NBA Summer Magazine 2024 - Beef Expo Review

Summer 2024 | ISSUE 31 

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Contents 

Summer 2024 

ISSUE 31 

08 

30 

EDITOR 

Julie Holmes 

National Beef Association 

Concorde House 

24 Warwick New Road 

Leamington Spa 

Warwickshire 

CV32 5JG 

01434 601005 

julie@nationalbeefassociation.com 

DEPUTY EDITOR 

Neil Shand 

ceo@nationalbeefassociation.com 

CHAIRMAN 

Robert Venner 

ADVERTISING 

Julie Holmes 

01434 601005 


34 

DESIGN, PRINT & PUBLISHING 

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A National Beef Association Publication 

A specialist organisation open to 

everyone with an interest in the UK 

beef industry. 

Company No. 3678612 

38 

20 

NATIONAL BEEF ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE 

SUMMER 2024: Issue 31 

NEXT ISSUE: Autumn 2024 

NBA give notice that no part of this 

publication may be reproduced, stored 

in a retrieval system, or transmitted in 

any form or by any means electronic, 

mechanical, photocopying, recording or 

otherwise, without prior consent of the 

publishers. Every care is taken when 

compiling editorial and advertisements 

and the publishers can accept no 

responsibility for errors or omissions 

arising from publication. Views 

expressed and information contained 

in The National Beef Association 

Magazine are not necessarily those 

of the Editor or of the National Beef 

Association who cannot therefore be 

held responsible for any reason arising 

therefrom. Neither the Association, the 

Publisher nor the Editors endorses any 

services or products advertised in this 

Magazine. 

Regulars 

Chairmans report 4 

CEO Report 6 

Breed Society Focus 

Red Poll 38-39 

Breed Society News 42-47 

Features 

Meat is a winner for family dinners 08-09 

BVD Survey shows issues remain for many farmers 10-11 

Ladies of British Beef Celebrated at NBA Beef Expo 12-13 

The National Commercial Cattle Show 2024 Results 16-17 

Beef Expo - Presentations 18-19 

Beef Expo - Seminars 20-21 

Considering outwintering cattle? Start grazing planning now 22 

Levy funded pilot project to showcase importance 

of on-farm environmental baselining 24-25 

Conference to focus on intelligent management for the future 26 

Mole Valley Farmers have everything you need to feed 

your cattle, including when they are at grass 28 

Guest Vet - Tonia Simms - Mycoplasma bovis: 

An increasing issue 30-32 

Gallagher - Better ways to weigh 34 

National Youngstock Conference 36-37 

SUMMER 2024 | The National Beef Association Magazine 03

Chairman’s Welcome 

Welcome to the Summer 

edition of Beef magazine 

Robert Venner 

Welcome to the Summer 2024 

edition of our NBA magazine. I 

write this on Wednesday 8 th May 

after the first glorious day of the 

year, with the prospect of the rest of the 

week remaining dry. It will be the first dry 

week since last September and be of great 

relief to many producers, who will now be 

able to turn out. Saturday is also forecast to 

be full sun and 23 degrees. Hopefully many 

barbeques will be fired up this weekend and 

give a lift to trade as burgers and steaks 

sizzle for the first time this year. 

By the time you read this welcome you 

will know whether we are in the midst of a 

balmy or miserable Summer. Certainly, the 

prospect of a weekend of fine weather lifted 

our Monday prime trade, after a few weeks 

of gentle easing. Fingers crossed for a sunny 

Summer. 

Neil and Julie are currently basking 

in the satisfaction of an exceptionally 

well-organized Beef Expo, which was an 

extremely successful event for our industry. 

All major political parties were represented 

on the panel of the “Food, Farming and 

Finance” seminar, chaired by Neil, which 

was really well attended and could have 

gone on for another hour. 

The private discussions off stage being of 

equal importance, giving our Association 

invaluable political access. 

Many thanks to all who exhibited in 

the National Commercial Cattle Show 

and congratulations to the class and 

championship winners. 

Thanks, must also go to North West 

Auctions for hosting us, our sponsors and 

trade stands for their financial support 

and all stewards and board members, who 

worked tirelessly to ensure the success of 

the event. Neil will no doubt give a full report 

elsewhere in this magazine. 

Also, in April we held the South West NBA 

AGM. We were delighted to welcome John 

Dracup, Chairman of the Red Tractor Beef 

and Lamb Board. 

A very positive and constructive discussion 

ensued and from those attending an idea 

for a more pragmatic implementation of 

RT standards arose. In its simplest form, 

all standards that relate to the eating of 

our product to be critical and all standards 

that relate to the health of the producer’s 

business to be advisory. 

For example, if a producer’s 

medicine book was not up 

to date, this would be a 

non-compliance. However, if 

the producer employed less 

than five employees and did 

not have a risk assessment, 

this would be an area for 

discussion and not a noncompliance. 

The devil would be in the detail in terms of 

which standards would be deemed critical 

and which would be deemed advisory. 

Certainly, those standards which relate 

to food safety and traceability would be 

critical. 

It would need retailers to be pragmatic and 

accept that all the current standards might 

not be actually complied with and need 

to be satisfied that discussions as to the 

benefit of those “business health” standards 

were being held. 

Such an approach would potentially greatly 

reduce the inspection burden on producers 

and could potentially provide retailers with 

all the standards they require. Member 

producers in attendance liked the idea and 

it was left with John to consider further. 

