloodline, the
American breeder was keen to persevere.
We talked to the stallion’s owners and
they agreed to send his mare and foal
to keep him company. After all the
necessary health tests and with approval
from Defra, we installed the three of them
in a private paddock on the farm, away
from all the other stallions where they
lived happily in their established family
group for a month.”
On another occasion, the owner
of a Cleveland Bay visited the stallion
centre to find out what sort of place
he would be sending his horse to. He
arrived, apparently quite nervous, with
a clipboard and long list of questions.
Tessa says: “It turned out that he had
a picture of a place with a very harsh
regime with little individual thought for
the horses. At the end of the visit, he
described what he had found as ‘a
happy, lovely atmosphere’.”
For full details of West Kington Stud’s
services, visit www.westkingtonstud.co.uk.
Shire Trelow Father Abraham and Exmoor
Guinness – the first of each breed to have semen
frozen for export to the USA and Australia.
Tessa Clarke at work in the West Kington
stud laboratory.
An Owner’s Experience
For Julie Anyon, putting her Fell pony
stallion Greenholme Redstart (known as
Reg at home), forward for RBST’s semen
collection programme meant that she “would
have a little bit of Reg for the future”.
Julie has owned Reg since he was a
yearling and while he was a youngster she
did a lot of in-hand showing with him. When
he came in from the field one day with a
swollen hock, she did all of the usual normal
things such as poulticing, the swelling
went down and all seemed well. However,
after he was broken in, he started to suffer
from persistent lameness and veterinary
investigation uncovered the fact that he had
actually suffered a fracture. Although this
had healed, arthritis had set in.
Julie says: “At four years old, it seemed
as though Reg was written off. We had
one mare, which we used Reg to cover
but other than that there wasn’t much we
were able to do with him. Then one day a
lady came to look at one of my brother’s
horses and when she saw Reg she said
‘he’s gorgeous, why don’t you do anything
with him’ We explained and then she told
us about this scheme she had read about
where RBST were collecting semen from
rare breeds stallions. She said that if we put
Reg forward, at least we would have a little
bit of him that we could use in the future if
anything happened.”
Julie and her family contacted RBST
and arranged for Reg to go to Stallion AI
Services. After a preliminary visit, Julie says
that she had no reservations whatsoever
about sending him there, especially as, with
the webcam, she was able to watch him
in his stable from home. During his stay,
Julie’s parents paid a visit and reported that
he seemed to think all of his birthdays had
come at once as he was being so pampered.
Now 8, Reg covers just one or two mares
a year but thanks to the RBST scheme, he is
playing his part in the future conservation of
his breed – and Julie has her own “little bit
for the future”.
13

SHEEP
The Matriarch
Peter Farmer tells the story of one rather special Hebridean ewe
It was April 2 1996 and the weather
was atrocious, with a biting north east
wind and almost horizontal heavy rain. My
in-lamb Hebridean ewes were grazing in
the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey, where we
have a mutual arrangement with friends
Ruth and Roger, who own what is left of
the great Abbey at Dale in Derbyshire: my
sheep keep down the grass and weeds
amongst the remaining column bases and
stonework and in return I get free grazing.
I had observed that my maiden ewe
Anne was about to lamb and she was
searching for a suitably sheltered spot.
She was quite large and from her shape,
I guessed that she was about to bring
twins into the world. As she was a first
time lamber, I decided to stay and monitor
her progress. I didn’t have to wait long as
within half an hour she was beginning to
push and very soon the first lamb began
to emerge.
True to the reputation of her breed
she lambed down without problem or
intervention. Instinctively she turned and
began licking and cleaning the lamb,
pulling the membrane from its face,
allowing it to take its first gasp of air.
The lamb, steaming in the cold evening
air, struggled to its feet and took its
first tentative, wobbly steps, searching
for the teat and its first few gulps of
life-sustaining colostrum. It was obvious
from the size of its horn buds that it was
a ram lamb, and a feisty one at that,
energetically pushing under his mothers
flank to find food.
Anne was immediately besotted with
her lamb, and so attentive that she hardly
noticed the arrival of her second born.
The ram lamb had quickly found his feet
and began to stray, his mother dutifully
14
following on without a second thought for
her other lamb.
I quickly went over and found the lamb
trying to break through the membrane
and draw breath, but it refused to break.
I removed the membrane and picked the
lamb up to take it to her mother. Try as I
might, Anne was having none of it, totally
refusing to have anything to do with her
beautiful but rapidly turning hypothermic
second lamb.
To pursue her further would have been
detrimental, so I wrapped the lamb in my
coat and set off for home. This was our
first orphaned lamb. We had all of the
items we required on stand-by but this
was new territory for us and so it was with
some trepidation that I arrived home.
I wrapped the lamb in a towel and
placed her under the radiator in the utility
room to warm, whilst I set about mixing
up a sachet of colostrum replacer. Our
daughter Caroline decided that what the
lamb really needed was a cuddle and
so sat on the floor against the radiator
cradling the new born in her arms. It took
a lot of patience and persuasion to get the
lamb to take the sticky concoction and
getting the teat into the correct position
was something we learned to do very
quickly. Warmed with a full belly and
now named Edwina, Weenie for short, by
Caroline, the lamb settled down to sleep
in a jumper-lined box.
That night lamb and box were taken
up into our bedroom, and at roughly two
hourly intervals Weenie let us know when
she was hungry. My wife would dig me
in the ribs and murmur “your baby needs
feeding”. Who says romance is dead
The following weekend we were invited
to our niece’s birthday party and I asked
my sister if she minded me bringing
Weenie along, to ensure that she got her
regular feeds. There were no party games
that year as all everyone wanted to do
was cuddle and feed the little black lamb
who stole the show.
At this time, a friend Ruth was training
to become a vicar and she quickly
spotted the opportunity to use Weenie
as a live teaching aid at Sunday school,
in the story of the Good Shepherd.
Weenie made several appearances with
the highlight being when I produced the
bottle to give the children the experience
of feeding a lamb.
As she grew Weenie began to bond
with our elderly collie
cross Abbey. They
would play on the
lawn together until
Abbey had had
enough and tried
to settle down for
a sleep. Weenie
would do no more
than climb up onto
her back and make
herself comfy. Abbey
and Weenie tended
to go everywhere
together and we used
to cause quite a stir
in the village. People would do a double
take when they realised that what they
had first thought was two dogs was in fact
a dog and a lamb.
As she grew stronger I took Weenie
back into the field during the day to
enable her to be with the other lambs.
She soon became self sufficient and
although always pleased to see us she
could sometimes be quite aloof as her rise
to supremacy began.
She was put to the Tup in November
1997 and produced her first single ewe
lamb at the end of March 1998, going
on to produce 16 lambs in 9 breeding
seasons. Throughout her breeding career
Weenie was the matriarch. She kept
everyone in their place, caring for the
underdog and scolding any who stepped
out of line. When we carried out routine
management tasks in the field, Weenie
seamed instinctively to understand what
we were trying to do and would take the
lead. Anywhere Weenie went the rest
would follow.
After lambing she would stand behind
her lambs and gently move them towards
me to allow me to check them over, tag
them and spray their navels. At first I
thought this was just a fluke, but she did it
every time, as if somehow knowing what I
needed to do.
In 2001 I noticed that just before
lambing she formed a very close bond
with one particular ewe. In this year
Weenie lambed a single ram lamb which
did nothing to distract her from her
relationship with the other ewe.
Three days later the other ewe
produced triplets. Weenie was with her
every step of the way and for the first
week or so nursed and fed one of the

Breed Profile –
the Hebridean
Photograph by Richard Barker
three lambs along with her own. I believe
that Weenie had somehow known that the
ewe was carrying triplets and had decided
to step in and assist.
Weenie’s last lambing was in 2008.
She lambed her first, a ewe lamb, with
ease but I soon became aware that all was
not well with the second and that she was
getting into difficulties. My wife Anne is
a qualified midwife and was fortunately
on hand to assist me. It was a ram lamb,
correctly presented but with a rather large
head, big horn buds and one front leg
folded back at the knee. As I knelt down
beside her Weenie appeared to relax and
began to work with me, pushing when
required and the lamb was soon born
successfully.
Anne commented that despite all of
the lambings she had witnessed, to see
how Weenie had relaxed and co-operated
with me was a quite wonderful experience
and something she would not have
missed for the world.
That rather difficult lambing was
the deciding factor and Weenie is now
enjoying her retirement. However,
last year she did not appreciate being
separated from the lambing ewes so I had
to put her back in with them, which made
her much happier.
Something else also happened last
year: Weenie gracefully handed over her
crown to, co-incidentally, another hand
reared ewe, Mollie. Mollie is, if anything,
more friendly than Weenie, often coming
up to me for a chin scratch but whether
she will be able to live up to Weenie, who
is a hard act to follow, only time will tell.
As for Weenie, she now lives back in
the Abbey ruins with a couple of other
oldies and a few ewe lambs, a little stiff in
the mornings but still the same character
that she ever was.
I feel very privileged to have bred and
owned such a wonderful animal and she
will live out her days with dignity in the
place where she was born.
About the author:
A training, development and
management consultant to the furniture
and furnishings industry, Peter Farmer, with
his family, moved to the tiny hamlet of Dale
Abbey in Derbyshire 22 years ago. Already
keeping and breeding Light Sussex poultry, it
was his ambition to own a small flock of rare
breed sheep. He joined RBST and he and
his wife Anne researched the different breeds
to find one the family liked. They settled on
Hebrideans and 16 years ago purchased
three shearling ewes as their foundation
stock. Peter and Anne have worked hard
to improve their flock, using feedback from
showing and card grading, and it now
averages between 40 and 60 sheep, with a
new stock ram being bought every two years
and run for two seasons. They rotational
graze their sheep along with their Dartmoor
pony among the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey
and on the adjacent Abbey Field.
The Hebridean is one of RBST’s many
success stories. In 1973, the breed was in
danger of extinction. Today its numbers are
secured and the breed sits happily in category
6 – Other Native Breeds.
The precise origins of the breed are lost
in the mists of time, but like other North
European breeds, they are most likely
descended from sheep that were brought to
the Western Isles and Highlands of Scotland
by Viking settlers. These sheep would have
been small, most would have horns, some
more than two, they would be hardy and in a
variety of colours.
Towards the end of the 18th and into
the 19th century such small, thrifty sheep
still provided the mainstay for shepherds
in these regions but gradually they were
superseded, with the onset of the agricultural
revolution, development of new breeds and
land clearances, by ‘improved’ breeds such
as the Blackface and the Cheviot. By the
end of the 19th century, these sheep which
had been present in the region for almost a
thousand years had all but disappeared from
the countryside.
At the same time, flocks of Hebridean
sheep, often referred to as St Kilda Sheep,
began to appear in the parklands of large
country estates in Scotland and England.
These sheep were uniformly black in colour.
How and why they came to be on these
estates is a question of speculation but had it
not been for the existence of these parkland
flocks, the breed would not have survived into
the mid 20th century.
Fortunately these parkland flocks
had been virtually feral, with little if any
management and so their characteristics had
probably changed very little. These, selected
over centuries by natural systems, include
hardiness in all weathers, ease of lambing,
milkiness and good mothering instincts. Their
black horned feet are hard, grow slowly and
are resistant to rot, making them particularly
suitable for boggy, peaty conditions. The
breed is used extensively in conservation
grazing
The slow-maturing Hebrideans produce
a rich dark meat which is very lean, with
significantly lower cholesterol content than
most other types of lamb.
www.hebrideansheep.org.uk
15

FARM PARKS
Getting the Balance Right at
Odds Farm
If you were looking for
one phrase that sums up
Steve Vinden’s business
philosophy, it’s probably “if
you have to do something,
just do it as well as you
possibly can”. And it was
with that attitude that Steve
and his wife Jackie set
about establishing Odds
Farm Park, which from
its earliest days has been
one of the RBST Approved
Conservation Farm Parks.
16
Odds Farm is a family business situated
at Wooburn Common near High Wycombe
in Buckinghamshire and was originally
farmed commercially by Jackie Vinden’s
father. Like Jackie, Steve came from a
farming background but neither worked in
farming themselves. Quite the opposite: in
the late 80s/early 90s both were working
in London, Steve in a sales and marketing
role in telecommunications and Jackie with
retailer Laura Ashley.
Both, however, had ambitions to return
to their roots as Steve explains: “The plan
was always to get back to a rural-based
business, but on our own terms which
meant not working for someone else. We
visited a friend who was running a small
farm park and it seemed to us that the
location where Jackie’s parents farmed
would be a good spot for a similar venture,
and what’s more, they were willing for us to
give it a go.”
With their strong business
backgrounds, however, the couple weren’t
prepared to act just on a hunch that they
could make things work. They carried out
a feasibility study with assistance from
ADAS to confirm that there was likely to
be sufficient demand in the area for a farm
park and put together a business plan.
They also turned to RBST founder-member
and farm-park pioneer Joe Henson. Steve:
“From the outset we have made use of
external experience, and Joe Henson was
extremely helpful offering some very sound
consultancy on practical issues such as
layout and fencing. His wife Jill also helped
with general advice including establishing
a shop and telling us the sort of things
that would sell. We also learned a lot from
visiting Joe’s Cotswold Farm Park along
with many others throughout the UK .
The decision to go ahead was made in
1992 and Odds Farm Park began in 1993
with just the front paddocks of Jackie’s
parents’ farm, a few buildings, and a
catering van. At the beginning, the farm
park operated from March to October
with the land and buildings reverting to
commercial farming in the winter months.
However, it quickly became evident that the
farm park could be a year-round operation
and the business grew so that in 1998,
when Jackie’s father retired, Steve and
Jackie took over the whole farm. Today,
Odds Farm Park covers some 35 acres for
the public with the remaining 40 or so acres
dedicated to winter grazing and winter
forage production.
It was always intended that livestock
would be the focus and that it wouldn’t
just be “a theme park with a few animals”.
Rare breeds were also on the agenda from
day one. Steve had always had an interest,
particularly in pigs, and in business terms
he established that rare breeds would
create a proper focus for the farm park.
He says: “Effectively, we found that there
was far more public interest when you can
show distinctive breeds and it would give
us the opportunity of showcasing a good
cross section of the livestock world. There
is also the fact that by getting involved in
rare breeds’ conservation, we are doing
something inherently good.
“Being part of the RBST Approved
Conservation Farm Park scheme was
also helpful to us because at that time

they provided the only standards criteria
available for such an operation. Hats
off to RBST – their inspection system
is responsible for us having had high
standards from the very first year.”
Visitors to Odds Farm have the
opportunity to see a wide range of rare
and native breeds of sheep, goats, cattle,
equines, pigs and poultry plus of course
the essential rabbits and guinea pigs for
petting. The animals spend their time
out in beautifully maintained, spacious
paddocks or in a large undercover area
that recent investment has seen triple in
size. Steve says: “It is important for both
ourselves and our visitors that the livestock
are well looked after, have plenty of space
and are contented and unstressed”.
Working with Steve and Jackie
is a dedicated team of people. On
the business side, Neil Scott and
Steve Wenman look after day-to-day
management while the livestock is the
responsibility of manager Clare Middleton
together with her assistants Mel Cleaver
and Matt Cambridge, plus three full-time
workers and three weekend staff. Added
to that is a large team of people who run
the tea room, gift shop, admin, and also
keep the facilities as good as you would
expect from this award winning visitor
attraction. Steve says: “The whole team is
essential to the management, success, and
future direction of the business”.
Clare Middleton has been at Odds
Farm for seven years. Clare’s first
ambition was to work in a zoo before work
experience on a farm steered her towards
a three-year course at agricultural college
instead.
Interaction with visitors is one of the
things that Clare enjoys about her job and
it gives her the opportunity to share some
of her passion about British farming. She
says: “It’s nice to educate people and
it is really rewarding when someone is
genuinely interested. One of my aims is
to help people understand about farming
and even if only one person goes away and
The Odds Farm team: Steve Wenman, Jackie Vinden, Steve Vinden, Clare Middleton and Neil Scott.
starts to think a bit more about where our
food comes from, we have at least planted
a seed. The same when it comes to
lambing and calving: I never tire of thinking
‘aren’t those people lucky seeing an animal
being born’. In fact, when visitors see one
of our animals give birth they often pop
back to check on progress.”
Education is an important part of
the offering at Odds Farm, but carefully
balanced as Steve explains: “Situated
where we are, we have to remember
that the majority of our visitors are from
urban areas and have no regular contact
with farm animals. Most of the children
who come here have never been within
100 yards of a sheep or a goat. Now, our
staff-led animal activities encourage the
public to enjoy the experience of being
near the animals and learning about them,
so they start to appreciate the world of
farming. To begin with, we were probably
going into things in a bit too much depth,
but you have to adapt to suit the market
and get the balance right between the
animals, the facilities, and how play and
leisure time also fits into a visit.
“We have always invested and
re-invested in the farm park and getting
that right is a fine balance between things
that will work for the business and things
that make a noticeable improvement for the
public. Our buildings were once described
as ‘uninspiring’ because they don’t have
the traditional Victorian farm building look,
so we have to put a lot of work into them,
to make them suit their new purpose such
as extending the barn areas so that there
is plenty of undercover space that is both
draught free and dry.”
Another recent investment is double
fencing for many of the paddocks with the
creation of dedicated animal contact areas
that have adjacent hand-washing facilities
with running water. “It is essential to get the
balance right, so that visitors feel they can
get contact with the animals if they wish,
but that we also manage the health and
safety aspects from all angles.”
The team at Odds Farm have worked
hard to develop a year-round programme
of activities. These include tractor-andtrailer
rides, sheep racing, sheep shearing
and milking demonstrations, a goat show
and meet the animals. To complement
the animal side of the farm, play facilities
have been developed for both outdoor and
indoor areas, including a playbarn, astra
slide, bale climb and soft play area.
With so much on offer, it’s no surprise
that at least 20 per cent of visitors are
annual ticket holders and many more visit
several times a year. Attracting families
has always been a priority and the fact
that Steve and Jackie’s own children Zoe
and Sam were very young when Odds
Farm Park was established has helped
give them an insight into what young
families growing up are looking for. Steve
concludes: “When we were first planning
our business we said that whatever we
did, it had to be done well. We still believe
that, and are taking the business forward
in exactly that way”.
Odds Farm is open daily throughout
the year and full details can be found on
www.oddsfarm.co.uk.
17

