BCCS September Newsletter 2022

Charolais gives milk producers a really good option.”
Mike’s focus for the future of his herd is carried on through
his four grandchildren, especially his oldest granddaughter,
Charlotte, who has shown a real interest in Charolais through
her involvement in Young Farmers, taking part in stock judging,
and would like to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps.
However, all of Mike and Margaret’s grandchildren enjoy
taking part in the Young Breeder’s Stock Judging, as well as
the Young Farmer’s judging, with some of this judging being
hosted on farm as Mike is a Vice President of the local Young
Farmer’s Club.
Robert McWilliams
Our third
new member
is Robert
McWilliams,
who farms
around 200
acres of medium
quality grass
lands in south
Co. Derry
alongside his
father, Seamus,
and brother,
Pearse. They
have a few
sucklers cows,
150 ewes, and at
first had around
10-12 pedigree
Charolais cows.
This number
has increased
over the last
two years to
30 Charolais
Robert McWilliams
cows with a strong hope to continue expanding his herd in the
future. Robert joins the council with a great passion for British
Charolais and an interest in improving the opportunities for
sales in the Northern Ireland region.
“The primary reason that I was motivated to stand for council
was the love I have for Charolais cattle,” Robert says. “I would
like to help promote and develop the breed, as well as build on
the market share we have across the UK.”
Another motivation for Robert is his intent to grow the
regional sales in Northern Ireland. Recently, he’s found the
options for the regions members when travelling to sales in
Stirling and Carlisle has become discouragingly difficult. He
also finds that they traditionally lose a large customer base to
competition markets outside the region. Seeking to improve
these concerns, one of Robert’s aims is to attract these
customers back to the Northern Ireland sales.
Robert’s passion for the breed comes from growing up with
British Charolais on the farm, as the Charolais bull was the only
sire of choice for his father. “When I was 13, I bought my first
Charolais cow from Martin Donaghy and I have been hooked
on breeding pedigree Charolais cattle since.” British Charolais
was also the right choice for Robert because at the end of the
day, he found the traits and quality of the breed could not be
matched.
“Whilst there has been many of cold wet nights where I have
questioned my choices when things just haven’t gone right,
the brief moment of doubt is soon erased when you see a pen
of Charolais calves developing like mushrooms.”
Robert truly believes that Charolais cattle are the best
performing beef breed and in the age of sustainability, the
market for efficiency is becoming more important each day.
The product that Charolais breeders have is unrivalled in
this characteristic, helping farms to become carbon friendly
systems with a far greater efficiency.
The Dispersal of the Ravensworth and Lochend
Charolais Herds will be held at the Stirling sale
17 October 2022
Auctioneers: United Auctions Ltd Tel: 01786 473055
The catalogue can be viewed at
www.charolais.co.uk
- No bull works harder for the farmer, the plate and the planet - 9
September newsletter 22.indd 9 16/09/2022 14:57:29