Going forward Neil has been invited to 

Downing Street to attend the Government’s 

second “Farm to Fork” conference. Again, 

this highlights the great gains the NBA is 

making politically. There are numerous 

meetings each week at which Neil 

represents beef producers with Defra, RT, 

AHDB, QMS, HCC, the Ruminant Health & 

Welfare steering committee, breed societies, 

NI-GB Food Supply Chain committee, the 

LAA and other stakeholders to name a few. 

The NBA is again under Neil’s stewardship 

a very effective association for beef farmers. 

As you have received this magazine you 

are obviously a paid-up member of the 

organization, for which I and the board 

thank you. 

However, one request. Once you’ve 

hopefully enjoyed reading this edition of the 

“Beef Magazine”, please ask a neighbour if 

they are a member and if not, let them have 

this copy. Also please kindly highlight the 

benefits of the Association and make them 

gently aware of the membership application. 

If we all found one new member each, we’d 

double our membership! Thank you. 

04 The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2024

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Chief Executive’s Report 

Beef Industry half-term 

report-2024 

Neil Shand 

The start of this year saw a very 

strong demand for beef, against 

what is traditionally a quieter period 

post-Christmas. While supplies 

continued to be relatively tight, the price 

remained buoyant at around £5/kilo. The 

price had been fairly constant since October 

2023, and in relative terms the supply 

and demand largely well-balanced. At the 

time of writing (early June), the levy board 

reporting system advises an average return 

close to £5/kilo, although prices offered by 

processors – which do not take account of 

the impact from premium or native breed 

schemes - suggest that it is considerably 

less. 

In November, the Irish price was nearly £1/ 

kilo behind UK prices. This was always 

likely to be unsustainable, and carried a 

fair degree of risk because of the export of 

high volumes into our market. The price 

gap has now closed to about 40ppk, the 

majority of this difference due to a lift in 

the Irish price, rather than a reduction in 

UK price; it breaks down to a 40p lift in 

Irish and 20p drop in UK- the current gap 

is of far less concern. Another anomaly of 

the past 12 months is the gap between 

clean cattle and cows, at one point it was 

only 40ppk - it’s currently running at a £1/ 

kilo, which is historically more normal. Over 

the past few months, lamb prices have 

been extraordinarily strong, and it’s possible 

that multi-species processors have been 

hit extremely hard with retailer contracts. 

It may be that they are using any window 

of opportunity to reduce the beef prices as 

a means to backfill some potentially huge 

losses. 

Retailer trade for beef post-Easter has not 

been as strong as we had hoped; sales are 

consistent, but the anticipated surge in 

demand caused by sunny bank holidays 

have not materialised. 

Looking forward to the second half of 

2024, we’re hoping for better weather and 

increased demand. 

Firstly we have the Euros, which – from 

historical evidence - will generate a spike 

in demand (as long as the World Cup is not 

held at Christmas!). We also have a general 

election to look forward to, and whilst the 

result will likely not be as straight forward as 

it looks, it will create gatherings of people, 

even if it’s just to get away from all the hype 

on TV! 

These early events are likely 

to stop the downward price 

pressure, and retailer beer 

and beef promotions for 

the football will generate a 

period of stability over the 

coming weeks. 

Cattle numbers are plentiful at the moment 

- or rather there are enough to supply 

processing orders - the late spring has led to 

cattle being kept inside and finished a little 

earlier than might have been the original 

plan. This will contribute to tighter numbers 

in the late summer. 

I expect to see a fairly stable price for a few 

weeks, before tightening of numbers in the 

late summer leads to a strengthening of 

trade. As we enter the early Autumn, trade 

in excess of £5kilo is easily achievable, 

which will set a solid foundation for the pre- 

Christmas markets. 

The one wee caveat is of course our weather, 

which is impossible to predict. Somewhere 

in that elusive Goldilocks zone where it 

is not too hot, nor too cold, but just right 

would be ideal. Temperature and rainfall 

undoubtedly impacts on beef sales; it needs 

to be warm and sunny, but not too warm and 

sunny. 

Cold weather is good at the right time too - 

less so in the summer. This week (5 th June) 

it snowed in Scotland. Interestingly, this 

also happened in the UK in 1976, and we 

all know what happened that year. Looking 

at where the water levels are at now, there 

could be scope for a drought, you really 

wouldn’t bet against anything where recent 

weather patterns are concerned. In 1976, 

the Euro finals were won by Czechoslovakia 

in a tournament played in Yugoslavia; a 

timely reminder of how short history can 

actually be. 


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Industry News 

Meat is a winner for 

family dinners 

Consumer eating habits have experienced dramatic changes during the 

last five years due to Covid lockdowns, rising food prices and more people 

working from home, but meat remains a mealtime staple for many. 

Meat has risen in popularity within 

both lunch and evening meals 

despite the continued pressure 

of rising food prices during the 

last year. According to Kantar Usage panel, 

53.1% of mealtimes feature Meat, Fish and 

Poultry (MFP) and 27.8% of our lunch and 

evening meal occasions feature red meat, 

up from 27.6% a year ago. 

More consumers are choosing to include 

meat in their lunches compared to before 

the Covid pandemic in 2019, such as 

cooked meats, pies and sandwiches. The 

sandwich is still the number one choice 

for lunch, being chosen on over 35% of 

occasions, and soup comes in second at 

7.3% of occasions (Kantar Usage). Both of 

these options are quick, easy and often cost 

effective, hence their popularity continues 

to rise. 