WENSLEYDALE
MILLERS OF QUALITY FEEDS
Traditional Crossing Sire -
The Aristocrat of the Longwools
www.wensleydale-sheep.com
Breed Society Annual Show & Sale
Skipton Auction Mart on
Saturday, 4 th September
Telephone The Auction Mart for catalogue:- 01756 792375
Traditional Breeds Show and Sale
Melton Mowbray Market
Show 10 th , Sale 11 th September
Telephone:- 01664 562971
Honorary Secretary
Membership Officer
Dr L Clouder
Mrs B Metcalfe
Telephone:- 01926 633439 Telephone:-01388 777852
pigs · cattle · horses · poultry · ducks
sheep · game · turkeys · goats · rabbits
An extensive range of quality traditional feeds
Rations for animals of every age and size
Designed with smallholders and rare breeds in mind
To find your local stockist please visit
www.marriagefeeds.co.uk
To discuss delivery on more than 1 tonne call
01245 612 000
W & H Marriage & Sons, Chelmer Mills, New Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1PN
CHELFORD – 20
2d ANNUAL SHOW & SALE OF PEDIGREE
RARE & TRADITIONAL BREEDS
Supported Sale in conjunction with the Cheshire Support
Group of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
On Saturday 1th September 20
Sheep, Cattle, Pigs, Horses, Goats, Poultry
Closing date for entries 10th August 20
Entry forms from the Auctioneers:
Chelford Agricultural Centre,
Chelford,
Cheshire
(just
off
M6 J18
or J19)
Tel: 01625
861122 Fax: 01625 860079
e-mail: chelford@frankmarshall.co.uk
18
ELECTRIC FENCER DISCOUNT
SALES AND REPAIRS
Full range of energisers and accessories in stock.
Call anytime for details and price list.
Electric netting with posts all 50 metres in length.
Prices on request.
GA & MJ Strange
Broadfield, North Wraxall, Chippenham,
Wilts SN14 7AD
Tel: 01225 891236 Fax: 01225 891121
POULTRY HOUSING from
LITTLEACRE PRODUCTS
The Practical, Affordable Answer
The Chesford Range
Avery type house and run unit with
personnel access door on the end of the
run. Transport wheels are a standard
feature for ease of moving. External
nesting boxes are fitted to both sides of
the house. The run has wind protection
on two sides as well as a full length roof.
Available in two sizes Junior (illustrated)
8 bird unit 42 inches wide x 122 inches
long. Major 12 bird unit 70 inches wide x
144 inches long.
Priced from £599 £690
LITTLEACRE PRODUCTS,
Botley House, School Lane, Hints, Tamworth B78 3DW Tel: 01543 481312
www.littleacre.com

EVENTS
Save on Tickets
for The National Show
7th - 8th September
Don’t miss out on the
opportunity to save
on your admission
tickets for this year’s
RBST National Show
and Native Breeds
Exhibition at the Dairy
Event & Livestock
Show at the National
Exhibition Centre (NEC).
2010 marks a big change for the event
and will see rare and native breeds taking
a prominent position as part of the 2-acre
Livestock Zone in Hall 16, alongside the dairy
classes, beef displays, sheep and goats.
Being right in the heart of things will give even
more impact to the RBST competitive classes
and will ensure that the best of our breeds
are being shown to a knowledgeable farming
audience. In fact, there has never been a
better opportunity to reach out to the broader
farming community with the message that
there is a place for native and rare breeds in
today’s agricultural world.
With organisers RABDF already reporting
record bookings for stands and increased
space from regular exhibitors, the two-day
event promises to deliver a wealth of
information and experience. There will be a
return of popular technical features including
the Farm Health Planning exhibition, the soil
surgery, livestock equipment and the mixer
wagon demonstrations. New features are
also being introduced including a series
of ruminant nutrition seminars and EID
demonstrations. RBST in conjunction with the
Farmgate Feeds will also be holding a feeding
clinic for native breeds.
One new zone of particular interest to
livestock farmers will be the MeatMakers
Exhibition. Sponsored by EBLEX, a major
highlight of this Zone will be EBLEX’s Better
Returns Programme demonstrating a range
of value-adding opportunities. It will identify
areas for cost saving, using Estimated
Breeding Values (EBVs) and genetic markers
to improve carcass merits, direct selling,
selection for slaughter, meat marketing,
exports, breeding and calf production and
feeding and forage.
Tickets for the Dairy & Livestock
Event are priced at £18 per day but RBST
members can save £6 on the gate price by
ordering tickets through RBST in advance.
To order, please complete and return the
form left.
Ticket Offer
Dairy Event & Livestock Show 2010
Show date: 7th - 8th September Closing date: 26th August
Name: .................................................................................................................................
Address: .............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................
Post Code: ................................................ Tel no: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Membership no: .................................................................................................................
Please send me
Total Price.............................
I enclose a cheque payable to RBST
Card number
Expiry date:
Security no (last 3 digits):
day ticket(s) @ £12 each (one ticket is needed for each day)
Issue date:
or please call with card details to
RBST 02476 696551
Send to RBST,
Stoneleigh Park,
Nr Kenilworth,
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG National Show
or my credit card details are:
19

Notice is hereby given that the 36th Annual General Meeting of
the Rare Breeds Survival Trust will be held at the Arthur Rank
Centre, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2LG on
Thursday 26 August 2010 at 12-30pm for the following purposes:
Company Limited by Guarantee Company No. 1204694
Registered Charity No 269442
Registered Office: Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG
Notice of Annual General Meeting
we have the information available to give a full answer. You
can provide advance notice of your question to the Company
Secretary on or before 23 August 2010 by emailing enquiries@
rbst.org.uk or telephoning 02476 696 551.
Ordinary Business
1. To approve the Minutes of the 35th Annual General Meeting
held on 15 August 2009 (available online at www.rbst.org.uk/
agm or by email from enquiries@rbst.org.uk or by phoning
02476 696 551.)
2. To receive the financial statements for the year ended 31
December 2009 together with the Report of Council and the
Report of the Independent Auditors.
3. To receive the names of newly elected Members of the
Council.
4. To receive the names of the President, Vice Presidents, and
the Vice Chairman of Council
5. To re-appoint the auditors and authorise Council to fix their
remuneration.
6. To consider, and if thought fit, pass the following Resolution
which will be proposed as a Special Resolution:
That the name under which the Trust operates be changed to
RBST. (see below)
7. Any other business
By order of Council
David Leafe
Company Secretary
5 July 2010
Notes
The Trustees are proposing that the name of the Trust be
changed to RBST which is in common use by the membership
and the public at large. The intention is to retain the full name
Rare Breeds Survival Trust and use it when appropriate but to
operate the Trust’s activities under the name RBST which is the
widely accepted name and branding.
A member is entitled to attend and vote at the above meeting or
is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote on his behalf.
To be effective, forms of proxy must be duly completed and
returned so as to reach the Company Secretary, Rare Breeds
Survival Trust, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8
2LG not less than 48 working hours before the time appointed for
holding the meeting, or adjourned meeting as the case may be.
Members are welcome to ask questions but it is helpful if you
let us know your questions in advance so that we can ensure
A buffet lunch will be available after the meeting.
Please inform RBST if you plan to attend the meeting so
that appropriate catering arrangements can be made.
Summarised financial statements
The following report and financial statements are extracts of the
full Annual Report of Council and the Financial Statements which
were approved by Council on 13 May 2010.
The full report and financial statements are available online from
www.rbst.org.uk/agm or by emailing enquiries@rbst.org.uk or by
phoning 02476 696 551.
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Extract from the Annual Report of Council for the year
ended 31 December 2009
Council
The members of Council at 31 December 2009 were:
T A D Brigstocke - Chairman
M T Anderson
W R Barker - co-opted
Mrs F R L Byatt
A F Chambers
K J Cooper - Treasurer
Mrs S A Cooper
Mrs Y Froehlich
Mrs P Holloway
P W King
Mrs S Mansell
Mrs P A McLaughlin
Mrs V Mills
Dr R W Small
Mrs J A Todhunter
D Watson – co-opted
Review of the year
Each year brings new challenges for the Trust and 2009 has been
no exception.
The last report flagged up the problems that Bluetongue disease
might bring and thankfully there has been no major outbreak.
Electronic Identification in Sheep (EID) is being introduced and
RBST arranged a discount for members to buy tags.
Council has debated the merits of expanding the Trust’s remit
to include Native breeds. It has decided that rebranding is not
necessary and that any move to extend the remit needs careful
consideration. In the meantime RBST should celebrate the
success story breeds which have come off the Watchlist and
continue to offer support to them.
The Breeds at Risk Register (BARR) contract with Defra has been
extended to 2011 and the threshold levels removed so animals can
be registered regardless of how many are owned. This represents
the best protection if the UK is hit with another outbreak of FMD
20

or similar. The Government has advanced plans to introduce
Responsibility and Cost Sharing (RCS) which will raise money from
livestock owners to be used against the costs of fighting outbreaks
of livestock diseases. RBST will make submissions to Defra about
the impact of RCS on owners of small numbers of animals and will
liaise with other groups affected.
At the 2009 Dairy Event and Livestock show at Stoneleigh
RBST had a good turnout of animals and took the opportunity
to demonstrate its role to commercial livestock producers. The
2010 Show at the NEC offers the Trust a chance to be even more
integrated into the show and have a higher profile. Rare breeds
do enjoy good publicity through TV programmes like Countryfile
but in addition the Trust receives regular requests from all sectors
of the media for help with articles mentioning and featuring rare
and native breeds.
Membership has held-up reasonably well in 2009 with in excess
of 7,000 members. It is worth reflecting that RBST has more
members than any breed society or the specialist farming
organisations (NSA, NBA, RABDF, etc). Every membership
organisation suffers with non-renewals and despite the slowing
general economic climate it is pleasing to report that RBST
numbers have not changed significantly.
Council appointed Tim Brigstocke as Executive Chairman late in
2009 to continue the drive to achieve the objectives published in
The Way Forward strategy paper.
RBST has re-acted to concerns about its relationships with
breed societies and members by appointing two field officers
– Ruth Dalton for the north and Richard Broad for the south.
The feedback from Support Groups and others about these
new officers has been very positive and encouraging. Other
changes have seen the appointment of David Leafe as General
Manager to run the head office. These changes took place in
early 2010.
Total income of £620,000 was similar to 2008. Membership
subscriptions, including gift aid, were £180,000, 28% of the total.
The Trust is grateful to its many supporters and donors, and also
to legatees, who between them contributed £128,000 (21%);
this amount included bequests of £69,000. Investment income
was £113,000 (19%) and represents a return of over 4% on the
portfolio. The balance of the income comes from conservation
projects and activities to generate funds.
Expenditure totalled £650,000 of which 55% or £356,000 was
spent on conservation projects and programmes. This included
grants to various breed societies including the Northern
Dairy Shorthorns, Manx Loaghtan sheep, Middle White Pigs,
Portland sheep and the Castlemilk Moorit sheep. In addition
the White Park Cattle Society received £8,000 which has
utilised the remainder of its restricted fund. Governance costs
were £51,000 and the remainder of the costs were spent to
generate funds. Governance costs rose in the year as the Trust
remodelled its constitution adopting new Articles of Association
and concluded a staff restructuring which involved the use of
professional advisers.
This meant that the Trust experienced Net outgoing resources
for the year of £30,000. The revival of the stock market saw the
portfolio’s value rise by £383,000 and this combined to increase
the reserves by £353,000 which at the year end totalled £2.9m of
which £27,000 was held in a restricted fund.
Plans for the future
In 2010 RBST will continue to pursue the objectives identified
in The Way Forward and specifically will be targeting how it can
translate ideas into practicalities which fit in with its charitable
objectives and can generate funds to expand its work, its
research programmes and its role in educating the public about
the merits of rare breeds. A working group is exploring how best
to promote rare, and native, breeds to the benefit of the Trust and
its members.
As part of this RBST needs to carefully explain to Government
and others that smallholders and native breeds can help sustain
agriculture in the days ahead, and it needs to promote this
message widely and beyond the membership. RBST benefits
from a very strong and active support group network which can
be really helpful in this regard.
Statement of financial activities
(incorporating an Income & Expenditure account)
For the year ended 31 December 2009
2009 2008
Incoming resources from generated funds
Voluntary income 361,767 387,337
Activities for generating funds 47,104 49,709
Investment income 112,887 113,386
Total incoming resources from generated funds 521,758 550,432
Incoming resources from charitable activities 97,913 80,315
Total incoming resources 619,671 630,747
Resources expended
Costs of generating funds 193,690 222,875
Charitable activities 405,086 471,208
Governance costs 51,008 19,943
Total resources expended 649,784 714,026
Net outgoing resources (30,113) (83,279)
Gains/losses realised on investments (621) 5,838
Realised deficit/gain for the financial year (30,734) (77,441)
Unrealised gains/losses on investments 383,511 (775,760)
Fund balances at 1 January 2,603,104 3,456,305
Fund balances at 31 December £ 2,955,881 £ 2,603,104
Continues>
21

