BCCS September Newsletter 2022

Ian Goldie uses a Shorthorn bull back on the Charolais cross cows
Crossbred cows bred Charolais at Solwayfirth
From there, we travelled to Solwayfirth Charolais
owned by Ian and Dot Goldie and family. The herd
has 30 pedigree Charolais cows, which was reestablished
in 2001 after they lost all their 80 pedigree
Charolais and their 400 ewes in the Foot & Mouth
epidemic. Besides the Charolais cows, they have 120
breeding commercial females. Their commercial mix
is Charolais/Shorthorn, Limousin/Saler females.
They have 280 acres with 50 acres of barley and 80
acres cut for sileage and the rest grass. The grain and
straw are all used on the farm, and they try for two
cuts of sileage, with an average of 8 to 10 tons/acre, so
they can be self sufficient.
Due to a ferry mix up, instead of taking the 7:30 pm
across to Northern Ireland, we were on a 10:30 pm one
which made for a very long day and short night, but
there was plenty of time to visit or sleep on the boat.
We checked into our final hotel in Belfast for the next
three nights.
Saturday we were off to the Castlewellan Show
about an hour out of Belfast. This one day show
again had many cattle, horse and sheep judging.
The Charolais show was about 50 head with the
judges being respected Charolais breeders from
Wales including the current British Charolais Society
President (ex-officio) Gareth Roberts. After the show it
was back to the hotel and a longer night’s sleep.
Fall calving cows on display at Solwayfirth
The youth had coloured flags and put welcome
in each country’s language at Solwayfirth
Champion Commercial Beef
Heifer at Castlewellan Show
Grand and Reserve Bull & Female in for overall Champion at the Castlewellan Show
Grand Champion at Castlewellan Show, Photo by David Hobbs
Class winning January heifer calf at
Castlewellan Show
- No bull works harder for the farmer, the plate and the planet - 75
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