Over the last five years, consumers have 

also chosen to have more hot meals during 

the day, with more consumers having hot 

breakfasts (+1.4 percentage points) such 

as fried breakfasts or omelettes, and hot 

lunches (+3 percentage points) such as 

soup or pasties, than in 2019 (Kantar 

Usage). 

The cost-of-living crisis also 

pushed more consumers 

towards alternative meat 

cuts to save money, and 

trends show people are 

making more versatile, 

nutrient rich Italian and 

Indian dishes featuring 

meat for the whole family 

to enjoy. 

Cost conscious consumers now have an 

overwhelming desire for their meals to be 

filling, which has increased from 27.5% to 

29.2% over the last 4 years (Kantar Usage). 

Consumers are increasingly choosing 

cheaper carbohydrates like rice and pasta 

to bulk out their meals, aiming to use up 

cupboard stocks and are also pre-planning 

their meals to avoid wastage. 

AHDB’s Retail and Consumer Insight 

Manager, Vanessa Adamson, said: “There is 

a real opportunity for red meat growth within 

Cooked beef tagine . 

in-home and family dining if we continue 

to highlight meaty meals that are easy to 

prepare and part of a healthy balanced diet. 

“Campaigns like AHDB’s ‘Let’s Eat 

Balanced’ can help promote consumer 

awareness and foster long-term positive 

attitudes towards naturally produced British 

red meat and dairy.” 

To read the full article visit: https://ahdb.org. 

uk/news/consumer-insight-meat-is-a-winnerfor-family-dinners 


Cooked beef Picnic. 

Industry News 


Industry News 

BVD survey shows issues remain 

for many farmers 

A huge ‘thank you’ if you took the time to respond to the 2024 National BVD 

Survey, which ran earlier on this year! There were 673 responses, and 410 

respondents said they keep breeding beef animals. Geographical representation 

was good with 58% from England and an even 14% of the responses from Wales, 

Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. 

UK Region responses 

As with previous years, the 2024 survey was carried out in 

collaboration with the regional eradication programmes in England, 

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, along with the producer 

stakeholders in those countries, including the National Beef 

Association and RABDF. 

“BVD control and eradication schemes are at a huge crossroads 

for farmers in England and Wales,” says Becca Cavill from survey 

organiser, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, makers of the live 

BVD vaccine, Bovela®. 

“In England, with BVD Free transitioning to be under Ruminant 

Health and Welfare, it will be linked to the Defra Pathway as we go 

forwards,” Dr Cavill said. “Already, producers in England in receipt 

of BPS payments can access a funded vet visit as part of the Annual 

Health and Welfare Review, which comes under the Defra Pathway 

system. Currently, with regards to infectious diseases, the visit has 

a focus on BVD for enterprises with cattle. These were launched 

during the summer of 2023 and while slow to get up-and-running, 

are now being utilised by farmers. As a funded option that you are 

entitled to, why not follow it up if you haven’t already?” 

Meanwhile, in Wales, funded testing under the Gwaredu BVD 

scheme ceased at the end of 2023. A voluntary scheme which 

differs from those elsewhere in the UK, it led with blood screening 

for antibodies at the same time as the herd’s TB test. 

“Elsewhere, in Scotland and Northern Ireland the mandatory 

schemes continue to run and are showing effective levels of control 

and eradication,” Dr Cavill adds. 

Dr Becca Cavill 

“That said, there are still BVD breakdowns 

in nations with mandatory schemes and 

farms which run ‘closed herds’ so what is 

behind that? Dr Cavill questions. 


Industry News 

Over half – 478 respondents - claimed to be running a closed herd. 

However, there was a significant number of these herds buying stock 

in or rearing animals away. Of those herds that described themselves 

as closed 91 were bringing bulls on to the farm, 21 were rearing 

heifers away and 29 were buying in stock some of which were 

pregnant animals. 

“These are not closed herds and clearly 

demonstrate a significant biosecurity risk 

and the potential to “buy in BVD,” points 

out Dr Cavill 

If you currently vaccinate, what is your main reason? 

“A closed herd, in the truest sense of the word, doesn’t buy in or 

borrow any stock. If, for example, you need to bring an animal into 

the herd, the best practice advice is to check the BVD status of the 

herd you are getting it from, check the BVD status of the individual 

animal(s) and set up a quarantine system to isolate bought in stock 

on your farm. If you are not sure of anything along the way, involve 

your vet who can undertake some testing to help clarify the picture 

and advise on biosecurity and quarantine protocols.” 

“It is especially important to be careful 

when buying in-calf heifers or cows as they 

could be carrying infected foetuses which, 

if born alive, can wreak havoc in your 

herd,” Dr Cavill explains. 

Why did you start to vaccinate? 

“Over half – 60% (386) of those who responded report using 

vaccination, yet 86 (13%) of those vaccinating had to restart their 

vaccination course because they had either incorrectly timed the 

2-shot primary course of a dead vaccine (30%), had gone beyond 

the 12 month window for the dead vaccine booster (49%) or had 

missed giving the 6-month booster required for the dead vaccine 

(21%),” she explains. “This is pretty consistent with what we have 

seen in all the previous surveys and shows how complex it can be 

working with the vaccination schedule of a dead BVD vaccine. 

Whether running a closed or open herd, in a country with a voluntary 

or mandatory control scheme, the role of vaccination and testing are 

important to prevent the BVD virus causing losses. 