Notice of Annual General Meeting (continued)
Balance sheet at 31 December
2009 2008
Heritage assets – National Archive Gene Bank - -
Tangible fixed assets 147,507 165,759
Investments 2,612,454 2,217,424
Net current assets 198,020 219,921
Total assets less current liabilities 2,957,981 2,603,104
Creditors - falling due beyond one year (2,100) -
Total assets £ 2,955,881 £ 2,603,104
Represented by
Regeneration - restricted fund 15,000 -
White Park Cattle - restricted fund - 7,811
Van Peperzeel -restricted fund 11,852 14,788
Archive Gene Bank - designated fund 2,000,000 2,080,000
General - unrestricted fund 929,029 500,505
£ 2,955,881 £ 2,603,104
Independent Auditors’ statement to the Council of Rare
Breeds Survival Trust
Respective responsibilities of Council and the auditor
Council are responsible for preparing the summarised financial
statements in accordance with applicable United Kingdom law
and the recommendations of the charities SORP.
Our responsibility is to report to you our opinion on the
consistency of the summarised financial statements with the full
annual financial statements and Trustees’ Annual Report.
We also read other information contained in the summarised
annual report and consider the implications for our report if
we become aware of any apparent misstatements or material
inconsistencies with the summarised financial statements.
We conducted our work in accordance with Bulletin 2008/3
issued by the Auditing Practices Board.
Opinion
In our opinion the summarised financial statements are
consistent with the full annual financial statements and Council’s
Annual Report of Rare Breeds Survival Trust for the year ended
31 December 2009.
We have examined the summarised financial statements for the
year ended 31 December 2009 set out on pages 20-22.
Dafferns LLP
Statutory Auditors
Warwick House
32 Clarendon Street
Leamington Spa, CV32 4PG 13 May 2010
Form of Proxy
I .....................................................................................................
of ..................................................................................................
At the Annual General Meeting to be held on the 26th August 2010
For
Against
in the County of ............................................................................
being a voting member of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, hereby
appoint either the Chairman of the Meeting *,
or ..................................................................................................
of ……………………………………… as my proxy to vote on my
behalf at the Annual General Meeting of the Trust to be held on
the 26th August 2010 and at any adjournment thereof.
This form is to be used to vote in favour of or against the
resolutions as shown below. Unless otherwise instructed, the
proxy will vote as he/she thinks fit.
Member’s name - please print
Member’s signature
Member’s membership number
* Delete ‘Chairman of the Meeting’ in the above if you wish to
appoint a named proxy
1. To receive the Annual Report of Council and
Accounts for the year ended 31st December 2009.
2. Re-appoint the auditors and authorise the council to
fix their remuneration.
3. To change the name under which the Trust operates
to RBST.
Please ensure that you sign this form and quote your
membership number otherwise it will not be a valid proxy.
Completed forms should be returned to RBST on or before
20th August 2010 by posting them to:
Council Election
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
FREEPOST
Stoneleigh Park
Kenilworth
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
22

Members standing for election to Council
Fiona Byatt
I have been a member of RBST and an active
member of both the Essex and East of England
support groups for 23 years. I believe that the support
group structure is an integral part of the success of
RBST, and I have held the posts of treasurer and
merchandise officer in my local group.
Support group activities, such as the selling of
merchandise and breeders exhibiting their livestock
are important elements in promoting the existence
and work of RBST and enable all RBST members
to get involved. I regularly attend shows, both as
an exhibitor and manning the RBST stand. I breed
Teeswater sheep and Scots Grey chickens, and also
keep horses. I have previously bred turkeys and geese
and kept pigs.
Although I sell my stock at the nearest regional
sale, I believe that the regional sales have not, and
cannot, replace a National Show and Sale as an
essential and vital forum both for the exchange of
stock and socially.
I have been treasurer of the local branch of the
Pony Club and the local smallholders’ society for a
number of years and hold a City & Guilds Diploma
in agricultural accounts. Through my career in IT, I
have professional expertise as a business/systems
analyst in the retail, insurance and central government
sectors. RBST is in an exciting and challenging phase
with opportunities to influence both farming and
government policy.
I wish to continue to represent and support the
views of members and support groups. I believe my
long involvement with support groups and breeding
rare breeds will enable me to strengthen the link
between members and RBST. I would also like to
use my business skills to help support the aims and
objectives of RBST. During my time on Council, I have
served on the Finance, Communications, Executive
and Dairy Event & Livestock Show committees.
Fiona has been a member of Council since June
2004. She is standing for re-election and is proposed
by Viki Mills and seconded by Arthur Green.
Tony Chambers
I have spent over 40 years in the Automotive
industry as a professional design engineer / manager
/ director, the last ten years responsible for teams in
Germany and Sweden. I gained an MSc in project
management from Lancaster University in 1995. I am
currently a part-time consultant working in Europe and
Scandanavia
My professional strengths lie in my managerial
experience, knowledge of personnel management,
finance/IT,my strategic vision and, whilst making
independent judgement, my ability to comfortably
work effectively as a member of a team.
I became involved with rare breeds in 1992 and
under the guidance of a neighbour, Cate Mack, I
bought four Hebrideans at the Stoneleigh Show and
Sale. Increase in sheep numbers (now 80) resulted in
additional land and more recently the addition of a Fell
pony. The initial learning curve was a steep one, but
over the years increased enthusiasm for rare breeds,
conservation and preservation of our heritage, resulted
in my seeking and gaining election to the RBST
Council in 2004. My reason for applying still stands
today – “I want to make a difference” and whilst
significant improvements have been achieved there is
still much to do.
I hope that members who have worked with me
on Council over the past six years will recognise
my ability to work professionally, at a strategic level
but also, effectively to represent and relate to the
views of members. Whilst my contribution to ‘The
Way Forward’ document did much to broaden my
understanding of the organisation, I hope that by
responding to the views of members, the Council
have created a dynamic document which has helped
members understanding of the Trust and their valued
role in it.
I feel strongly that Support Group members should
fully understand and relate to the aims and objectives
of the RBST and with increased devolved responsibility
recognise the value of their contribution to the work
of the Trust . As a rare breed owner I recognise and
relate to the problems and isolation experienced by
many members in Support Groups - as a Council
Member it gives me the opportunity to act as a
facilitator/enabler and to be a feedback mechanism
between the Trust and the Membership.
Tony has been a member of Council since June
2004. He is standing for re-election and is proposed
by Tim Brigstocke and seconded by Ken Cooper.
Jeff Clarke
I’m 32 years old and live with my wife and young
family on the family farm near Rugby, Warwickshire. I
have been a keeper of rare breed sheep since the age
of 7 and a member of RBST since the age of 8. I farm
commercial sheep and cattle but have a passion for all
rare breeds and keep Manx Loaghtan sheep and have
for the past three years been chairman of the Manx
Loaghtan Sheep Breeders’ Society. With my wife
Ann-Marie we own approximately 400 Manx and our
flock is always growing. Last year I became the keeper
of two Northern Dairy Shorthorn cattle for the RBST
and also keep a small herd of Dexter Cattle which run
with my commercial herd.
I believe I can help RBST achieve its objectives
by offering not only my knowledge of rare breeds but
also bring to the table my passion for all rare breeds
to thrive, and to work with people to achieve the best
possible way to succeed. I also bring a wealth of
knowledge having run the family farm for the past 10
years. All of these combined I believe stand me on
good stead to sit on the Council
Jeff is standing for Council for the first time. He
is proposed by Philip Davies and seconded by G W
Hayes.
Ken Cooper
I am a semi retired corporate manager and only
commenced my active farming career after supporting
my son through veterinary school. My wife and I have
been members of RBST and the Wiltshire Group
since 1998. I was Chairman of the Wiltshire Group for
two years until 2009 and I have been RBST National
Treasurer for the last two and a half years. We farm
over 100 acres and endeavour to do this commercially
breeding Traditional Hereford and Gloucester cattle
and five native breeds of sheep. We have organised
an agricultural show for the last 12 years incorporating
the RBST Festival from 2007.
My aim when taking on the role of Treasurer was
to strengthen the management of the Trust and ensure
its income exceeded expenditure. This was almost
achieved last year for the first time in 8 years.
I believe the Trust should provide a service to its
members representing their interests at the highest
level, should be the lead body to protect the genetic
interests of our native breed farm animals, should
ensure the full financial benefits of maintaining native
breeds should pass to members, and should provide a
range of relevant benefits to members.
I believe my greatest contribution to the Trust
would be to ensure its strategy and business
philosophy were appropriate. I do not have any great
skills in genetics and my animal husbandry skills have
only been acquired by the practical necessities of the
care and breeding of animals on our farm. However, I
believe I can encourage the direction of these abilities
in others to the benefit of the Trust.
Ken was co-opted to Council in August 2008
and was then appointed by Council in 2009 to fill a
casual vacancy of an elected position. Ken is standing
for election and is proposed by Tim Brigstocke and
seconded by Tony Chambers.
Peter King
I joined RBST in the late 1970’s and subsequently
became the first Field Officer for eight years before the
post was axed in 2001. I am now pleased that we have
now reinstated and expanded this role. On Council
since 2002, I am currently Vice Chairman elect and
have decided to seek re-election one year earlier than
required in order that my new term would match the
three year duration of the Vice Chairmanship.
I have knowledge of RBST as a former employee
and current Trustee, giving me a wide viewpoint
which, with my knowledge of RBST history, provides a
valuable perspective as RBST moves forward. I bring
an international link through the European Livestock
Association (ELA). I am Chairman of ELA and this has
enabled me to broker political and animal-health links
with key players in Europe.
On the home front I have bred Traditional Hereford
Cattle, Castlemilk Moorit sheep and poultry alongside
equestrian interests linked to my business and to a
daughter who rides competitively. I am working on
the development of Native Breeds as part of ‘The
Way Forward’, and on initiating fundraising. With your
support I look forward to maintaining RBST’s leading
role in its field.
Peter has been a member of Council since June
2002. He is standing for re-election and is proposed
by Peter Titley and seconded by Jonathan Croke.
Caroline Lewis
I am passionate about protecting, promoting and
securing the future of our native breeds. Together
with my husband Barry, I manage our flock of Manx
Loaghtan, Castlemilk Moorit and Hebridean sheep
which we have developed over the last two decades
at our smallholding on the borders of Warwickshire
and Northamptonshire. This life enriching, demanding
hobby brings a welcome and valued contrast to
my professional career. In common with so many
RBST members, with an enquiring mind, hard work
and commitment, I have graduated from novice
to knowledgeable smallholder farmer, breeder,
exhibitor and now Manx Loaghtan Sheep Breeders’
Group Committee Member and listed Judge. My
membership of the RBST has provided me with
access to specialist advice, information and support. I
have been encouraged in recent years by the RBST’s
commitment to and development of a real dialogue
with both individual members and breed societies. I
want to work more closely with the RBST generally
and be part of that link. I have understanding and
compassion for those members who are primarily not
farmers and who work so hard for our native breeds
and equally have come to appreciate very deeply the
outstanding contribution made by commercial farmers
in this quest.
I am an enthusiastic, energetic, driven, high
achieving individual with 20 years of senior
management experience specialising in Human
Resources, rising to Board membership with a regional
multi-office heavyweight law firm. I have very high
standards and everything I commit to do, I do well.
My passion for and work with rare breeds starts with
but is not limited to the sheep I own. The strategic
and operational skills which I have developed are
transferable to making a valuable contribution to
the Trust in enabling it to formulate, refine and meet
23

Members standing (continued)
its strategic objectives. Professionally I operate in
an environment governed by risk management and
compliance and as a former Governor of a Public
School with charity status have an understanding
of charity governance. Working to a Business
Plan, similar to the Trust’s aims and objectives, I
have successfully led the firm through a number of
nationally recognised Quality Standards. I have a
proven track record as a strategic thinker, underpinned
by professional training for an MBA coupled with
practical application. A skilled communicator both
orally and able to demonstrate a high standard of
written English, Colleagues on other Committees and
professionally comment favourably on my keen sense
of humour.
Caroline is standing for Council for the first time.
She is proposed by Suzanne Taylor and seconded by
Caroline Kellner.
Janet Todhunter
I have been a member of RBST for 30 years
and have been active as a Trustee and a local
officer. I am Secretary of RBST Lancashire and act
as a national convenor across the Support Groups
network. I believe that local RBST Groups play an
important role in promoting RBST’s work at a range
of events throughout the year and I am determined
to ensure that their voice is heard at the centre of the
organisation.
To finance my passion for rare breeds I am
employed as an Animal Health Officer for the
Executive Agency Animal Health with over 20 years
experience. This brings me a working knowledge
of the wider agricultural industry and underlines the
important part played by our native breeds. My work
involves the control and prevention of disease and all
aspects of legislation affecting livestock.
I am President of the Gloucester Cattle Society
and have a small herd of Gloucester cattle. I promote
this breed and others at shows across a wide area of
the country. I attend many sales, meetings and AGM’s
where I meet and listen to the diverse views of many
fellow RBST members.
I feel I can bring my knowledge, expertise
and common sense from both my work, which
encompasses all areas of the livestock industry on a
daily basis; and my personal association with many
members over the years, to contribute with effect, to
the aims and objectives of the RBST.
I will try to ensure that the views and wishes of
all the members are comprehensively represented;
and promote productive communication between all
members and the RBST.
I believe that all members are of equal importance.
I also believe that social events encourage, educate
members, and contribute enormously to the fellowship
of the RBST in many ways.
My last 6 years as a member of Council has given
me a greater understanding of the working of the
RBST. With your support, I look forward to continuing
to be a positive voice in RBST Council
Janet has been a member of Council since June
2004. She is standing for re-election and is proposed
by David Bradley and seconded by Arthur Green.
Council members continuing in
office after the AGM
Martin Anderson Retires by rotation in 2012
Tim Brigstocke Retires by rotation in 2011
Sheila Cooper Retires by rotation in 2011
Yvonne Froehlich Retires by rotation in 2012
Pat Holloway Retires in 2011 *
Sandra Mansell Retires in 2012 *
Pat McLaughlin Retires by rotation in 2012
Viki Mills Retires by rotation in 2011
Richard Small Retires in 2011 *
Tim Brigstocke was appointed by Council in 2009
to fill a casual vacancy of an elected position.
Previously he had been a co-opted member.
* not eligible for re-election having completed 9 or
more years continuous service on Council.
Richard Barker and David Watson are co-opted
members of Council until the AGM. Council has
the power to co-opt up to four members to its
body for a period up to the following AGM.
Voting Form - Council Elections 2010
On this and the previous page you would have read statements
from the candidates who have been nominated for election to
Council. Council members act as non-executive directors of
the Trust and as Charity Trustees. Seven members have been
nominated and there are five vacancies.
Candidate
Fiona Byatt
X
to vote
Please vote by putting X against the names of up to FIVE
candidates.
If you are a Joint member and require a second ballot paper
please photocopy this form or request a copy from the Trust by
email to enquiries@rbst.org.uk or phone 02476 696551.
Please ensure that you sign this form and quote your
membership number otherwise it will be considered a
spoilt vote.
Completed forms should be returned to RBST on or before
20th August 2010 by posting them to:
Council Election
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
FREEPOST
Stoneleigh Park
Kenilworth
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
The results of the election will be announced at the Annual
General Meeting on 26 August 2010.
Tony Chambers
Jeff Clarke
Ken Cooper
Peter King
Caroline Lewis
Janet Todhunter
Voter’s name - please print
Voter’s signature
Voter’s membership number
24

