BCCS September Newsletter 2022

Final fling for the Ravensworth herd which goes under
the hammer at Stirling in October
As they prepare for their final sales, here we look back and the history
of the Lochend and Ravensworth Herds and their many milestones
achieved.
“On behalf of the British Charolais Cattle Society, I would like to thank
both Iain and Rhona Millar of The Lochend Herd and Snowdon Oates
of The Ravensworth Herd, for their years’ of dedication to the breed.
They have been great ambassadors of the Charolais breed promoting
it at every opportunity, by showcasing their stock at shows and sales
the length and breadth of the UK. It’s extremely sad to see two
long established and prominent herds go, however these two sales
provide a tremendous opportunity for new and established herds
to purchase top genetics and I am sure we will still see these herd’s
breeding featuring for years to come.
I would like to wish both families the very best for their sales and for
the future. The Charolais family will always welcome seeing Snowdon
Oates and Iain and Rhona Millar at shows and sales in the coming
years.” Allen Drysdale
Snowdon Oates, alongside his father, was one of the first
Charolais breeders to import the breed from the continent
back in the mid 1960s. Of a consignment of 200 papers
entering the UK, the Oates family were allocated two heifers
which were selected on the basis that they were good, strong
heifers that were ready for bulling.
It was those heifers that established the Ravensworth Herd,
which is located on the outskirts of Gateshead in County
Durham, and today stands at around 50 head. Initially, semen
bulls were chosen from the Milk Board’s selection, before
moving to stock bulls after the breed escalated in the UK,
calving a new future for the British Beef industry.
When purchasing bulls to serve his own herd, Snowdon firstly
looks at their physical characteristics, before scrutinising their
breeding records and Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), with
favourable qualities being ease of calving, growth, depth of
eye muscle and overall carcass quality. In 2006, he purchased
an Irish bred Charolais bull at Carlisle called Holly Mount
Vagabond for 22,000 guineas.
“This bull had tremendous length and was overall an
outstanding example of the breed,” explains Snowdon. “He
has bred an awful lot of very good breeding females, some of
which are still on farm and will be included in the sale at Perth
in October.”
Over the years, Snowdon has steadily improved the
Ravensworth Herd with an aim of producing good bulls that
sell well to commercial breeders. The herd was recognised by
EBLEX as the Most Improved Herd of Charolais for the year
2007/08. Most of his stock is sold through Perth’s spring and
autumn sales and one particular highlight was selling a bull for
a five-figure price. Ravensworth Osbert was sold in 2000 for an
impressive 13,000 guineas. He also takes great pride in seeing
bulls he has bred turned out in the showring, gaining success
for other breeders.
When breeding, Snowdown has concentrated on
temperament and ease of calving. “We have culled animals
because of unfavourable temperaments,” said Snowdon. “That
means we now have a herd that is docile and easy to handle
and work with, which is
very important to us.”
Snowdon Oates
In the early days,
Snowdon and his father
were avid showmen and
scooped some of the
major prizes at the Royal
Show, Royal Highland
Show and Great Yorkshire
Show. Showing remains
some of Snowdon’s
greatest highlights and
he fondly recalls the
wonderful feeling of
receiving a red rosette or
a trophy. “It was always such a proud moment to return home
from a show with a selection of rosettes, especially the red
ones!” says Snowdon.
“Another highlight for me is taking animals to market and
seeing them achieve high prices, one in particular being
Ravensworth Osbert who hit five-figures,” he adds.
Unfortunately, with highs also come lows. For Snowdon, some
of the darkest challenges are when there has been a difficult
calving which results in the loss of a calf. “Any animal you lose
is devastating and it’s something that never gets any easier,
because if you have livestock, you have deadstock,” says
Snowdon. “Thankfully, in recent years, this been few and far
between.”
The farm spans, 800 acres in total, however the Charolais herd
are predominantly kept at Trench Hall Farm, Ravensworth. The
farm is mainly productive arable land, but the Charolais have
been integral to the farming enterprise. This has been even
more poignant for Snowdon who has eyesight issues making
him unable to drive. For him, the herd has been lifechanging.
“It is great to grow a good crop of cereals,” says Snowdon.
“But this doesn’t compare to the satisfaction and pleasure
you get from working, and making friends with, the livestock
on the farm. They have been a huge part of my life for the last
30 years and it will be hard not being kept busy. My life has
revolved around the Charolais and I have spent an awful lot of
time with them. I maybe will have more time to go on holiday,
but I will be very sad to see them go.”
Snowdon is currently supported in the management of
the herd by two excellent stockmen, Bill Wannop and Paul
Thurgood, who are both set to retire following the dispersal of
the herd in the autumn.
The British Charolais Cattle Society has been a fantastic
support network for the Oates family. Their aim is to
concentrate on ease of calving, growth rates and overall
quality of the breed as nowadays there is great competition
coming from other breeds.
Snowdon concludes: “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank
the British Charolais Cattle Society for all the help and support
they have offered us. They have always looked after us and
have swiftly dealt with any issues or questions we have had.”
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- No bull works harder for the farmer, the plate and the planet -
September newsletter 22.indd 36 16/09/2022 14:59:19