“Whilst tag and testing is now the most common type of testing 

(47% respondents), it is interesting to see the animals that people 

are choosing to tag, or not,” Dr Cavill explains. “From those using 

this form of testing (320), only 43% are tag and testing all calves 

born dead or alive whist 47% are only tagging calves born alive and 

the remainder were only tagging some calves, mainly live heifer 

calves (5%). This is a very risky strategy as PI animals can be born 

dead or weak and could easily be missed by not tagging every single 

calf born on the farm whether it is alive or dead at or soon after 

birth.” 

The use of vaccination is widespread, but not without issue for some 

producers. 

Have you had to restart a vaccine course because of timing issues? 

“When timings are out, the herd’s BVD protection can become 

compromised and the virus can creep in leading to losses, it’s also 

expensive to re-start a vaccine programme. Opting for a live vaccine 

such as Bovela®, which has a flexible and simple single injection 

protocol, can make a busy life managing a herd, slightly easier. Talk 

to your vet to find out more,” Dr Cavill concludes. 

Bovela ® lyophilisate and solvent for suspension for injection for 

cattle contains modified live BVDV-1, non-cytopathic parent strain 

KE-9: 10 4.0 –10 6.0 TCID 50 

, Modified live BVDV-2, non-cytopathic 

parent strain NY-93: 104.0– 106.0 TCID50. UK: POM-V. Advice 

should be sought from the prescriber. Further information available 

in the SPC or from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK 

Ltd, RG12 8YS, UK. Tel: 01344 746957. Email: vetenquiries@ 

boehringer-ingelheim.com. Bovela ® is a registered trademark of 

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under licence. 

©2024 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd. All rights 

reserved. Date of preparation: May 2024. UI-BOV-_0073-2024. 

Use Medicines Responsibly. 


2024 BEEF EXPO REVIEW 

Ladies of British Beef 

Celebrated at NBA Beef Expo 

Cumbria played host to one of the most important gatherings for the UK’s beef industry, which 

saw support and commitment to British Beef Farmers from Government Ministers, and two 

Limousin X Heifers scooping the top accolades in the National Commercial Cattle Show. 

The National Beef Association’s 2024 

Beef Expo took place on Saturday, 

27 th April, at North West Auctions 

near Kendal. The event brought 

together the very best in British cattle in 

the National Commercial Cattle Show, and 

the 13 attending breed societies showcased 

the very best pedigree cattle. With a large 

trade exhibition and a seminar programme 

focussing on the future of the beef industry, 

the 2024 Beef Expo has been hailed a huge 

success. 

A true celebration and exploration of 

everything the British beef industry has to 

offer, this year’s event was timed to coincide 

with British Beef Week. For the first time 

this event which was very well attended, was 

free for visitors to attend and Beef farmers 

travelled the length and breadth of the UK 

to gather at J36, Crooklands Rural Auction 

Centre. The National Commercial Cattle 

Show, featured over 100 head of cattle 

with the main commercial classes expertly 

judged by Northamptonshire farmer Frank 

Page. Lincolnshire’s Jonathan Lyon was 

responsible for judging the baby beef and 

young handlers classes. In the final line up 

of overall winners it really was “Ladies Day”. 

In the National Commercial Cattle Show 

Neil Slack’s November 2022 born Limousin 

Cross Heifer, Pepper, took the Supreme 

Champion accolade, with Stewart and 

Lynsey Bett, from Kippen in Scotland taking 

Reserve with their April 2023 born Limousin 

Cross Heifer, Electra. 

On receiving Overall Champion, Neil said, 

“It’s tremendous, it’s been a local show to 

us this year, so that makes it extra special. 

She’s a fantastic beast, I love it when a plan 

comes together, it’s a great result!” 

Gareth Small and Beth Wilkinson from 

Leyburn in North Yorkshire scooped Baby 

Beef Champion with Kind of Magic, a 

Limousin Cross Baby Heifer, and Kevin 

Ludgate, from Battlesden Bedfordshire, 

took reserve with his Limousin Cross Baby 

Heifer Sexy Pants. Gareth said on winning, 

“This is her first show out, she’ll be rested 

now until Christmas, her mum was a very 

famous show heifer called Pocahontas, who 

won a lot of shows, and her two full sisters 

Black Magic and Voodoo Magic were very 

successful at the shows as well, Black Magic 

won the Great Yorkshire Show, and Voodoo 

Magic won in Balmoral. It’s been a great day 

and we’re just delighted with the result.” 

In the Young Handlers Classes it was the 

ladies who came to the fore with fifteen year 

old Olivia Matten awarded Champion Young 

Handler, and Elizabeth Haughan taking the 

Reserve. 

This year’s NBA Beef Expo saw a record 

number of more than 100 trade exhibitors 

and 13 Breed Societies attend the event, 

to help highlight the latest research 

developments, technology, and innovation in 

the industry. The Best Breed Society Stand 

award was presented to Hereford Cattle 

Society, Datamars was awarded Best Indoor 

Trade Stand, and Agri Lloyd scooped Best 

Outdoor Trade Stand. 

To packed audiences, the seminars included 

panellists from the three main political 

parties, Sir Mark Spencer, Minister of State 

at the Department for Environment, Food 

& Rural Affairs; Daniel Zeichner, Shadow 

Minister for Farming, Food, Fisheries and 

Rural Affairs; and Tim Farron, MP and 

Westmoreland, Furness & Eden Liberal 

Democrats, discuss farming, food & finance; 

leading supermarket procurement directors 

debate how best to build from farm gate 

to baskets; AHDB hosted a discussion on 

whether or not suckler cattle can thrive in a 

subsidy-free landscape; and Farmers Weekly 

unveiled the insights from their ‘State of the 

Industry Survey’. 