Heritage Lottery Grant
for Grazing Skills Training
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has
awarded a grant of £260,121 under its
fiercely contested Skills for the Future
programme to GAP to set up and run a
national three-year conservation grazing
apprenticeship scheme.
Called the ‘Heritage Grazing Project’,
the scheme will offer six and twelve
month placements with leading traditional
livestock farms and grazing schemes. The
placement hosts will be expected to offer
apprentices a mix of ‘on-the-job’ work
experience as well as instruction in the
practical skills associated with conservation
and extensive grazing. All the training
placements will receive a bursary to meet
their living expenses, ongoing mentoring
support and will attend a GAP training
course as part of their induction training.
The Heritage Lottery Fund’s Skills
for the Future programme is supporting
heritage organisations across the UK to
create new training places. Grants range
from £100,000 to £1million for a number
of traineeships with an emphasis on
high-quality work-based training. The
programme will help equip organisations
to engage with the widest possible range
of people and inspire them to get involved
with heritage.
Tom Cairns, The Grazing Advice
Partnership’s Development Manager said
“GAP is embarking upon this ambitious
programme of work in the firm belief
that the future of much of Britain’s most
cherished wildlife, landscape and cultural
assets is dependent upon the availability of
traditional livestock management skills that
are currently under threat. “
The Heritage Grazing Project will
be aimed particularly at young adults
and placements, which are likely to
commence in early 2011, will be arranged
across the country in a variety of different
environmental situations and grazing
systems. The progress of the project will
be closely monitored so that good practice
can be recorded and made available to as
wide an audience as possible.
GAP
On-Line
Guide to
Woodland
Grazing
The Woodland Grazing Toolbox
has been put together by the Forestry
Commission as a guide for developing a
woodland grazing plan.
The plan is designed for woodland
owners, managers and farmers
seeking to manage their woodland to
achieve biodiversity and/or cultural
heritage objectives using livestock as a
management tool.
There are eight sections which each
correspond to a section of the woodland
grazing plan and include defining habitat
types, assessing habitat condition and
herbivore impact, determining biodiversity
objectives and grazing regimes.
The toolbox is available on the Forestry
Commission Scotland website at
www.forestry.gov.uk/woodlandgrazingtoolbox
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Traditional & Native
Breeds
8th National
Show and Sale
September 10th & 11th 2010
held under the auspices of participating Breed Societies
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO
PARTICIPATED IN LAST YEAR’S SHOW AND
HELPED TO MAKE IT A GREAT SUCCESS
Also Poultry & Waterfowl show & sale
Saturday 11th Sept 2010
For further details please contact:
Melton Mowbray Market, Scalford Road,
Melton Mowbray, LE13 1JY
Tel: 01664 562971 ~ Fax 01664 561153
email: sales@meltonmowbraymarket.co.uk
www.meltonmowbraymarket.co.uk
Calling Keen Photographers
Keen photographers still have time to demonstrate their skills
in a competition launched this summer by the Grazing Advice
Partnership (GAP). With a closing date of July 30, ‘Grazed Light’
aims to celebrate the role that native breeds of farm livestock play
in conserving our natural environment, landscape and cultural
history.
With prizes of £500, £250 and £100 plus a year’s free RBST
membership and the option of a free place on a GAP training
course, the free-to-enter competition is open to anyone who does
not substantially earn their living from photography. Winning
entries will be featured on the GAP website and in its quarterly
newsletter, The Grazier, and will be published in The Ark.
To qualify for entry, photographs
should depict native breeds of UK
farm livestock grazing on natural or
semi-natural vegetation. Entries must be
in digital format only and entrants may
submit up to six different images, taken
in the UK within three years of the closing
date of the competition.
For full rules of the competition, visit
www.grazingadvicepartnership.org.uk
GAP is a partnership of RBST, Natural England,
The National Trust and Defence Estates
Tel: 01666 511304
www.grazingadvicepartnership.co.uk
25

PIGS
Good News For GOS
Gloucestershire Old Spots (GOS) pork
has become only the second product to
gain accreditation under the Traditional
Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) classification of
Protected Food Names. It joins the growing
list of British food and drinks to have gained
specially protected status throughout
Europe.
The announcement was made by
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman
at the Three Counties Show. Making the
announcement, she said: “It’s great to
be here to celebrate the unique quality of
another one of our delicious traditional
foods. Gloucestershire Old Spots pork
thoroughly deserves the status and
protection offered to it throughout Europe.”
The GOS is the first breed of any species
in the world to achieve TSG status. Not
only does the successful application state
that the pigs have to be registered pedigree
and be fully identified, it also stipulates
that the pigs must be kept in non-intensive
conditions and delivered to local abattoirs to
avoid excessive food miles.
Dave Overton, President of the
Gloucestershire Old Spots Pig Breeders’
Club said: “This has come about after
a great deal of work and effort both by
ourselves and the small team at Defra. For
the Gloucestershire Old Spots breed to be
the first of any species in the world to be
granted TSG status throughout Europe is a
significant achievement and will help us to
ensure that the integrity of the special meat
from these pigs is maintained and that the
public can be sure of a real treat when they
purchase it in future.
“Numbers of the breed have increased
significantly in recent years on the back of
its special eating qualities and it is important
that the public have this protection to ensure
they are not duped by unscrupulous traders
passing off other meats as GOS produce.”
The confirmation of TSG status marked
the end of an 11-year campaign by the
Gloucestershire Old Spots Pig Breeders
Club and involved their obtaining scientific
L to r: Anne Nicholls, Vice Chairman of
the GOSPBC, Dave Overton, President,
Environment Secretary Carol Spelman and
Richard Lutwyche, Treasurer.
proof that their product was distinctly
different. Funding for the majority of this
was provided by Defra, RBST and the
Traditional Breeds Meat Marketing Co
Ltd. The study was carried out by Prof Jeff
Wood at the Food Research Unit at Bristol
University who wrote after completing his
comprehensive report: “The differences
between GOS and the meat from two
supermarkets were as big as anything I have
seen by breed differences.”
Pigs on Show
For pig enthusiasts, three significant dates are coming up in
September.
First to go is the Pedigree Welsh Pig Society which will be holding
its second Annual Show and Sale at Beeston Castle in Cheshire. This
is followed by the British Lop Pig Society’s Annual Show and Sale at
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and the British Pig Association/RBST
Show and Sale at Ross-on-Wye.
The Cheshire event follows a highly successful Show and Sale
of Pedigree Welsh and Other Modern Breeds of Pig at the same
venue in 2009. It will also be the venue for the finals of the PWPS
Champion of Champions competition.
Showing will take place on Friday September 3, followed by the
AGM and then a supper in the restaurant. The sale will be the next
day, commencing at 10.30am. There are classes for sows with litter,
in-pig gilts, maiden gilts and boars. Entries close on 31st July 31.
The British Lop Show and Sale is held in conjunction with the
Annual Show and Sale of Traditional Breeds on September 10
and 11. The Lop is the rarest of all native breeds and will be the
only breed of pig at Melton. British Lop Society secretary Frank
Miller says: “Last year there was a top price of 1050 guineas with
an average of 270gns and there is still a good demand, which is
difficult to fill.”
Showing is on Friday afternoon and the finals of the Lop of the
Year competition are held on Saturday morning, followed by the sale,
starting at 11.00am.
The BPA/RBST show and sale takes place at Ross-on-Wye
Auction Mart on Saturday October 2. There will be classes for all
pedigree breeds including rare breeds. Recent sales have seen good
quality breeding stock of all breeds in great demand with Berkshires,
Large Blacks, British Saddlebacks, Middle Whites, Gloucestershire Old
Spots, Welsh and Oxford Sandy and Blacks all keenly sought after.
Further details and entry forms for Cheshire and Melton
Mowbray can be obtained by sending a 9” x 6” sae to Frank Miller,
Farm Five, The Moss, Whixall, Shropshire SY13 2PF. Schedules and
catalogues for Ross are available from the BPA on 01223 845100,
bpa@britishpigs.org or www.britishpigs.org.
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26

CATTLE
After more than 200 years, ‘Blossom’, a
Gloucester cow, is once more a subject of
scientific experiment. Although a little dusty
now, Blossom boasts a significant role in
the development of the vaccine which two
centuries after her death resulted in the
eradication of smallpox.
Blossom’s story begins with
Gloucestershire doctor Edward Jenner
who from the early days of his career had
been intrigued by the country lore that said
people who caught cowpox from their cows
could not catch smallpox.
In May 1796, a dairymaid, Sarah
Dr Ian Barnes of Royal
Holloway University of
London taking a sample
from Blossom’s hide.
‘Blossom’s’ Role in
Medical History
Nelmes, consulted Jenner about a rash on
her hand which he diagnosed as cowpox.
Sarah confirmed that one of her cows, a
Gloucester named Blossom, had recently
had cowpox and Jenner realised that this
was his opportunity to test out the theory.
He chose the son of his gardener, making
a few scratches on the 8-year old’s arm
and rubbing in some material from the
pocks on Sarah’s hand. A few days later
the boy became mildly ill with cowpox but
quickly recovered. Jenner then variolated
the boy – exposing him to smallpox. The
boy survived and Jenner went on to carry
out more experiments to test immunisation,
confirming his original theory that cowpox
did, indeed, protect against smallpox.
Blossom became a local celebrity
and lived out her honourable retirement
in Berkeley in Gloucestershire. After her
death, Jenner hung her hide in his coach
house and his family later gave it to St
George’s Hospital in London, where Jenner
had originally studied.
With the Edward Jenner Museum
celebrating the 30th anniversary of the
official declaration by the World Health
Organisation of the worldwide eradication of
smallpox, St George’s Hospital has raised
money to restore Blossom’s hide. They plan
to take DNA from the hide and then try to
match up her horns, of which there are five
sets claimed to have belonged to Blossom.
As President of the Gloucester Cattle
Society, RBST Trustee Janet Todhunter
has been asked to verify that Blossom is,
indeed, a Gloucester. Janet says: “Bearing
in mind that the hide has been nailed to
a wall for the past 200 and some years, it
does look remarkably like Gloucester cattle
seen in pictures painted in the late 1700s.
The Gloucester Cattle Society has claimed
her anyway and is very proud of Blossom”.
In its publicity, the Museum says: “The
charting of the cow genome has come a
long way in the past few years and it is an
exciting time as the Blossom hide is the
first move towards collecting data from
old hides. Once again, Blossom is at the
cutting edge of science!”
Cattle
Semen for Sale from the RBST
Semen from the following breeds and bulls are available from Genus by calling
0870 162 2000 or jwilliam@genusbreeding.co.uk. Straws cost £9.50 inc VAT
plus a consignment fee of £4.50 inc VAT. Further details are also available on
the RBST website under the Stock Exchange.
Aberdeen Angus
Emperor of Newark
Lincoln Red (Traditional)
Donnington Trooper
Market Stainton Fascination
Walmer Prince
Whitehouse Robin
Red Poll
Underhills Horatio
Wheatfield Duke Nigel
Beef Shorthorn
Pennan Winchester
Kerry
Arford Dicon
Audumla Samuel
Ballyconnel Jim Bob
Bemborough Murphy
Castlelough Albert
Oro Andy
Shetland
Garths Adonis
Hengae Fearsome
St Trinians Lawrie
St Trinians Mansie
Stanemore Odin
Northern Dairy Shorthorn
Cannsmill Snowball
Castiles Delson
Lords Just Right
Winbrook Atom 2nd
Gloucester
Doynton Viscount
Hasbro Maximillian
Kemerton Jan Vermeer
Noent Colour Sargent
Templeson Oliver
Irish Moiled
Argory Edward
Glassdrummond Defender 2nd
Whitebred Shorthorn
Corire Reiver
Murtholm Parky
Spoutbank Gay Gordon
Hereford (Traditional)
Bodenham Energy
Freeby Laird
Gwastard Fergus
Llandinabo Mackie
Llandinabo Pop
Llandinabo Quirk
Westlake Leo
Westlake Lysander
White Park
Ash Michael
Dynevor Calibre
Dyenvor Rampant
Nemea Albion
Smoile Albion
Smoile Butler
Toddington Adam
Toddington Daniel
Pigs
Semen is available by mail order from
Deerpark AI Station. Cost £20.00+P&P
(three inseminations including catheters)
to be sent next day delivery. Call 028 7938
6287 or visit www.deerpark-pigs.com for
further details.
Berkshire
Fairoaks Peter Lad 4 CIM 292A
Gracebank Orlando 2 BTS 130
Applegarth Nama Able NAE 142
British Saddleback
Blewett Prefect 86 SGX 86
Large Black
Sock Attempt 15 SOK 3106
Bilgrim Defender 14
Gloucestershire Old Spots
Windmill Patrick 6 HCR 1348
Alsa Gerald 451 KCE 451
Tamworth
Rosser Dream Boy
Stoneymoor Royal Standard 6 HCE 395
Welsh
Birdcombe Emperor 45 WYR 45
Middle White
Lakeview Captain 1 TBH 1
Westham Mischief 567 CVM 567
27

CATTLE
Revival in Embryo
Embryo transfer calf Bradden
Delsons Delight with surrogate
mother, belonging to Messrs
Oliver and du Bern of Brook Farm,
Cornhill who also have three
other embryo transfer calves plus
another five pregnancies.
In summer 2009, RBST acquired two Northern Dairy
Shorthorn cattle under the Agisted Stock Scheme. The
purpose of the acquisition was to enable the cow and
heifer to be used in an embryo transfer project that forms
part of an RBST-funded breed support programme for the
breed. Twelve months on we take a look at the project
and how it relates to the mission to revive the numbers of
one of the UK’s rarest native cattle breeds.
In 1944, the first Northern Dairy
Shorthorn (NDS) herdbook contained
pedigree entries of 10,000 females and
1,000 bulls all then living. By 2007, the
special section of the Coates’s Herd Book
(Dairy Shorthorn) which now shows NDS
registrations recorded only 55 females.
Nearly all of these could be found in just five
herds, three in the north of England and two
in the south.
With the situation so critical, RBST
agreed with breeders to fund the five-year
programme with the aim being to increase
NDS numbers and secure the breed’s future.
The broad strategy of the programme is to:
- Set up new herds and spread them over
a wider geographical area.
- Identify and try to ensure that as many
as possible pure NDS females as
possible are bred from.
- Manage herds to produce one calf per
28
cow annually.
- Collect and store semen from three
additional bulls.
- Use as many young bulls as possible
with a broad range of genetic variety
for between one and three years.
- Collect current and historic data to
evaluate the breed in terms of both milk
and meat production and the inputs
needed for such production.
One key issue at the outset of the
programme was that the geographical
concentration increased the vulnerability
of the breed to major outbreaks of
diseases such as TB or FMD. Veterinary
surgeon Charles Castle of the Beech
House Veterinary Surgery in Towcester
is co-ordinating the embryo transfer
programme and became personally
involved in the breed in 2007. He says:
“I wanted to keep some animals of my own
and after some consideration I decided
on the NDS which is a breed I was familiar
with from my boyhood in Yorkshire. I
realised that numbers were at a critical
level, but there were still sufficient for the
breed to be viable long-term. However,
one of the factors I felt posed the greatest
threat was the geographical issue.
Looking at bloodlines, it was also apparent
that most of the NDS families were
concentrated in only one or two herds,
most in just one herd.”
Within the context of the breeding
programme, it was agreed that an embryo
transfer project could give nature a helping
hand by accelerating the numbers of calves
produced. Such an increase would more
easily facilitate the wider disposition of
animals and help reduce risk from disease
outbreak.
A number of breeders agreed to
participate in the embryo transfer project,
which is part-RBST and part-privately
funded. Under its Agisted Stock
Programme, RBST acquired a cow and
heifer representing two different bloodlines
from Geoff and Sandra Dixon’s Rushylea
herd to be used for the embryo transfer
part of the programme. Also used in the
first year of the project were a further seven
breeder-owned cows and heifers.
Twelve months on, some of the results
of the pilot year are happily grazing in
the Midlands, further calvings are eagerly

