BCCS September Newsletter 2022
BCCS September Newsletter 2022
BCCS September Newsletter 2022
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and 7th place went to David Miller with Crookdake Romance.<br />
The Charolais team won the Reserve Beef Interbreed Senior<br />
Group.<br />
These are the only summer shows to have been held at the<br />
time of writing.<br />
Club Outing<br />
For the day outing this year we took a coach over the Border<br />
to join the Congress Visitors on the herd visits to Roscoe<br />
and Allanfauld, organised by Chris Curry. We had some<br />
coach problems at Wigton which delayed our depature,<br />
and consequently our arrival at Roscoe Herd was later than<br />
anticipated. Thanks go to Mrs Ross who quickly sourced<br />
another tractor, trailer and driver and we quickly caught up on<br />
the tour around the farm.<br />
The Ross family have been at Wester Middleton Farm since<br />
1945 and it is now farmed by Michael and Fiona, Mark and<br />
Lindsey and their families. The first Charolais Bull purchased<br />
came to the farm in 1975 and was from a sale in Edinburgh.<br />
£580 on a farm<br />
over the Border<br />
where they had<br />
gone to see<br />
some Charolais<br />
cross calves.<br />
Their next<br />
purchase was<br />
the bull Kirkgate<br />
Ferdinand<br />
bought for<br />
2000gns at the<br />
first Society Sale<br />
for Charolais<br />
held at Perth. He bred a calf named Fizz which went on to<br />
with the Royal Smithfield Show Champion in 1976. Their<br />
success with commercials encouraged the family to start<br />
breeding pure cattle in the mid 1970’s, and the bull Allanfauld<br />
Vagabond is one that was widely used and admired. Today<br />
they breed what their suckled calf customers are looking for<br />
– an easy fleshed animal with length, a good top and loin, all<br />
from a medium sized cow.<br />
The farm has 25 Charolais Cows, 10 Limousin Cows, 35 Luing<br />
Cows, 1300 Scottish Blackface Ewes, 250 Mule and Suffolk<br />
cross ewes, 30 Texel ewes and 30 Bluefaced Leicester ewes.<br />
Again another trailer ride round the farm to see all the cattle<br />
and sheep and take in the fantastic views. The heifers were<br />
running with Maerdy Norseman, the cows were mostly<br />
sired by Balmyle Jasper, Woodpark Elgin and the homebred<br />
Allanfauld Lachie.<br />
The farm now carries 350 commercial suckler cows of which<br />
215 are autumn calving and the remaining 135 are spring<br />
calving. The majority of the calves are sold as stores. Five or<br />
six Charolais stock bulls are used on the cow’s and they have a<br />
small herd of pure females. Their best home bred bull to date<br />
is Roscoe Rumble which sold for 10,000 gns at Stirling.<br />
There were some fantastic views when we got onto the hills<br />
round the farm and we enjoyed some refreshments whilst<br />
we admired the scenery. After seeing more cattle it was back<br />
down to the steading and our hosts had lunch ready which<br />
was enjoyed by all. Our thanks were given and it was back<br />
onto the coach for travel to our next herd.<br />
The farm also has diversified with a Hydro Electric Scheme,<br />
220 acres of woodland planted and run Bed and Breakfast<br />
accommodation. Back at the farm we looked round the young<br />
bulls and then into the shed for a supper of Roast Beef with<br />
the trimmings, followed by Strawberries and Ice Cream. We<br />
also admired the display of photographs that had been taken<br />
of cattle and sheep over the years.<br />
Our thanks go to the host families for allowing us to visit their<br />
farms. They both kept us well informed of their breeding<br />
and farming policy with commentaries in each field, and their<br />
hospitality was much appreciated. It was a great day out.<br />
Club News and Future Events<br />
Congratulations go to Will<br />
Cleasby (Cleaden) and Lizzie<br />
on the birth of their son Struan<br />
Geoff Malcolm Cleasby, born on<br />
4 February <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
Next stop was to Allanfauld to visit Archie and Libby<br />
Macgregor who farm with their son John and Bryony. They<br />
have kept Charolais within their herd for 50 years. Their first<br />
purchase of a Charolais bull was Mindrum Elite bought for<br />
Friday 28 October – Agri Expo<br />
to be held at Borderway Mart,<br />
Carlisle. We will have our<br />
usual stand with the Society<br />
with cattle on show and<br />
refreshments.<br />
Monday 7 November –<br />
Interbreed Quiz with Pie and<br />
Pea Supper at The Stocksman,<br />
Wigton. Team of 4 needed –<br />
anyone wishing to volunteer<br />
please let me know !<br />
Struan with his big sister<br />
Quinn<br />
- No bull works harder for the farmer, the plate and the planet - 99<br />
<strong>September</strong> newsletter 22.indd 99 16/09/<strong>2022</strong> 15:02:00
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