In summing up his seminar, Andrew 

Meredith, Farmers Weekly Editor, who 

presented results of the comprehensive 

survey on the British Beef Industry said, 



“The Farmers Weekly Survey was completed 

by over 1100 respondents, with findings 

showing an industry that is going through 

rapid and significant change. Many are 

scaling up, many are cutting back, and 

concerns about profitability abound. High 

prices for finished cattle are welcome but 

the cashflow needed to get them to that 

position is a challenge.” 

Discussing the day’s 

successes, NBA Chief 

Executive, Neil Shand said: 

“I can only thank everyone, 

on behalf of the NBA and the 

organising committee, for 

coming in great numbers, 

and I really hope everyone 

had a great day. 

We really appreciate all the support we’ve 

had from stand holders, sponsors, and 

cattle exhibitors, it makes the whole event 

worthwhile; thank you, very much. We held 

the event the last weekend in April, as a 

one off as it was only suitable date this year 

and we will attempt to move the date back 

towards the end of May in 2026.” 

The 2024 NBA Beef Expo was supported 

by mainline sponsors North West Auctions, 

AHDB, Boehringer Ingelheim, Dunbia, 

British Wagyu Breeders Association and 

Warrendale Wagyu, and the British Limousin 

Cattle Society. 



Thanks to our sponsors 

The National Beef Asociation would like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters of Beef 

Expo 2024. Our sponsors play a vital part in the continuation of the Beef Expo event and we 

offer our most sincere thanks for their continued support. 

GOLD SPONSORS 

SILVER 

SPONSORS 

BRONZE SPONSORS 

LOCAL 

SPONSOR 

MEDIA 

PARTNER 


NBA Regional Round-ups 

OFFICIAL 

MAGAZINE 

FROM THE NATIONAL 

BEEF ASSOCIATION 

FOR EVERYONE WITH 

AN INTEREST IN THE 

BEEF INDUSTRY 

Advertise from £275+VAT 

Contact Julie Holmes 

07393 463225 




The National Commercial 

Cattle Show 2024 Results 

Judges Jonathan Lyon and Frank Page. 

Cattle Judging Ring Beef Expo ‘24. 

Judge Frank Page. 



Overall Champion - Sponsor - Thor Atkinson, Steel Fabrications Ltd -Neil Slack, Limousin x. 



WEIGHT 

(KGS) 

NO. Owner Name of Animal Date of birth 

CLASS 1 - NATIVE STEER OR HEIFER 

1 st 692 7 Mudd & Bentley Lugsy Malone 11/13/2022 

2 nd 441 2 Edwards Bros. Captain Morgan 5/4/2023 

3 rd 564 1 P & K Brannen Agnes 3/17/2023 

4 th 471 3 Keadyview Livestock Toot Toot 4/20/2023 

CLASS 2 - ANY OTHER CONTIENTAL STEER 

1 st 518 28 Jennifer Hyslop Shake’m up Arry 5/19/2023 

CLASS 3 - BRITISH BLUE STEER 

1 st 584 11 Neil Slack Super Ted 4/8/2023 

2 nd 503 9 Olivia Matten Dr Pepper 4/27/2023 

CLASS 4a - LIMOUSIN STEER 

1 st 517 21 JM & SM Rowlands Fist Full of Dollars 4/2/2023 

2 nd 514 20 GH & AH Roberts Butterscotch 5/22/2023 

3 rd 494 14 Andrew Ewing Hucky 2/6/2023 

4 th 517 19 Mudd & Bentley Iron Bru 4/10/2023 

5 th 450 16 Knoakes Court 

Livestock Ltd. 