awaited in Cumbria and the Midlands and
there are eleven frozen embryos which will
be transplanted in the coming year. Embryos
taken from the two animals purchased by
RBST for the project have resulted in five
pregnancies with a further five currently
stored in nitrogen. In total, embryo transfer
has to date resulted in five calvings, with
three heifer calves and two bull calves, which
together with natural calving has seen the
NDS increase to 15 herds.
One significant fact is that all of the
embryo donors used in the project last year
have since either calved or have conceived
and are due to calve. Charles Castle says:
“Breeders can sometimes be reluctant to
put animals forward as donors because of
concerns that the cows may subsequently
have difficulty in conceiving naturally.
Hopefully, the fact that none of our donors
have had any problems with natural
conception will help ease this concern.”
Looking to the programme’s future,
Charles Castle says: “For 2010 we hope
for 12 to 14, possibly up to 17, registrations
as a breed total, compared to the last few
years when annual registrations have been
running between 7 and 12. For 2011, we
should see heifers produced from embryo
transfer getting in calf themselves and
our aim for 2012 in the Midlands is to be
putting about 22 females, some seven
produced from embryo transfer, to the
bull. The programme’s aim to steadily
Bradden Jill – a naturally conceived calf from a
previously flushed donor.
and appropriately increase NDS numbers,
hopefully to above the 150 threshold of
the critical category for cattle on the RBST
Watchlist. It is expected that this will be
achieved largely by breeders producing
in the cattle without embryo transfer
technologies. The important thing is to
have a solid base of numbers to build on
and the embryo transfer project is making
an important contribution to achieving that
more rapidly.”
Progress depends on two important
factors: funding and goodwill. Embryo
transfer and training specialists Embryonics
Ltd of Cheshire have greatly assisted the
programme by keeping their charges to
the minimum but even so the cost for the
second year of the project is estimated at
£4,000. Equally, more recipients are needed
for the embryos that are being harvested.
Looking to the future, it is hoped that the
programme can be extended to include:
extended to a further 15 donors over 2
years.
recorded and used to make cheese.
bulls and to make available to breeders
a wider range of NDS bull semen of
different bloodlines after genetic profiling
for production traits.
cattle for their beef and milk.
Embryo Transfer –
How It Works
Embryo transfer is an entirely
non-invasive process. In its simplest
form it involves a donor, from which
fertilised embryos are taken, and
recipients, into which the embryos are
transplanted. Embryos can also be
frozen for future use and the current NDS
project will see a number of embryos
frozen for long-term storage as an
insurance measure against possible
future threats to numbers.
The first stage in the process is to
manipulate the reproductive cycle of both
donor and recipient(s) using hormone
treatments so that they are synchronised.
The donor is synchronised at the first
cycle and then as it comes to the second
and prior to ovulation, using different
hormones, it is superovulated so that
it produces a greater number of eggs.
Superovulation results in an average of
4.5 eggs per animal although as many as
10 per donor have now been recorded
for this breed.
The donor animal then has AI and
on the sixth day after insemination, the
fertilised embryos are “harvested” by
the insertion of a catheter into the uterus
using a buffering solution to obtain the
embryos.
Embryos are then assessed for their
quality and the recipients are examined
to confirm that they are at the right stage
of the cycle to accept them.
Experience has shown that a number
of factors can influence the success of
embryo transfer:
- Both donors and recipients should be
on a rising plane of nutrition.
- They should have maximised vitamin
and mineral levels.
- The animals need to be suitably
mature and are quiet and used to
being handled.
- Both donors and recipients must
have cycled correctly.
Cannsmill Cannerhaught
Duchess – an embryo donor.
Bradden Lowlands Melony 2nd – a full sibling to the
embryo transfer calves.
Any breeder who would
like to discuss putting a
Northern Dairy Shorhorn
forward as an embryo
donor or who would be
willing to offer an animal
as an embryo recipient,
should contact
Charles Castle on
07801 859150
after 7.00pm.
29

SHOWS & SALES
Another Success for
Manx Loaghtan Group
The annual show, sale and
formal dinner has become a
key event in the calendar of
the Manx Loaghtan Sheep
Breeders’ Group. Caroline
Lewis reports on this year’s
event:
Our annual event is held at the working
farm of Group Chairman Jeff Clarke at
Grandborough Fields, Warwickshire, a
central location easily accessible from all
parts of the country. The venue offers a
winning combination of flexible arrival and
departure arrangements and excellent
local accommodation including camping
facilities. This is an annual diary date for a
well organised, very enjoyable event.
This year we welcomed judges from
the Isle of Man, members travelling from
as far as Devon and many new faces who
L to r: Suzanne Taylor, judge Sue Quilleash & Carol Kempson.
were taking an active interest in Manx
Loaghtan sheep as well as a number keen
to investigate a brand new interest in the
breed, with the opportunity for all to see
and buy superb quality stock.
Following a formal welcome from Jeff
Clarke, Jayne Drinkwater, assisted by Dr
John Hedges, gave an innovative refresher
for experienced exhibitors on the dos
and don’ts of showing sheep which also
provided an entertaining and informative
start to the day for those new to the sport.
Over the years we have drawn an
increasing number of sheep entries with
the promise of more in the future. This year
we had over 70 entries in ten classes from
eight flocks.
Our sheep classes and photographic
competition were judged by Sue and
John Quilleash, experienced breeders,
exhibitors and judges of Loaghtans on the
Isle of Man.
The breed
champion was won by
Suzanne Taylor with a
well grown shearling
ram and the reserve
breed champion
was awarded to
Carol Kempson with
a strikingly elegant
four-horned ewe.
The watchword
of the MLSBG is
diversity and the
coveted “Alastair
Dymond Cup”
awarded to the
exhibitor with a pen
of a minimum of three
and a maximum of five
sheep demonstrating
the greatest genetic
Ros Malkin’s prize-winning photograph
diversity went to a very proud Nick
Bohemia, who also won the class for a pair
of lambs suitable for the butchery trade.
The trophy for the most primitive sheep
in the show was won by Barry and Caroline
Lewis with a four-horned shearling ewe
which had also won its class.
The standard in the photographic
competition, which had four classes,
was very high with Ros Malkin taking the
championship.
Fleece and craft classes were judged
by Jayne Drinkwater. Good news
continued here for Carol Kempson who
won the fleece competition and Suzanne
Taylor who won the craft competition
with a hand knitted jumper for a baby in
particularly soft, fine wool.
At the dinner, John Quilleash spoke
for both our judges from the Isle of Man
and Alastair Dymond remarked on the
energy and effectiveness of the Breeders’
Group and the importance of its work for
the breed in the future. Alastair further
emphasised the significance of this annual
event in reaching current members and
attracting new breeders.
Such was the success of this year’s
event that enquiries are already coming in
for next year’s, which will be held at the
same venue on Saturday June 11.
www.manxloaghtansheep.org.uk
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MORETON-IN-MARSH SHOW
SATURDAY 4 TH SEPTEMBER
Sheep full range pedigree, rare breed &
commercial classes, National Show Cotswold Sheep
(entries close: 14 July); Poultry (27 Aug)
Cattle inc. National Poll Hereford Show
(entries close: Beef 17 July, Dairy & Goats 4 Aug)
Horses Showing (close 1 Aug) & Jumping (25 Aug)
ON-LINE entries & Schedules at
www.moretonshow.co.uk
or by post from: Moreton Show Office Oxford St
Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 ONA. Tel 01608 651908
30

Hebridean Summer Symposium
This year’s Hebridean Sheep Society
summer event takes place at Ashdown Forest
and Townings Farm in Sussex over the weekend
of July 31/ August 1.
Saturday’s events will focus on the Ashdown
Forest close-shepherded grazing project,
providing a unique opportunity to spend time on
the heathland common with shepherdess Louise
Amos and her working sheepdogs. Each day,
Louise walks the Hebridean flock out onto the
common to undertake conservation grazing, and
remains with the flock in the traditional manner
before returning them to enclosed paddocks
each evening. In this way, the important
heathland habitat can be maintained by
traditional grazing, without the need for fencing
the common.
Portland’s
Premier
Event
This year’s Portland Sheep Breeders Group’s
annual event will take place on August 3 at NSA
Sheep 2010 held at the Three Counties Show
Ground, Malvern.
The Group will have a manned breed stand
together with a display of sheep and later in the
day its AGM will take place in a marquee near the
main display buildings.
PSGB Show Secretary Tessa Hucklesby
says: “This is an amazing event set amongst
the stunning Malvern Hills – it’s a day not to be
missed. As well as the AGM, we will have our
Portland Fleece Competition for the Elizabeth
Harris Cup which Stephen Spencer for the
Wool Marketing Board has again kindly agreed
to judge. To round off the day, there will be an
informal meal at a local pub.”
Timing and location of the AGM will be
posted on the Portland breed stand on the day
and up to date information is available at www.
portlandsheep.org.uk.
There will be an informal dinner on the
Saturday evening, featuring slow-roasted
Hebridean mutton.
Sunday’s workshop and events, at Townings
Farm, will focus on marketing Hebridean
meat, already renowned for its full flavour, lean
character and superb texture: Hebridean recipes
have featured twice on BBC’s Great British
Menus. There will be a presentation on the
preparation, cutting and marketing of meat and
the various food hygiene regulations. A butcher
will be on-site to give practical demonstrations in
the Townings Farm cutting room.
Non-members are very welcome. For further
information or to book a place on the weekend,
visit, www.hebrideansheep.org or contact the
secretary, Helen Brewis, on 01908 611092
Rare Breeds at
Three Counties
Show Champion
Saddleback Pantysgawen Dinah 10
The Sunday at the Three Counties’ Show
at Malvern in June, had an excellent showing
of rare breeds gracing the show rings, with the
good weather bringing in the crowds.
The show classes culminated with the
Grand Parade in the main arena, with pride
of place going to the rare breeds. This
was also the venue for the presentation to
the overall Champion, the honour going to
Messrs Edwards & Thomas’s Saddleback pig,
Pantysgawen Dinah 10.
In the Interbreed Championships,
honours went to: Supreme Champion -
Cattle - Mrs Blake (Beef Shorthorn Stonmour
Thundercloud), Reserve - Mrs C Moody
(Red Poll Warren Polka); Supreme Champion
- Sheep - Miss D Stanhope (Teeswater),
Reserve - Mr D Winkfield (Leicester Longwool);
Supreme Champion - Pigs - Messrs Edwards
& Thomas (Saddleback Pantysgawen Dinah
10), Reserve - Kilcot Pedigree Pigs (Berkshire
Kilcot Royal Lustre 22).
If you are visiting Sheep 2010
come and see RBST on the
Combined Flock Book Stand
RBST Supported
Autumn Shows
and Sales
Skipton Rare, Minority &
Native Breeds Show & Sale
September 4
Cattle, sheep, pigs,goats and poultry. CCM
Auctions, Gargrave road, Skipton, North
Yorkshire BD23 1UD Tel: 01756 792375,
Email: admin@ccmauctions.com
www.ccmauctions.com
Northern Ireland Rare Breed Show &
Sale
September 4
Tel: 02892 638145 or 07831 661445
Carlisle Rare Breed Sale
September 18
17th annual show and sale of rare and
minority breeds of sheep and goats also
cattle, horses, poutry and waterfowl.
Harrison & Hetherington Limited,
Borderway Mart, Rosehill, Carlisle, CA1
2RS Tel: 01228 640924 Fax: 01228 640921
Email: info@borderway.com
www.livestock-sales.co.uk
Melton Mowbray Traditional & Native
Breeds
September 10 & 11
Cattle, sheep and British Lop pigs. Poultry
and waterfowl show and sale on Saturday
September 11.
Melton Mowbray Market, Scalford Road,
Melton Mowbray, LE13 1JY - Tel: 01664
562971, - Fax 01664 561153
Email: sales@meltonmowbraymarket.co.uk
www.meltonmowbraymarket.co.uk
Chelford 23rd Annual Show & Sale of
Rare & Minority Breeds
September 18
Sheep, cattle, pigs, horses, goats and
poultry.
Chelford Agricultural Centre, Chelford,
Cheshire Tel: 01625 861122 Fax: 01625
860079
Email: chelford@frankmarshall.co.uk
www.frankmarshall.co.uk
York 23rd Autumn Rare & Minority
Breeds Sale
October 1& 2
Cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses and
ponies, poultry and waterfowl. Show:
Friday October 1. Sale: Saturday October
2 (poultry and waterfowl show and sale
Saturday only) York Auction Centre Murton,
York YO19 5GF or online at: www.ylc.co.uk
Tel: 01904 489731: Fax: 01904 488471.
Email: rarebreed@ylc.co.uk
BPA & RBST National Pedigree Pig
Show & Sale
October 2
Ross Auction Mart, Ross on Wye,
Herefordshire. Schedules from BPA,
Trumpington Mews, 40b High St.,
Trumpington, Cambridge CB2 2LS. Tel:
01223 845100 www.britishpigs.org
Also sale of native breeds of cattle and
sheep. Schedules from William & Watkins
Auctioneers, Ross Auction Mart
Tel: 01989 567233.
31

R PAGE
SHOWS & SALES
Exmoors
on Parade
A gorgeous spring day saw an excellent natural good
turnout at the annual Exmoor Pony
temperament can
Society’s (EPS) Stallion Parade on May be enjoyed with
5. Held at Ralegh’s Cross Inn on Exmoor, sympathetic handling
a selection of stallions and colts included is the fact that many
a whole range of the types and diversity in-ground Exmoor
which make this ancient breed unique. stallions are ridden
The first event of the day was a
to a high standard. Waltersgay Nightingale
colt inspection which saw two-year old Up-country breeders
Waltersgay Dragonfly awarded his stallion over the years have taken up the challenge pony and this includes its system of
license and he later joined the other two of presenting show and performance foal and stallion licensing inspections.
and three-year olds with nine senior
ponies and Exmoors are now seen to be Our inspectors, who receive a long
stallions in the parade. Both moor-bred on a par with the more traditional show probationary training period, are regularly
and up-country ponies were on show and breeds. The most notable ridden example updated when changes in legislation occur.
in spite of some being part of free-living at the Stallion Parade was Mr and Mrs The Society has to find a way forward when
herds on the Moor and rarely being
P Cox’s Waltersgay Nightingale who has these impact on the management of the
handled, all behaved impeccably.
Olympia qualifications from two years to free-living herds which are so vital to the
Susan McGeever of the EPS says: his credit and who for the second year continuation of the breed. The quality and
“Even though some of the ponies had won the Society’s Rosie Wallace Memorial numbers of ponies on show at the Parade
over-wintered on the moor where there was Trophy.
is a testament to traditional management
deep snow on the ground for weeks at a After the Parade, the Society’s AGM and it is our job to ensure that it goes from
time, they were Email all in to: excellent i.stewart277@btinternet.com
condition. took place, followed by a meeting of many strength to strength in changing times.”
There was never a better advertisement for of its inspectors. Susan McGeever: “The More information about Exmoor ponies
this hardiest of native breeds. “
Society does everything it can to safeguard
Approx End June 2010 can be found on the Society’s website
An indication of how the Exmoor’s the unique genetic heritage of the Exmore www.exmoorponysociety.org.uk.
F.A.O. LIZ
TWENTY FOURTH
AUTUMN SHOW & SALE OF
RARE & MINORITY BREEDS
CATTLE, SHEEP, PIGS, GOATS
HORSES & PONIES
POULTRY & WATERFOWL
AT
YORK AUCTION CENTRE
MURTON, YORK
Friday 1 st & Saturday 2 nd October
Closing date for entries: Thursday 2 nd September
Further details, entry forms & schedules from
the Auctioneers or on line at: www.ylc.co.uk
York Auction Centre, Murton, York YO19 5GF
T: 01904 489731 E: rarebreed@ylc.co.uk
A Celebration
of Nature’s
Harvest
Box Office
01684 584 924
www.threecounties.co.uk
Reg. Charity No. 511868.
32

CHRISTMAS 2010
A Hardy Breed
A RBST exclusive design from artist Leslie Stones featuring
Highland Cattle. Message: Season’s Greetings
Dinner For Eight
A RBST exclusive design from artist Leslie Stones featuring Jacob Sheep.
Message: Season’s Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year
Calendar
2011
Piggy Back
The return of a favourite design. Message: Wishing you a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Festive Sheep
A fun embossed card in a matt fi nish.
Message: Season’s Greetings
RBST Calendar 2011
Currently in design, this popular
calendar always features high
quality pictures
ORDER FORM
(PLEASE USE BLOCK LETTERS)
Please send to: Name:
Address:
Tel:
RBST, Stoneleigh Park, Nr Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2LG
Tel: 024 7669 6551 or order on line at www.rbst.org.uk
Member No:
Post code:
Email:
Size Item Price Per Pack of 10 Cards Quantity Total
17cm x 12cm A Hardy Breed £5.50
17cm x 12cm Dinner for Eight £5.50
17cm x 12cm Piggy Back £5.50
13cm x 13cm Festive Sheep £5.50
30cm x 21cm RBST Calendar 2011 £7.75
For overseas postage and packing please add an extra £1 per pack
Donation
Total
I enclose a cheque payable to RBST
Or my credit/switch card details are
Card No
Valid From: Expiry Date: Security Code (last 3 digits): Issue No (Switch only):
CARDS WILL BE DELIVERED IN MID SEPTEMBER
33

