BCCS September Newsletter 2022

Society Council of Management Update
We’re excited to welcome three new Council members to the
British Charolais Cattle Society.
First, we have Jeremy Paynter who farms around 65 acres
at Rockwood,
in Northern
Ireland, with
10 pedigree
Charolais. Now
into his third
year of term as
the Chairman
of Northern
Ireland Charolais
Club, Jeremy
has greatly
enjoyed the
responsibilities
of his role and
has found it
provided him
with plenty of
experience in
the Charolais
world. With his
background and
experience as
Chairman of the
Northern Ireland
Charolais Club,
Jeremy Paynter
Jeremy had been strongly encouraged to stand for council so
that he may bring his knowledge and understanding forward
into this new role.
Jeremy was first introduced to the British Charolais breed
when he attended the Perth bull sales in the 1990s with his
father. And this is where his passion for the breed began.
“My dad and I went to the Perth bull sales, some 30 years ago
now, and we just fell in love with the Charolais cattle.”
Jeremy believes that British Charolais are outstanding
at ticking all the boxes when it comes to quality and
performance. They’ve got a consistent conversion rate, and
with the use of EBVs and breeding performance, he finds their
growth and weight gain is tremendous.
When it comes to the direction for the future of British
Charolais, Jeremy believes there are great opportunities in
focusing more on breeding what the market wants. In order to
remain profitable and sustainable for the future, there should
be a focus on ensuring the breeding of easy calving, fast
growing cattle, that flesh quickly to meet today’s marketplace
requirements. The use of myostatin testing will assist in
educating ourselves further to recognise customers who have
set requirements for myostatin positive or negative bulls in
their commercial herds. It’s important that Charolais breeders
can put into place the right genetics for their customers.
However, Jeremy also feels the youth of the future is a main
priority for British Charolais.
“We need to keep our young people involved and bring along
future breeders.”
There should be a great focus on the involvement of the
Charolais youth through the organising and hosting of events
such as stock judging. Just as Jeremy was introduced to the
breed, he knows the importance of maintaining the interest
and passion for British Charolais amongst future breeders.
Michael Atkinson
Next, we welcome back Mike Atkinson who has been involved
in the Charolais world since he and his wife, Margaret,
joined the Society in 1987. Together, Mike and Margaret
farm 180 acres at Parkfield, in North Yorkshire, with between
800-1000 cattle, and now around 14 pedigree Charolais.
Having previously served 6 years and now over a further
3 years on the Society Council, Mike has an incredible
depth of knowledge and experience when it comes to what
constitutes as a great beef animal. Looking back on his time
as President, he says he’s loved the role and tried to make
use of the opportunity to meet as many Charolais breeders
and enthusiasts
as possible.
He’s travelled
the length and
breadth of
the country to
attend Society
events and
fulfil judging
appointments.
Mike has always
believed that,
“Nothing can
compare to
Charolais for
finishing quickly
and efficiently,
and their
performance
in terms of
profitability has
never been in
doubt. They Mike Atkinson
are the most
valuable at every
stage, whether a calf is sold at 10 days or taken through to
beef, it commands a premium all the way.”
Thanks to breeders responding to market demands, Mike says
the modern Charolais has changed and developed a lot in
the past few years. A smaller beast, with a lighter and tighter
shoulder, has removed any calving issues, and the growth
rates mean cattle can be turned around quicker which, in turn,
improves profitability. He’s a strong believer that the Charolais
breed gives a quick return and it’s the perfect cross on a dairy
Friesian. It fleshes easily and gets a good price at all weights.
“There are less and less suckler men around now, and I’d really
like to see the Charolais used more in the dairy sector,” he
says. “Quite simply there is nothing that grows better than
a Charolais, and with the issue of dairy calves on farm, the
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- No bull works harder for the farmer, the plate and the planet -
September newsletter 22.indd 8 16/09/2022 14:57:29