CLASS 4b - LIMOUSIN STEER 

1 st 613 23 Dufton, Small & 

Wilkinson 

Lord Napier 5/1/2023 

Houdini 4/18/2023 

2 nd 549 15 Ellie Hargreaves Loaded Gun 1/4/2023 

3 rd 670 18 Mudd & Bentley Hijack 11/9/2022 

4 th 542 17 D M Leedham Rocky 3/21/2023 

5 th 554 13 A Dickinson & L 

Powdrill 

CHAMPION STEER - 23 - DUFTON,SMALL,WILKINSON 

RESERVE CHAMPION STEER - 21- JM & SM ROWLANDS 

CLASS 5 - BABY STEER 

Fireball 9/20/2022 

1 st 416 26 S & L Bett Pocket Rocket 6/9/2023 

2 nd 366 35 Neil Slack Westmorland 

Warrior 

8/23/2023 

3 rd 280 32 D M Leedham Turbo 8/27/2023 

4 th 402 25 Ben Beckitt Dash 5/26/2023 

CLASS 6a - BABY HEIFER 

1 st 333 53 Small & Wilkinson A Kind of Magic 9/9/2023 

2 nd 369 42 Tecwyn Jones Little Beauty 6/20/2023 

3 rd 375 48 GH & AH Roberts Freckled Berry 8/2/2023 

4 th 376 40 Edwards Bros. Beyonce 7/10/2023 

5 th 365 38 Jonny Black Holy Smoke 7/3/2023 

CLASS 6b - BABY HEIFER 

1 st 410 45 K W Ludgate Sexy Pants 6/26/2023 

2 nd 416 36 Mr & Mrs M Alford The Mistress 5/21/2023 

3 rd 425 44 K W Ludgate Poppy 5/6/2023 

4 th 388 43 S & NV Jowett Spice Girl 5/20/2023 

5 th 387 46 KD & DE Millar & 

Partners 

CHAMPION BABY BEEF - 53 - SMALL & WILKINSON 

RESERVE CHAMPION BABY BEEF - 45 - K W LUDGATE 

CLASS 7 - ANY OTHER CONTINENTAL HEIFER 

Mystic 7/12/2023 

1 st 479 56 Jennifer Hyslop Versace 4/25/2023 

2 nd 487 58 BE & SA Williams Baby Guinness 3/1/2023 

CLASS 8 - BRITISH BLUE HEIFER 

1 st 478 63 K W Ludgate Sweet Pea 4/20/2023 

2 nd 551 62 S & NV Jowett The Duchess 10/26/2022 

3 rd 412 61 Edwards Bros. Deja-Moo 4/11/2023 

4 th 493 64 JM & SM Rowlands Star 3/16/2023 

5 th 507 59 P & K Brannen Tina 1/27/2023 

WEIGHT 

(KGS) 

CLASS 9a - LIMOUSIN HEIFER 

NO. Owner Name of Animal Date of birth 

1 st 456 82 James Nisbet Honey Im Good 3/28/2023 

2 nd 469 74 Colin Harris Miss Dior 5/5/2023 

3 rd 457 81 D T Miller Frenchie 3/7/2023 

4 th 426 68 M & R Barker Molly 4/11/2023 

5 th 428 88 OW & GL Williams Lu Lu 4/2/2023 

6 th 380 89 OW & GL Williams Rosie 4/3/2023 

CLASS 9b - LIMOUSIN HEIFER 

1 st 498 83 James Nisbet Sunlight 2/5/2023 

2 nd 471 55 B & L Wilkinson Matilda 5/12/2023 

3 rd 504 76 Tecwyn Jones Twilight 2/5/2023 

4 th 480 78 D M Leedham Onesie 2/7/2023 

5 th 475 77 Knoakes Court 

Livestock Ltd. 

Lady Lizzie 3/2/2023 

6 th 493 75 T W Hutchinson Tinkerbella 12/26/2022 

CLASS 9c - LIMOUSIN HEIFER 

1 st 529 69 S & L Bett Electra 4/24/2023 

2 nd 510 27 Andrew Ewing Sassy 5/23/2023 

3 rd 510 67 M & R Barker Crazy Daisy 3/8/2023 

4 th 513 79 K W Ludgate Thor 3/20/2023 

5 th 543 72 Andrew Ewing Ruby 3/1/2023 

6 th 511 80 Olivia Matten Tango 4/5/2023 

7 th 510 52 Small & Wilkinson Black Velvet 5/5/2023 

CLASS 9d - LIMOUSIN HEIFER 

1 st 589 86 Neil Slack Pepper 11/11/2022 

2 nd 621 70 Edwards Bros. Top Notch 9/28/2022 

3 rd 623 71 A Dickinson & L 

Powdrill 

Cover Girl 4/18/2022 

4 th 660 65 Ben Beckitt Peachy 5/9/2022 

5 th 681 66 Ben Beckitt Black Pearl 9/30/2022 

6 th 639 84 J & SM Rowlands Tequila 6/16/2022 

7 th 609 85 J & SM Rowlands Taylor 7/6/2022 

8 th 582 73 P, M & R Fitton Black Betty 9/19/2022 

CHAMPION HEIFER - 86 - NEIL SLACK 

RESERVE CHAMPION HEIFER - 69 - S & L BETT 

SUPREME CHAMPION 86 - NEIL SLACK 

RESERVE SUPREME CHAMPION - 69 - S & L BETT 

CLASS 10a YOUNG HANDLER 

1 st 95 Elizabeth Haughan 

(28/11/07) 

2 nd 91 Hettie Hutchinson 

(06/04/2004) 

3 rd 93 Thomas Fitton 

(13/6/2006) 

4 th 92 Katie Davies 

(2/9/2004) 

5 th 90 Scott Watson 

(4/12/2002) 

CLASS 10B YOUNG HANDLER 

1 st 99 Olivia Matten 

(13/1/2009) 

2 nd 94 Maidie Beresford 

(2/5/2008) 

3 rd 96 Matthew Bentley 

(23/4/2008) 

4 th 97 James Ludgate 

(24/5/2008) 

5 th 100 Bradley Haughan 

(25/3/2009) 

Super Ted 

Tinkerbella 

Black Betty 

Baby Guinness 

Mystic 

Tango 

Sweet Pea 

Pepper 

CHAMPION YOUNG HANDLER - 99 - OLIVIA MATTEN 

RESERVE CHAMPION YOUNG HANDLER - 95 - ELIZABETH HAUGHAN 



Presentations 

Best Breed Society Stand 

Best Indoor Trade Stand 

Lisa Bennett, NWA and Chair of the Beef Expo organising 

committee presented the winners of the Best Breed Society Award 

to the Hereford Cattle Society. 

Heather Pritchard presented the winning Best Indoor Trade Stand to 

Datamars Ltd 

2 nd Place was awarded to the Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society 2 nd Place was awarded to Mole Valley Farmers 

3 rd Place was awarded to Warrendale Wagyu and Wagyu Breeders 

Association. 