GROUP PROFILE
One of the newest Regional
Groups, Northern Ireland
Sperrins & Lakelands
was created in 2006 in
recognition of the fact that
Northern Ireland was too big
for one Group to cater for.
Secretary Gavin Goodman
reports on the Group’s
enthusiasm for spreading
the rare breeds’ message:
Our Group derives its name from
the Sperrins mountain range and the
Fermanagh Lakelands (it’s a little known
fact outside of Northern Ireland that there
are more lakes in Fermanagh than the
Lake District). In essence this covers
the counties Fermanagh, Tyrone and
Londonderry/Derry. The Group was set
up as the reality was that Northern Ireland
was simply too big for one Group to cover
- some members had to travel up to 100
miles to attend meetings and RBST events.
Our members keep a wide range of
stock which enables us to display around
25 different breeds of sheep, cattle, pigs,
poultry and equine. Our membership is
quite broad in its makeup ranging from
IT engineers, butchers, nurses, teachers,
mechanics, electricians to, of course,
farmers. Between us all we have the skills
for most things and will often help each
other out in the pursuit of our farming
activities.
Whilst our members do attend
agricultural shows, we believe that as a
Group our focus should be getting the
animals out in the view of the general
public. Our showpiece event is the Rare
34
Breeds Show at the Ulster American Folk
Park each May Bank Holiday where we
have sole use of the park for two days and
to date have attracted over ten thousand
people to see for themselves how versatile
our breeds can be. Where possible we tie
in with rare breed butchers and caterers
to showcase the exceptional quality and
flavour of these breeds. This often results
in livestock sales for our members and so
therefore further encouraging them to keep
these breeds.
We are invited to many local fetes and
fairs but have to strike a balance in order
to attend events where our stock would
get the greatest exposure to the public. For
the past couple of years we have put on
a supervised petting area to get the little
ones involved as well, with such activities
as bottle feeding rare breed lambs and
piglets (where intervention is required for
the wellbeing of the animal) and getting in
amongst a range of pygmy goats, donkeys,
Alpacas and poultry. Often found “strutting
his stuff” is Turkey Lurkey - the hand reared
Bourbon Red Turkey stag. Education is
also very much on our agenda with local
schools often bringing small groups of
children to members’ farms.
Our junior members are actively
involved in Group activities from building
display pens, showing off their stock,
manning the merchandise stand and caring
for the stock at events. Their participation
is rewarded and further encouraged with
the award of a cup at our annual Christmas
dinner.
We pride ourselves on a relaxed
approach to the running of our Group. As
such we only have four “official” roles on
the Group – that of Chairman (John Dolan),
Secretary (Gavin Goodman), Treasurers
(Maurice & Ethel Pogue) and Merchandising
(Fidelma Goodman). Outside of this we
all very much (and sometimes literally)
muck in to get the job done and the only
pre-requisite to be involved is to be an
RBST member and willing to help out. If
you want to get involved, simply turn up
at one of our monthly meetings: we meet
at 8.00pm on the second Wednesday of
every month at Askins Bar & Restaurant in
Ballygawley, Co. Tyrone.
Our relaxed approach also entails our
own little social calendar. We always like to
“get across the water” to see agricultural
shows which also serve as a shop window
for new stock destined for our members.
For those of us that like a good feed, our
annual BBQ within the grounds of the
Ulster American Folk Park is something not
to be missed, full of rare breed meats (of
course) and sumptuous deserts. The only
problem is trying to decide when enough
trifle is actually enough!
The boffins amongst us get to pit their
wits against each other at our annual
table quiz in February which also serves
to raise funds for our Group. Winners
are handsomely rewarded with their own
much sought-after plastic trophy – it
may be worth no more than a few pence
but it’s the sense of achievement that
makes it worthwhile! Our Group owes
its success and indeed existence to the
willing participation of its members, so the
enjoyment of volunteering is paramount.
If any other Groups in the network want
to do exchange visits we’re more than willing
to get involved and welcome them to Ireland.
At the end of the day we’re all here because
we have a passion for rare and traditional
breeds. We’re sure that Ruth Dalton can twist
HQ’s arm to help facilitate this!
Gavin Goodman
RBST Northern Ireland Sperrins & Lakelands

Gloucestershire Farm Visit
Imagine a combination of a horse and cart
ride on an unmade road, a Sunday school
trip, and a roller coaster ride and you will
have the Gloucestershire group on their farm
visit to Jonathan and Annabel Crump’s new
farm at Standish Park near Stonehouse in
Gloucestershire.
The visit began with tractor and trailer
rumbling up to the highest point of the farm
on the Cotswold edge to see a superb view
over its 300 acres, Berkeley Vale, the sparkling
River Severn and into the Forest of Dean.
Then we drove into the combe and admired an
array of Llanwenog, Llyen and Jacob sheep,
together with Kerry, White Park and of course
Gloucester cattle. Jonathan is famous locally
for his single and double Gloucester cheese,
so we had to see the room where it is made
and have a taste. Next we met the calves,
Gloucestershire Old Spots and Tamworth
pigs. Nestling in the valley is an idyllic pond
and the farm buildings where we shared an
afternoon tea. Other events have included
our first show of the year at the Cotswold
Vale Hunt Point to Point. This was a new
venue for us, and a great success. We have
also been forging links with Gloucestershire
Wildlife Trust who use Norfolk Horn sheep on
Daneway Bank near Sapperton and Dartmoor
sheep in the Forest of Dean for conservation
grazing. Anyone wishing to receive our local
Bumping along to admire the views.
Annabel meets
a Gloucestershire Old Spots.
newsletter should contact Carol Kempson
Tel. 01452 790309 (apologies for the
wrong phone number in the last edition), or
KempsonCannons@aol.com. The monthly
newsletter is £5 for an e-mail copy, £8 by post.
For general enquires about events contact Sheila
Wellman – details on the group contact list.
Sheila Wellman
RBST Gloucestershire
REGIONAL NEWS
RBST
Lincolnshire
Although a small group, RBST
Lincolnshire is welcoming, friendly
and helpful to anyone interested
in rare breeds.
Members of the group
have been invited to show their
livestock at the East of England
Show on October 10 and extra
support is always welcome.
The group has an active
programme of talks in place for
the winter months, all of which
take place at Wragby Town
Hall starting at 7.00pm, unless
otherwise advised.
This year’s winter programme
kicks off with the following
events in October and future
dates will be listed in the next
issue of The Ark. If you would
like more information contact
secretary Maureen Turner on
01673 857363 or
met@lincwold.mail1.co.uk.
Diary Dates:
October 10: East of England
Show
October 13: Talk by Sally
Elkington on her work with the
farming programme on Lincs FM.
Maureen Turner
RBST Lincolnshire
A Mixed Picture
in Wales
One of the first events that Field Officer Richard Broad
represented RBST at was the Smallholders’ Show which was
held in Builth Wells in May.
The Burns family, of Southlea Rare Breeds, took along a
Tamworth boar of the Royal Standard line which attracted a lot
of attention. He proved to be quite a cool pig, staying relaxed
in the limelight – but coming somewhat more lively when
apple pulp was on offer! Dafydd Williams from Caper Bangor
near Aberystwyth took along a family group of Balwens which
included a ram which was Breed Champion at the Royal Welsh
Show in 2009, plus a ewe and lamb. .
Richard says: “We have already had offers of sheep for
next year’s stand, which is obviously a testament to this year’s
success – many thanks to all those who helped make it so.”
As far as regional group activity is concerned, Wales is
currently rather a mixed picture. Richard visited Bethesda in
May to find out whether the North West Wales group wishes to
continue and there was an encouraging turnout of people and
with plans being made for a stand at a show in July.
Richard says: “I will be writing to all RBST members in
the area in August to highlight an event in September which
hopefully will help draw people together and help in our push to
re-invigorate the group. Anyone who has not previously been
involved but would like to find out how they can take part should
contact RBST North Wales Chairman Derek Harrison on 01286
881134.”
News from the south is not so encouraging. RBST South
Wales has been dormant for a while and, for the time being,
looks likely to remain so. However, with Richard living in South
Wales, he is more than happy for anyone interested in rare
breeds to contact him direct. It would be good to think that
in the coming months it might be possible to bring members
together once again to fly the RBST flag in South Wales.
CCM SKIPTON AUCTION MART
Saturday 4 th September, 2010
Annual SHOW & SALE of
RARE,MINORITY,NATIVE BREEDS
Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Goats & Poultry Also to include:-
119 th SHOW & SALE for the
WENSLEYDALE LONGWOOL SBA
Sale-PEDIGREE RYELAND SHEEP for RFBS
35 th Sale of PEDIGREE JACOB SHEEP for NAJSB
also section for Commercial, Crossbred & Store Lambs
CRAVEN POULTRY AUCTIONS
Show & Sale of Poultry, Waterfowl, Arks & Accessories
Sale of STIRKS & WEANED CALVES
STORE & BREEDING PIGS
AGRI-TRADER MACHINERY SALES
BYGONES, FURNITURE, GARDENALIA
Livestock Catalogue Entries by Fri 13 th August !!!
Poultry Catalogue Entries by Fri 20 th August !!!
Plse Call for Entry Forms (or downloadable)for
Machinery, Agri, Reclaim, Furniture Entries:-
01756 792375 000 && &. , &,
35

REGIONAL NEWS
RBST
East of
England
We were diving for cover
at our Christmas lunch, but for
once, it was the sun we were
sheltering from!
Having cancelled the event
in January because of the snow,
we ended up with the hottest
day of the year instead. Cold
ham and salad replaced turkey
and trimmings, but mince pies
were in evidence complete with
decorative holly. Our new Field
Officer, Richard Broad, was able
to join us which gave us a good
opportunity to get to know each
other.
The Cambridgeshire
County Show was attended
by a few stalwart members
and Mark Field, from Wimpole
Hall, provided a varied
display including a couple of
mischievous Bagot kids, an
orphan calf called Sally and
a rare Line 2 blood line Manx
Loaghtan ram lamb called
Diplomat. Many thanks to all
who helped.
By the time this goes to
press, our summer shows will
have passed.
Future shows for which we
need help are:
Sept 25: Gransden
October 10: Autumn Show -
Peterborough*
* for this show we need help
setting up pens etc the day
before.
Please let Jayne Drinkwater
know (drinkersj@hotmail.com or
01763 838485) if you can help
at either of the above shows,
whether by helping on the stand
or by bringing animals.
Jayne Drinkwater
RBST East of England
36
Christmas lunch in the shade.
Showing Off
Topsy (7) and Ava (1) with owners Mike and Jane Light from Dorchester, Dorset. Jane is secretary of the
Irish Moiled Breed Society. Topsy has won several championships in her time, and Ava (full name North Rew
Aventurine) has just begun her solo showing career with an appearance at the Bath and West Show, where
she won the maiden heifer class and was overall reserve champion.
For RBST Devon, May saw one of
the most successful attendances at
the Devon County Show.
The weather was tropical, merchandise
sales were excellent and the stand was graced
by the presence of Irish Moiled Topsy and her
heifer calf Ava, lent by Mike and Jane Light
from Dorset. In the tent, a family of Whiteface
Dartmoor sheep included senior ram Patrick with
an impressive set of horns. For possibly the
first time ever, none of Peter Hayford’s display of
various hens with chicks or spectacular turkeys
escaped or went walk about during the show!
Wilbur the turkey featured in the “guess the
weight” competition on the final day. In the pig
showing classes congratulations go to members
Ian and Maggie Todd whose Berkshire boar was
overall reserve champion. Richard and Barbara
Barker’s Manx sheep took the primitive sheep
championship and Norfolk Horn, Wensleydale,
Cotswold, Galway and Hebridean sheep also
strutted their stuff. Members Philippa Laing
After the disappointment of The Leicesterhire
County Show being cancelled the first outing
for the RBST East Midlands group was to
Belvoir Castle Steam Festival & Family Show
where we enjoyed a weekend of fine weather in
beautiful surroundings. The public took much
interest in our stand and enjoyed looking at the
Hebridean, Castlemilk Moorit, Portland and
Lincoln Longwool sheep with their lambs. Also on
display was a Goldern Guernsey goat, a Bagot
nanny and her kid, a miniature Shetland pony
and various poultry including turkeys. Another
day of nice weather was enjoyed by those
attending LEAF’s Open Farm Sunday and our
own chairman Brenda Featherstone opened the
gates of her family farm to the public. Brenda
and her family hosted a wonderful event with
and Alison Bunning showed cattle in the well
supported Dexter classes. Huge thanks go to
the Committee and group members who all did
so much to make the show a great success and
to Field Officer Richard Broad for his help on two
of the three days. Now we look forward to the
one-day shows which we will be attending over
the Summer.
These are:
July 24: Mid Devon Show, near Tiverton
July 25: Totnes Show
August 5: Honiton Show
September 4: Kingsbridge Show
Offers of help at Mid Devon to John Mills
on 01805 804494 or for any of the other shows
please contact our secretary, Liffy on 01548
560342. Obviously attending two shows 40
miles apart on consecutive days will be a
challenge to our organisation skills so don’t be
shy, do get in touch if you can help even if it is
just an hour or so staffing the stand.
Hillary Hanson
RBST Devon
A Busy Summer in Leicestershire
RBST, vintage engines, craft stands and even
a beer festival on site!! With many events, big
and small, scheduled for the summer months
the East Midlands group would always welcome
new members and if anybody was willing to lend
a hand at a show or two even better. For further
details please contact group Secretary Marie
Webb on 01509 843280 or email ariewebb@
muddywheels.com
Diary Dates
August 8: Sence Valley Farmers Market
August 30: Old Dalby Day September 5: Sutton
Bonnington Show
September 10/11: Melton Mowbray Rare Breed
Show and Sale
Marie Webb
RBST Leicestershire