3 rd Place was awarded to Greenhill Systems 



Best Outdoor Trade Stand 

Ben Harman, Vice Chair of the NBA, presented the winning Best 

Outdoor Stand to Agri-Lloyd 

Ben Harman, Vice Chair of the NBA and Julie Holmes, Event 

Organiser, presented Lisa Bennett of NWA with a bouquet of flowers 

and a voucher to thank her for all her help and support with the 

organisation and preparation of the event. 

2 nd Place was awarded to Farmsense 

3 rd Place was awarded to Te Pari 

Ben Harman and Julie Holmes, presented Julie Sedgewick, with a 

bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine to thank her for all her hard 

work with the organisation of the National Commercial Cattle Show. 



Seminars – Beef Expo 2024 

Following the success of the seminars two years ago, we once again presented a programme of specialist 

speakers at Beef Expo 24. The seminars provided an opportunity and an arena for discussion and debate on 

different topics of current significance, with the aims of enhancing understanding of the subject under 

discussion, and helping farmers improve their enterprise’s profitability and sustainability. All our speakers 

had expert knowledge and experience in their field, and we are very grateful for their input and the time they 

have taken to share these with us. 

If you would like to catch up on the seminars, head over to our Youtube channel. 

Food, Farming 

and Finance 

From left to right, Daniel 

Zeichner MP, Shadow Minister 

for Environment, Food and Rural 

Affairs; Prys Morgan, Livestock 

Procurement Director, Kepak; 

Sir Mark Spencer MP, Minister 

of State for Food, Farming 

and Fisheries; Tim Farron MP, 

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson 

for Environment, Food and Rural 

Affairs and Chair, Neil Shand, 

CEO of the NBA. 

Farmers Weekly State of the Industry Survey 

From left to right, John Powell, Deputy Leader, Head of Agriculture Sector Team; Sarah Haire, Head of Agriculture, Dunbia; Tom Spears, 

Field Representative, KW Feeds; Chair, Andrew Meredith, Farmers Weekly; Ben Harman, Beef Farmer and Vice Chair of the NBA; Meleri 

Griffith, Ireland and UK Growth manager, Herdwatch and Stuart Duff, Field Representative, KW Feeds 



Building Bridges 

from Farm Gate to 

Basket 

From left to right, Chair, Neil 

Wilson, Vice Chair of the 

Scottish Beef Association; 

Joseph Keating, Senior 

Agriculture Manager, Co-op; 

Chris Brown, Senior Director 

Sustainable Supply Chain, Asda; 

Laurie Ibbotson, Commercial 

Director, Dovecote Park; Steve 

McLean, Head of Agriculture 

and Fisheries, M & S Food 

AHDB – Sucklers 

Without Subsidy 

From left to right, Ruari Martin, 

Beef farmer, Castletown Estates, 

Cumbria; Claire Beaumont, Beef 

farmer, Gowbarrow Hall Farm, 

Cumbria; Andrew Robinson, 

Armstrong Watson, Northern 

England and Chair, Amy Hughes 

of AHDB 


Industry News 

Considering outwintering cattle? 

Start grazing planning now 

Farmers looking to reap the cost saving benefits of extending their grazing season, or even 

outwintering cattle this year, are being encouraged to start grazing planning now. 

Supported by McDonald’s UK & 

Ireland, FAI Farms in Oxfordshire 

has adopted an adaptive multi 

paddock (AMP) approach to grazing, 

which has made it possible to outwinter 

beef cattle, saving 50% in annual housing 

costs per head of their suckler herd, while 

maintaining body condition scores. 

Karl Williams, FAI Farms director, explains: 

“Grazing management is an important tool 

in maximising farm profit margins. However, 

outwintering success isn’t achieved 

overnight. 

“Extending your grazing season starts with 

forward planning now, to build a good 

pasture stockpile and ensure infrastructure 

is in place.” 

With the AMP approach based on intensive, 

short duration grazing periods followed by 

long rest periods, he recommends farmers 

start with drawing up a 12-month grazing 

plan that factors in regular rotations across 

multiple paddocks. 

“Consider how many groups of cattle you 

will have and how you can practically split 

fields into blocks with electric fencing, 

ensuring access to fresh, clean water,” he 

says. 

“It’s worth looking into grants that can 

support investment in setting up fencing 

and water infrastructure, such as the 

Rural Payments Agency’s (RPA) Farming 

Investment Fund.” 

As a next step, Mr Williams recommends 

planning your cattle rotations and pasture 

recovery periods. 

“Generally, cattle should occupy a paddock 

for no more than 1-3 days before being 

moved, but this will depend on individual 

farm context and requirements.” 

Allowing regeneration time is key to 

maximising pasture productivity throughout 

the year, he says. 

“This means not grazing plants anywhere 

below 50% of their fully recovered height 

during spring and summer, to encourage 

quicker regrowth, increase plant biomass 

and protect pastures. 

“By trampling the rest of the grass, cattle 

create a dense thatch effect that preserves 

soil warmth through autumn and winter, 

keeping the grass active for longer. This 

also improves soil structure and minimises 

poaching.” 

He recommends increasing the grazing rate 

to 75% of available forage in winter, when 

grasses are dormant, and supplementing 

this with bale grazing to meet nutritional 

needs. 

“When outwintering our 80 suckler cows 

and followers at FAI, we aim for a minimum 

of 150 days, at one acre per cell per day. 

“We plan the cell layout in advance 

and, dependent on the cows’ dry matter 

requirements, we place 4 – 5 bales of hay 

in each planned cell during summer - which 

shows how far ahead winter grazing needs to 

be organised.” 