Enthusiastic Response
To Summer Outdoor Visits
The first of RBST Wiltshire’s monthly
outdoor summer meetings kicked off with a visit
to The Ginger Piggery at Boyton, Warminster –
the local food and arts centre in the heart of the
Wylye Valley.
The Wheatley Hubbard herd of Tamworth
pigs was founded in 1922 and is the unique
selling point for the farm’s traditional breed pork,
beef and lamb. The highlight of the trip was a
visit to the pigs, where the piglets fascinated
everyone. A tractor and trailer took the 20
members and friends around the estate to view
the arable pasture, downland conservation,
rivers, woods, flora and fauna, sheep and cattle.
Back at the converted farmyard, members
relaxed in The Trough Cafe, purchased meat
and produce from the Boyton Farm Food
Hall, Deli and Butchery – all produce sourced
within 48 miles of the Piggery – and visited the
Barn Gallery, Pottery Painting Studio and the
Stained Glass Studio. In May, 25 members
visited the breathtaking West Kington Stud,
near Chippenham which is owned by Tim and
Jane Holderness-Roddam. It was a beautifully
warm spring evening with a beautiful house and
grounds and hospitality to match. On our visit
we were lucky enough to see first hand the local
RBST Shropshire
Undaunted by a rainy afternoon, a considerable
number of people turned out for Shropshire
breeder Gwen Howell’s open day. Organised as
part of Open Farm Sunday, Gwen offered a cream
tea in the entry price and also included a donation
of £1 from each ticket sold to RBST.
vet checking the readiness of a mare to receive
semen and as the majority of mares had already
foaled we were able to see foals of all ages. It
was a memorable visit and, as with most equine
visits, seemed to attract increased numbers of
visitors.
The merchandise tent will be in attendance
Great Somerford Show on August 14, Cricklade
Show on August 30 and, of course, Brinkworth
Festival on September 5 – please come
along and meet some of our members. The
Organising Committee of the Brinkworth Show
would welcome more animal entries – so please
get in touch if you can support us.
Diary dates:
July 18: Bee keeping with the Melksham Bee
Keepers
August 21: Group BBQ at Ken and Barbara
Cooper’s home in Brinkworth
September 5: Brinkworth Country Show and
Festival of Native and Traditional Breeds
September 19: Visit to Whitehall Garden Centre
and Farm Shop
October 21: My experience with poultry by
Vanessa Collins
Wendy Chambers
RBST Wiltshire
Diary dates:
August 7: Oswestry Show
October 9: Visit to the Vaynol cattle at Temple
Newsom (if sufficient numbers, a mini-bus will
be hired)
Susan Lawrence
RBST Shropshire
RBST Warwickshire
We had a great day at Shipston on Stour Wool Fair on
Bank Holiday Monday helping out on the RBST stand. There
were several breeds of sheep on display: Herdwick, Portland,
Leicester Longwool, Jacob, Cotswold, Kerry Hill and Black
Welsh Mountain. Our thanks to all who helped on the stand
or brought sheep. Special thanks to Sally Renshaw, RBST, and
Bob Armstrong, Livestock Organiser, Shipston Wool Fair for
their help and support for the event.
Other events included the RASE and New Dishley Society
Lecture by Emeritus Professor Ted Collin, the Kenilworth Show
in June and a farm walk and barbecue at the home of John and
Doris Goode.
Diary dates:
Sept 2: A talk by John Brigg will talk about Longhorn cattle
Oct: Cotswold Farm Park visit with RBST Gloucestershire
(date to be confirmed)
Oct 7: A talk by Joan Riddell on spinning – members are
asked to bring fleeces so everyone can try their hand at the
spinning wheel.
We are always pleased to welcome visitors and new
members to the group. We meet on the first Thursday in the
month September to April. Meetings start at 7.30pm at RBST
Stoneleigh Park. We have a speaker followed by a ‘bring and
share’ supper. If you would like to know more please contact
Karen Ellis on 07870 187525 or karene@rase.org.uk.
Karen Ellis
RBST Warwickshire
June Hall
Caledonian
gets back into
Show Mode
After the disappointment of
having to reschedule both the
planned farm visit to Basil Lawson’s
farm in late April and the garden
party scheduled for May, the
Group bounced back with a great
display at the recent Alyth Show,
near Blairgowrie. Diana Rettie
masterminded the Group volunteer
team, bringing together animals,
poultry and local spinners, all of
which attracted much interest from
the large show crowd.
Moyra Simpson’s wonderful
Castlemilk Moorits (first timers at a
show) soon came to terms with their
strange surroundings and then really
seemed to enjoy all the attention.
The Croad Langshan, Scots Grey
and Cream Legbar poultry did an
excellent job throughout the day
with some ‘vocal advertising‘ for the
stand, as well as laying two eggs.
Despite the wind almost relocating
the tent a couple of times the
merchandise sold well, the spinners
posed for numerous photographs
and several new members joined up.
A good result!
The Group’s next event is Braco
Show on 24th July followed pretty
quickly by Kinross and Aberfeldy
Shows on 13th and 14th August.
The Group have a stand at each
of these shows where Golden
Guernsey goats and Herdwick sheep
will be joining the ever increasing
event teams. So come along and
join us if you can.
The 20th Anniversary Garden
Party has now been rescheduled for
Sunday 22nd August so by the time
you read this article, invitations will
have been sent out. The venue is at
Little Kinnaird, just south of Perth, by
courtesy of Felicity and Keith Legge,
with preparations now in hand for
what promises to be a memorable
event in the Group’s 21st year.
As always we offer a warm
welcome to all past, current and
new members at the Group’s
events and if you would like
more information contact either
Moyra Simpson on 01250 870108
- moyra.simpson@email.com
or Ian Bell on 01250 884771 -
simpsonbell@btconnect.com.
Ian Bell
RBST Caledonia
37

REGIONAL NEWS
A Royal
Encounter in
Cornwall
There was an exciting start to
the summer season in Cornwall,
with the Group’s first outing to
Truro Farmers’ Market at the
end of May, where the new
merchandise proved a particular
hit. Adding to the entertainment
were the Buff Orpington cockerel
and hen who delighted the public
with previews of ‘Sex in the City 3!
Our major show, the Royal
Cornwall, was terrific with HRH
Prince Charles and the Duchess
of Cornwall in attendance.
Disappointingly, His Royal
Highness wasn’t presented to us
in the Rare Breed tent but we did
manage to meet up with him in
the native sheep tent where on
behalf of RBST, he was presented
with a painting of a British White
from artist Carol Payne. Prince
Charles was then introduced to
our Chairman Sue Howarth and
Field Officer Richard Broad.
The crowds were huge over
all three days and merchandise
sales were brisk with all the new
items selling well. On the Saturday
we took some of the Rare Breed
sheep to the new Shearing Shed
to add an extra dimension to the
shearers’ demonstrations and
it has to be said that ‘ Big Jim ‘
the Oxford Down stole the show.
An enormous beast, he was as
quiet as a kitten loving the public
adoration and allowing himself to
be patted and his fleece parted.
On the shearing platform was as
placid as anything.
We are deeply grateful to
Chris Riddle and the Royal
Cornwall Agricultural Association
Committee. for all the help and
support that they offer us.
As ever, should any RBST
members be visiting our beautiful
county and the shows, please
come and say hello.
Diary Dates:
July 31/Aug 1: St Buryan Steam
Rally
Aug 8: Tregony Heavy Horse Show
Aug 29: Young Farmers Country
Fair, Stithians, Redruth
Sept 4: Farm Walk, St Ives
Oct 24: Farm Walk, Morvah
Audrey Durrant
RBST Cornwall
38
A New Approach in
East Anglia
Observant readers of the Spring 2010
edition of The Ark may well recall that as
committee members of the East Anglia Support
Group we faced the 2010 Show season with
a good deal of enthusiasm, tempered with a
liberal sprinkling of trepidation since this was
to be the year in which the responsibility for
the planning, organisation, management and
execution of our two major shows was to be
totally re-organised and the workload spread
amongst a number of volunteers.
We had spent many hours in the winter
months unravelling and unpicking the key
tasks. Committee member Julie Price then
translated this into a series of meaningful and
easy to follow instructions for our volunteers,
broken down in to sections depending on
whether the instructions were aimed at helpers
on the stand, the overnight team, pre show
team or the post show team. The Oxford
dictionary defines a volunteer as a “person who
voluntarily undertakes a task” and our team
consisted of a good many of these. Whilst the
show may have seemed daunting at times,
the willingness and resourcefulness of these
volunteers enabled us to work together as one
cohesive team. RBST Field Officer Richard
Broad had kindly agreed to join us at the Suffolk
Show and his presence throughout provided
us with the continuity we needed for our “first
show”. Richard had said that he was willing to
help in any way, which included sleeping on
RBST North East Scotland
Weather conditions at the beginning of the
year curtailed some of our meetings at Fyvie
but a one day heatwave greeted the arrival in
mid April of Ruth Dalton our Field Officer. My
wife Joan and I met Ruth at Doonies Farm in
Aberdeen which, thanks to the persistence of the
Friends of Doonies, has avoided closure. It has
now been leased to the former farm manager
Graham Lennox and is once again open to the
public. It will, I am sure, go from strength to
strength. Ruth was very impressed with the
quality of livestock on show at Doonies and prior
to meeting the group at Fyvie we also visited
another farmer who would like to incorporate
Rare Breeds onto his land as part of leaving
a legacy for future generations to enjoy. The
group’s next meeting was at Thainstone Mart,
Inverurie for the Rare Breeds sale followed by a
One of the many willing volunteers, Jen Read,
manning RBST’s spacious stand at the Suffolk Show.
straw bales “backstage” in the marquee for the
first night. Julie’s strict rota for the two show
days meant that everything ran smoothly and
everyone knew precisely what was required
of them. We reached the end of the show with
the feeling that each had played a vital part.
We displayed a smaller number of animals than
in previous years, but the ewes and lambs on
the stand proved an attraction to the stream of
visitors passing through. But how does one
quantify success Is it the numerous visitors
to the stand, the new members signed up, the
livestock enquiries, the money banked from
the collecting boxes, merchandise sold, that
make the difference between success and
non-success Or maybe it’s the fact, that at
the end of the show there was still something
to smile about as we decided on the spur of the
moment, with a little encouragement from our
Field Officer, to rid the group trailer of a number
of unidentifiable items that had languished there
for far too long taking a collective decision to
condemn them to the Suffolk Show recycling
skip Now the Suffolk Show has successfully
been and gone, and as I write, final planning for
the Royal Norfolk Show is well underway, and a
new and very welcome challenge faces us: how
best to include the increasing number of willing
volunteers, many of them first-timers, who wish
to be a part of our growing team!
Gail Sprake
RBST East Anglia
couple of days at Easter Anguston. The last of
our events so far was an informative talk given
to us by a former gamekeeper who had worked
on some large estates in the North of England.
As can be seen in Diary Dates we have been
invited to the Jacobite Day at Braemar where it
is hoped some of the group will be spinning and
sheep shearing in authentic costume as well as
displaying details on breeds of animals that were
commonplace in the 18th century. This should be
a great day out.
Diary Dates:
July 25: Jacobite Day, celebrating the 265th
anniversary of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s arrival at
Braemar Castle.
August 21: Lourin Fair, Old Rayne
Ernie Strachan
RBST North East Scotland

A Busy Spring for Lancashire Group
Ruth Dalton addresses
the spring equine workshop.
The summer season kicked off
with two workshops – a showing
workshop and an equine workshop
at Anne and John Lane’s home.
The first, on showing, at David Walton’s
barn attracted nearly 40 people. All stages of
the showing process from selection of the best
examples through haltering and leading, to
show etiquette were covered. David Bradley
an experienced judge from Temple Newsam,
plus experienced showers were on hand to give
guidance and advice.
The tradition of a fine day with glorious
sunshine was once again upheld for the
second spring workshop. Hosted by Anne and
John Lane at Walmer Hall, near Preston, the
theme this year was ‘equine’ which was most
appropriate as we were greeted on arrival by
their newly arrived Dartmoor filly foal. The
foal is thriving, mainly due to the dedication
of Anne and John who have to supervise the
suckling regime. Hopefully time and effort and
sleepless nights will be rewarded when the
mare eventually accepts her responsibility for
feeding. The forty or so Group members were
looking forward to Field Officer, Ruth Dalton
who was due to talk about grazing of mixed
species of rare breed livestock, in particular
sheep and horses. My personal surprise was
RBST Northants
The Daventry District Countryside Day in May was well
attended with the weather much improved on last year. There
was considerable interest in Barry and Caroline Lewis’s sheep
and our merchandise stall.
The Oxfordshire Young Farmers’ Club Rally was held
locally in Fritwell and we were invited to take the merchandise
stall there. This proved to be well supported and Andy,
Christine, Laura Thompson and helpers paraded their Suffolk
Punch with its magnificent Oxfordshire wagon. Their 4 week
old Suffolk foal proved also to be very popular - going by his
behaviour “Ernest” loved the day too!
Diary Dates
August 1: Blakesley Show nr Towcester: merchandise stall
from 9.00am. This is a local agricultural show run by farmers
with much to entice both local farming community and
general public.
September: Visit to the Oxford Press TBC ( re-scheduled
from June)
October 4: Talk on Dogs for the Disabled
to find that this was the same Ruth who as
a young girl had shown Shetland sheep for
a friend of ours in and around Yorkshire. We
were pleased to see Ruth again particularly
in her new role for the RBST. The morning
began with Ruth relating her own experiences
of grazing Fell ponies alongside Wiltshire Horn
sheep on her own holding in Cumbria. She
outlined the principles of parasite control, the
advantages of using sheep alongside horses
and the advantages and disadvantages of
stock and electric fencing. Next was Elizabeth
Bush from BOCM Pauls, manufacturers of
Hickstead horse feeds. Elizabeth explained the
need to respond to the individual requirements
of the horse, not only in terms of the amount
of feed but also the grazing regime. She
was particularly informative about ways of
feeding to guard against laminitis. After
lunch, Animal Health Officer, Trust Council
Member and RBST Lancashire Secretary,
Janet Toddhunter explained new tagging rules,
licence requirements and in particular horse
passports. Early demonstrations were blessed
by fine weather, even the notorious Wray
Scarecrow Fair. The display of Lewis Walton’s
Ryelands, David Walton’s Norfolk Horn, Kath
Tattersall’s Southdowns, Mr Huddleston’s
Balwens and Janet Todhunter’s Gloucester
cattle was popular with the public and it was
Janet’s heifers that won the Best Exhibit prize.
Congratulations to Janet and thanks to all
who helped out on the day and lent stock. If
you can help with shows and displays, please
contact Group Secretary (Janet Todhunter,
01772 465691).
Diary Dates:
July 24/25: Beacon Park Green Fayre, near
Skelmersdale
August 7: Garstang Show (rare breed classes)
August 15: Haigh, Aspull & Blackrod Show
(rare breed classes)
Sept 26: RBST Lancashire rare breed show,
Walling’s, Cockerham.
Tony Bennett & Richard Small
RBST Lancashire
The Thompson’s Suffolk Punch and
Oxfordshire wagon.
For more details please
ring Carrie 01327 857195 or
snakesharbour@aol.com
RBST Cumbria
This year’s events got underway
with a visit to Windermere to
see David and Diane Kinsman’s
Hebridean sheep. Despite the
cold, a large number of members
from Cumbria and the neighbouring
Groups enjoyed learning about
these fascinating sheep. In April
committee member June Hall gave
a most interesting talk about St
Kilda – the Islands and their unique
Soay sheep. A visit to the World
Heritage site of Lanark Mill followed
in May to view the processes
involved in turning scoured sheep
fleece into yarn for knitting and
weaving. Alan Barraclough,
an expert textile engineer from
Yorkshire installed the machinery for
processing wool. Members have
been considering ways to add value
to their wool and one possibility
would be to combine fleeces to
provide the minimum quantity
required by the mill, to produce
“breed” yarn. The sun shone for
our next visit to Dowthwaite Head,
near Dockray, where Mayson Weir
farms several rare breeds of sheep.
Around twenty members had
travelled from the furthest reaches
of Cumbria and were again joined
by friends from the Dales group.
After a walk through the fields to
view the sheep and lambs, we were
put to work judging sheep.
We joined forces with the
Lancashire group at Country Fest,
South Lakeland’s celebration of
food and the countryside Together
we put on a wonderful display of
rare breed livestock. There were
Hebridean, Shetland, Ryeland,
Norfolk Horn and Wiltshire Horn
sheep, British Lop and Saddleback
pigs, Gloucester cattle, a Fell pony
and foal and Buff Orpington poultry.
Our next event is a Sheep Day
aimed at both existing and
prospective sheep keepers. With
practical demonstrations, a varied
selection of expert speakers and
much more, it promises to be an
interesting and informative day. All
RBST members are very welcome
but booking is essential, as places
are limited. For more information
on RBST Cumbria activities, or to
book a place on the sheep day
please contact Kathryn Mills on
01768 484446 or email jgkmills@
hotmail.com
Diary Dates:
Aug 16: Sheep Day at Ivinson’s
Farm, Wetheriggs
Aug 23: Networking Day
Sept 9: Westmorland Show
Sept 18: Carlisle Rare, Minority &
Traditional Breeds Sale
Sept 25/26: Masham Sheep Fair
Oct 1/2: York Rare Breeds Show
& Sale
Kathryn Mills
RBST Cumbria
39

What’s On
JULY
19-20: Royal Welsh www.rwas.co.uk t: 01982 553683
24: Antrim Show (RBST Northern Ireland)
24: Mid Devon Show www middevonshow.co.uk t: 01796 482320
(RBST Devon)
24: Braco Show www.bracoshow.co.uk (RBST Caledonian)
24-25: Beacon Park Green Fayre (RBST Lancashire)
24-25: St Buryan Steam Rally (RBST Cornwall)
25: Totnes Show, www.totnesshow.com t: 01803 732813 (RBST
Devon)
28: Clogher Valley Show (RBST Northern Ireland)
AUGUST
1: Wayland Show, www.waylandshow.com (RBST East Anglia)
3-4: Enniskillen Show
5: Honiton Show (RBST Devon)
7: Blakesley Show www.blakesleyshow.co.uk (RBST
Northamptonshire)
7: Cirencester Market Show and Sale (RBST Gloucestershire)
7: Oswestry Show (RBST Shropshire)
8: Tregony Heavy Horse Show (RBST Cornwall)
11: Ashover Show (RBST Derbyshire)
14: Kinross Show (RBST Caledonian)
14: Great Somerford Show (RBST Wiltshire)
13-14: Aberfeldy Show www.aberfeldyshowandgames.co.uk (RBST
Caledonian)
20-21: Hatfield House Country Show
21: Ashbourne Show (RBST Derbyshire)
29: Young Farmers Country Fair, Stithians (RBST Cornwall)
29-30: Moorgreen, Notts. (RBST Derbyshire)
30: Crickdale Show www.crickladeshow.co.uk (RBST Wiltshire)
30: Old Dalby Day www.old-dalby.org.uk (RBST East Midlands)
30: Aylsham Show, www.aylshamshow.com (RBST East Anglia)
SEPTEMBER
4: Northern Ireland Rare Breed Show & Sale 02892 638145 or 07831
661445 (RBST Northern Ireland)
4: Moreton Show (RBST Gloucestershire)
4: Kingsbridge Show (RBST Devon)
5: Festival of Native & Traditional Breeds @ Brinkworth Show www.
brinkworthshow.co.uk (RBST Wiltshire)
5: Sutton Bonnington Show www.suttonboningtonshow.co.uk (RBST
East Midlands)
7-8: RBST National Show@ Dairy Event & Livestock Show, NEC.
9: Westmorland Show www.westmorlandshow.co.uk (RBST Cumbria)
10-11: Melton Mowbray Traditional and Native Breeds Show and Sale
www.meltonmowbraymarket.co.uk (RBST East Midlands)
12: Farming Yesteryear (RBST Caledonian)
12: Frampton Show (RBST Gloucestershire)
18: 23rd Annual Show & Sale of Rare & Minority Breeds Chelford,
www.frankmarshall.co.uk (RBST Cheshire)
18: Carlisle Rare Breeds Show, H & H Auction Mart, Carlisle www.
livestock-sales.co.uk (RBST Cumbria)
18-19: The Royal Berkshire Show www. newburyshow.co.uk (RBST
Berkshire)
25-26: Autumn Show, Malvern www.threecounties.co.uk (RBST
Gloucestershire)
26: Battleby Gathering (RBST Caledonian)
OCTOBER
1-2: 23rd Autumn Rare Breeds Show & Sale York Auction Centre,
Murton, York www.ylc.co.uk 01904 489731 (RBST York)
2: BPA/RBST Show & Sale, Ross-on-Wye Auction Mart.
2-3: East Midlands Food & Drink Festival, www.eastmidlandsfoodfestival.co.uk
(RBST East Midlands)
10: Autumn Show at East of England Showground www.
eastofengland.org.uk t:01733 234451 (RBST East of England)
NOVEMBER
13-14: Newark & Nottinghamshire Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show
www.newarkshowground.com (RBST Lincolnshire)
40
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
• POULTRY • DOG KENNELS
• CAT HOUSES
• GENERAL ANIMAL HOUSING
Telephone 01366 500828
© feathers-animal-housing.com 2008
Our unique
designs are
derived from 20
years experience
keeping poultry
and dogs
combined with
craftsmanship and
and eye for detail
not often found.
Feathers 90mm x 130mm ad.pdf 7/1/09 11:23:48
© feathers-animal-housing.com 2008
Feathers Animal Housing,
The Old School, Field Lane,
Wretton, King’s Lynn,
Norfolk PE33 9QT
We are a family run business set in rural
Norfolk, producing what we believe to be,
the best built poultry houses and dog
kennels on the market today (this what
our customers tell us).
© feathers-animal-housing.com 2008
ALL MAJOR CREDIT
CARDS ACCEPTED
www.feathers-animal-housing.com

Sheep
Official
Breed
Sales
10th
annual
show and sale
7th August,
Worcester
2010
McCartney’s
01905
769770
10th annual
show and sale
27th August, Harrison
& 01228
Worcester
2010
Hetherington 406230
Breed secretary: P.Froehlich 01926 650098
Email:
secretary@oxforddownsheep.org.uk
THE
LEWISLOX FLOCK
MANX
LOAGHTAN stock for sale from
this superb
and prizewinning pedigree
registered
flock.
Ewes with lambs at foot
ready now.
These are all high grade
animals and an
ideal choice for a starter flock.
Practical advice available from experienced breeders,
Barry and Caroline Lewis.
Please email lewislox@tiscali.co.uk or telephone
01327
842016 or mobile 07850 761679
SHROPSHIRE SHEEP
Versatile
National breed
Show &
producing
Sale
Dates
high quality
(East)
meat and
finishing
early 10th/11th from
grass.
Grazes
September tree
plantations
without
at Melton stripping
Mowbray the
bark. Livestock Stock
available
Market
countrywide.
Contact
sales officer
Claire For
more Jakeman: details: 01244 301546
www.shropshire-sheep.co.uk
www.shropshire-sheep.co.uk
To advertise
here
Email:
lizets@btinternet.com
KERRY
HILL
SHEEP
Registered breeding
stock
for sale including
rams, ewes and lambs.
Scrapie
tested.
Tel: North
Yorks
01653
698580.
DIRECTORY
Cattle
Holloway
Traditional Herefords
Docile
Rare Breed Cows,Heifers,
Bulls.
Natural beef from grass.
Wilts/Dorset
-Tel: 01747 830335
Soil
Pauline
Chapman
Ponies & Donkeys
DELIGHTFUL
DONKEYS
AND BABIES FOR
SALE
Well-handled and
very friendly.
NATURAL KNITTING
Tel: 07850 883440
Pauline Chapman
Hants/Surrey borders.
Camblez, Startley, Chippenham, Delivery
Wilts. SN15 possible. 5HG
Tel 01249 720383 e-mail pauline.s@talktalk.net
For Sale
Charndon
Floc
Quality stock for sale
- Ryeland,
FOR SALE
Llanwenog
and Whitefaced
Woodland.
White
Park Cows and
Heifers
The
Longsands Flock of Castlemilk Moorit sheep
Call
Pip Hodges 01869 278286
Halter broken
Tel:- To be confirmed
Cattle
FOR SALE
FOR SALE
RAREBREED WOOL
RAREBREED WOOL
FROM THE LONGSANDS OF
CASTLEMILK MOORIT
FROM
THE
LONGSANDS
70% CASTLEMILK FLOCK MOORIT
30% WHITE OF ALPACA CASTLEMIL
3 FOLD - HAND KNITTING
We are
here to help.
For
whatever
70% you CASTLEMILK need
2 FOLD - MACHINE MOORIT
KNITTING
(final 30% wash omitted) WHITE AL
£4.50 PER 50 GRM BALL.
to know
about this small easy-care dual
Soft beige colour - very soft purpose breed contact us. 3 FOLD texture
SAMPLE AVAILABLE - HAND ON REQUEST KNITTING
WITH SAE
p & p to be advised at time of order
Sales list available for Mainland
Britain.
Secretary Barry Allen 01768
2 FOLD
870433.
- MACHINE KNITTING (final wash o
PAULINE CHAPMAN,
CAMBLEZ, STARTLEY, CHIPPENHAM, WILTS. SN25 5HG
Website
www.shetlandcattle.org.uk
£4.50 TEL PER 01249 720383 50 E-MAIL GRM pauline.s@talktalk.net
BALL.
41
Soft
beige colour - very soft texture
SAMPLE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST WITH
NATURAL KNITTING
Camblez, Startley, Chippenham, Wilts. SN1
Tel 01249 720383 e-mail pauline.s@talkta
The Longsands Flock of Castlemilk Moorit

42
DIRECTORY
Pigs
YEARLE
TAMWORTH PIGS
Pedigree
stock usually available.
Also
a variety of pig keeping courses.
CONTACT:
Sarah Dodds, Northumberland
TELEPHONE:
01668 281336
EMAIL:
info@yearletamworths.co.uk
Web:
www.yearletamworths.co.uk
Gloucestershire
Old
Spots
Pig
Breeders
Club
Tel: 01285 86029
E-mail:
mail@oldspots.org.uk
Web:
www.oldspots.org.uk
Camelids
ALPACAS IN
NORTH EAST
CUMBRIA
At
Askerton Castle, Brampton we have a selection
of breeding and non breeding huacaya
Alpacas
for sale at competitive prices.
For
more information, please contact:
Jane Eden – Tel; 016977 3332
Email: jane@askertoncastle.co.uk
Website: www.askertoncastle.co.uk
Goats
Regional Groups
RBST Berkshire:
RBST Devon:
RBST Lincoln:
Bryan Coventry
Elizabeth East-Robinson
Maureen Turner
07919 851111
01548 560342
01673 857363
brysersoay@sky.com
liffy.east-robinson@virgin.net
met@lincwold.mail1.co.uk
RBST Caledonian:
RBST Dorset:
RBST Northants:
Ian Bell
Shelagh Tooze
Caroline Kellner
01250 884771
01935 850809
01327 857195
simpsonbell@btconnect.com
rarebreedsheep@tiscali.co.uk
snakesharbour@aol.com
RBST Cheshire:
RBST East Anglia:
RBST North East Scotland:
Susan Blakeman
Suzannah Coke
Ernie Strachan
01260
280067
01485 528944
01975 571276
stephenblakeman@supanet.com
zannah@which.net
ernest.strachan@yahoo.co.uk
RBST Cornwall:
RBST East Midlands:
RBST Northern Ireland:
Audrey Durrant
Marie Webb,
Kate Madden
01209 820307
01509 843280
028 28841684
audreydurrant@btinternet.com
mariewebb@muddywheels.com
ballyvaddy@hotmail.co.uk
RBST Cumbria:
RBST East of England:
RBST Northern Ireland:
Kathryn Mills
Jayne Drinkwater
Sperrins and Lakeland
01768 484446
01763 838485
Gavin Goodman
jgkmills@hotmail.com
02866 386642
RBST Gloucestershire:
gavin@macneanfarm.com
RBST Dales:
Sheila Wellman
Melanie Fryer
01453 546519
RBST NE England Network:
01282 842279
sheila@wellman.org.uk
Ruth Dalton
melanie.fryer@hotmail.co.uk
07880 584551
RBST Lancashire:
ruth@rbst.org.uk
RBST Derbyshire:
Janet Todhunter
Keith Hazlehurst
01772 465691
RBST North West Wales:
01298
815366
janettodhunter@blueyonder.co.uk
Richard Broad
bandh@heanor38.fsnet.co.uk
07772 007399
r.broad@rbst.org.uk
Butchery
BUTCHERY IN NORTH
EAST CUMBRIA
Family
run organic and rare breed farm near
Brampton, Cumbria
With
on site butchery, providing bespoke
Butching
service to meet your requirements.
Contact:
Jane Eden – Tel; 016977 3332
Email: jane@askertoncastle.co.uk
Website:
www.askertoncastle.co.uk
Books
To
advertise here
call Liz on:
07889285041 or
01827 715422
Email: lizets@btinternet.com
RBST Shropshire:
Susan Lawrence
01588 650407
susanmlawrence@btinternet.com
RBST Somerset:
Sula Gibbard
07818 431548
peterdavid@gibbard8.wanadoo.co.uk
RBST South Wales:
Wayne Sargeant
07969 835981
wscae@lycos.co.uk
RBST Staffordshire:
Pat McLaughlin
01782 396689
redpolls@hotmail.com
RBST Warwickshire:
Karen Ellis
01926 614514
karene@rase.org.uk
RBST Wiltshire:
Wendy Chambers
01225 859519
wendy@maywest.plus.com
RBST York Centre:
Fiona Fenton
01757 618446
fionamfenton@msn.com

IMPORTANT RBST
SUPPORTED SALE OF
NATIVE & TRADITIONAL
BREEDS
(also poultry and waterfowl)
CARLISLE
Saturday 18th September
in Borderway Mart
(entries close Monday 9th August)
Schedules, entry forms and catalogues
available from the Auctioneers
Harrison & Hetherington Limited
Borderway Mart, Rosehill, Carlisle. CA1 2RS
Tel: 01228 406230 Fax: 01228 406321
info@borderway.com
www.livestock-sales.co.uk
SWISS CHALET HOUSES
Tel: 01264 356 753
email: jimvysearks@aol.com
web: www.jimvysearks.co.uk
CHICKEN ARKS
ALL our houses are
now available in
9 different colours
see our website for
details
For brochure and
full list of products
Call 01264 356 753
or visit our website
www.jimvysearks.co.uk
Our Best
Selling House
for up to
12 Hens
DUCK HOUSES and ARKS
12 Bird Swiss Chalet (left)
For up to 12 hens - £320
Mini Swiss Chalet
For up to 6 hens - £265
20 Bird Swiss Chalet
For up to 20 hens - £435
Grand Swiss Chalet
For up to 30 hens - £555
40 & 50 Bird Swiss Chalets
avaiable from - £640
Deluxe Duck House (left)
For up to 9 ducks - £335
The Standard Duck House
For up to 5 ducks - £245
Large Duck House
For up to 18 ducks - £595
Budget Duck Ark
For 1 to 2 ducks - £115
Standard Duck Ark
For 3 to 4 ducks - £155
Standard Ark (right)
For up to 3 hens - £195
Large Ark
For up to 6 birds - £315
Mini Swiss Ark
For up to 6 birds, with run
and nest boxes - £375
Bantam Ark - £145
Budget Ark - £115
Easy Mobility Wheeled Houses (right)
Option of 2 or 4 wheels
4” wide solid rubber tyres
Robust 1” steel axle
The Timber Yard, Fox Farm, Andover Down, Andover SP11 6LN.
Galvanised Mesh Runs
Carrying Handles
Robust construction
RUNS and SUNDRIES
10 ft Run (left) - £180
6 ft Run - £135
All prices include VAT and delivery to UK mainland addresses. Most debit and credit cards accepted as well as payment by cheque.
JimVyseArksTheArk186x132V1.indd 1
27/11/2009 09:37 am

IMPORTANT RBST
SUPPORTED SALE OF
NATIVE & TRADITIONAL
BREEDS
(also poultry and waterfowl)
CARLISLE
Saturday 18th September
in Borderway Mart
(entries close Monday 9th August)
Schedules, entry forms and catalogues
available from the Auctioneers
Harrison & Hetherington Limited
Borderway Mart, Rosehill, Carlisle. CA1 2RS
Tel: 01228 406230 Fax: 01228 406321
info@borderway.com
www.livestock-sales.co.uk
SWISS CHALET HOUSES
Tel: 01264 356 753
email: jimvysearks@aol.com
web: www.jimvysearks.co.uk
CHICKEN ARKS
ALL our houses are
now available in
9 different colours
see our website for
details
For brochure and
full list of products
Call 01264 356 753
or visit our website
www.jimvysearks.co.uk
Our Best
Selling House
for up to
12 Hens
DUCK HOUSES and ARKS
12 Bird Swiss Chalet (left)
For up to 12 hens - £320
Mini Swiss Chalet
For up to 6 hens - £265
20 Bird Swiss Chalet
For up to 20 hens - £435
Grand Swiss Chalet
For up to 30 hens - £555
40 & 50 Bird Swiss Chalets
avaiable from - £640
Deluxe Duck House (left)
For up to 9 ducks - £335
The Standard Duck House
For up to 5 ducks - £245
Large Duck House
For up to 18 ducks - £595
Budget Duck Ark
For 1 to 2 ducks - £115
Standard Duck Ark
For 3 to 4 ducks - £155
Standard Ark (right)
For up to 3 hens - £195
Large Ark
For up to 6 birds - £315
Mini Swiss Ark
For up to 6 birds, with run
and nest boxes - £375
Bantam Ark - £145
Budget Ark - £115
Easy Mobility Wheeled Houses (right)
Option of 2 or 4 wheels
4” wide solid rubber tyres
Robust 1” steel axle
The Timber Yard, Fox Farm, Andover Down, Andover SP11 6LN.
Galvanised Mesh Runs
Carrying Handles
Robust construction
RUNS and SUNDRIES
10 ft Run (left) - £180
6 ft Run - £135
All prices include VAT and delivery to UK mainland addresses. Most debit and credit cards accepted as well as payment by cheque.
JimVyseArksTheArk186x132V1.indd 1
27/11/2009 09:37 am