Within each farm’s grazing plan, he 

recommends calculating the daily nutritional 

requirements of the cattle to make sure 

needs are met. 

Based on AHDB recommendations, cattle 

under 300kg liveweight should receive 3% 

of their body weight in dry matter per day, 

whilst animals over 300kg liveweight should 

receive 2.5%. 

Mr Williams says: “At FAI, we use a 3% 

figure for all cattle ages and weights to allow 

a buffer for poor weather conditions. 

“It’s essential to be adaptive – we generally 

move cattle daily but in very wet conditions, 

we move the cattle even more regularly. If 

conditions are good, we can slow things 

down.” 

He adds: “Although the weather, and costs 

of bedding, feed and infrastructure are often 

out of our control, farmers do have some 

control over grazing system planning. 

“Approaching your 

grazing planning with a 

‘regenerative mindset’ 

can help to achieve many 

positive outcomes, both 

for your farm business 

and the environment,” he 

concludes. 



Industry News 

Levy funded pilot project to 

showcase importance of on-farm 

environmental baselining 

The intense pressure faced by farmers to deliver on environmental targets will 

be addressed through a new pilot, launched by the Agriculture and Horticulture 

Development Board (AHDB), with support from Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), to 

individually baseline up to 170 farms across Great Britain. 

AHDB is investing £2.5 million, 

with the long-term vision to create 

the opportunity for a nationwide 

standardised data set across the 

beef and lamb, cereals and oilseeds, 

dairy and pork sectors, that brings 

integrity to the industry and enables more 

accurate reporting of emissions and the 

environmental impact of agriculture. In 

Scotland, the pilot will be a collaboration 

between AHDB and QMS, who are investing 

£375,000 to support participating beef, 

sheep and pig farmers. 

The pilot focuses on accurate measurements 

to reveal the net carbon position (the 

balance of emissions and carbon removals/ 

stocks) of farm businesses, including carbon 

sequestration potential. The pilot will 

provide a dataset which shows the range 

and variety of results from individual farms, 

which will allow the industry to move away 

from relying on national and international 

averages. 

By measuring greenhouse gas emissions, 

landscape and soil carbon stocks, water 

run-off, as well as using soil analysis of 

individual farms, the data collected will 

help to demonstrate the real environmental 

benefits of British agricultural products, 

both domestically and overseas. It will also 

provide a more accurate reflection of its 

position and progress towards Net Zero. 

The pilot will allow the industry to 

demonstrate how it delivers a collection 

of public goods, benefitting all of society, 

such as improving water quality, reducing 

greenhouse gases, building carbon stocks, 

enhancing soil health and supporting 

biodiversity both above and below ground. 

AHDB Chief Executive Graham Wilkinson 

said: “Agriculture faces the biggest 

challenge of a generation in demonstrating 

the positive impact that farming systems 

can have on the environment. This is 

amplified by a lack of accurate, on-farmlevel 

data. Our industry-first pilot will help 

change the story of British agriculture, 

which has been dominated by gross 

greenhouse gas emissions. 


Industry News 

“We all know that agriculture has a critical 

role to play in achieving Government targets, 

however, the picture is often more complex 

because of our role in not only producing 

greenhouse gasses but our ability to store 

and sequester carbon across the whole 

farming system. 

“This project is not just 

about measuring carbon 

or soils, it is a transition 

to informed action. AHDB 

is bringing the industry 

together on this mission and 

has committed to investing 

significant levy funds to 

lead this baselining pilot. 

“Our ambition is that baselining should be 

rolled out to every farm across the country, 

and we will be working with stakeholders 

and Government to discuss how this could 

be supported by the industry in the long 

term. We are also seeking to work with 

existing systems suppliers and potential 

users, such as financial services, to see how 

we might co-operate to everyone’s benefit. 

“Through our discussions with stakeholders, 

we know we have a great deal of support for 

this project, but it also raises questions on 

environmental data, and who is best placed 

to act as a data custodian for agriculture. 

We are in early discussions with the industry 

to develop proposals to protect farmers’ 

interests and provide solutions for how 

environmental data might be provided to 

those that want it where farmers agree to 

supply it.” 

Sarah Millar, CEO of QMS said: “Through 

this pioneering baselining project, we 

have a unique opportunity to showcase 

tangible evidence of what we already 

know: that Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and 

Specially Selected Pork actively contribute 

to landscape preservation and carbon 

sequestration as well as food production. 

We are pleased to be working alongside 

AHDB to help provide the evidence needed 

to underline the positive environmental 

credentials of food production in Scotland.” 

Chris Gooderham, AHDB Livestock Science 

and Environment Director, said: “The 

pilot is the starting point to measure any 

changes delivered by the farmers taking 

part. However, it will also provide a huge 

dataset from which we will be able to draw 

some early observations. For example, the 

relevance of carbon stocks, the potential 

for increasing soil carbon storage, and what 

impacts it. 

“Early on we will also be able to gauge 

the relative capacity of above ground and 

below ground carbon, the impact of farming 

methods and land uses on emissions, 

carbon stocks, biodiversity, run off risk and 

soil health. 

“By measuring and 

analysing this data it will 

help us understand the 

critical elements that could 

be rolled out across the rest 

of the industry. 

“We also want to see what else the 

technology can deliver, pushing the 

boundaries to understand what is 

possible in terms of accurately measuring 

environmental metrics, particularly using 

remote monitoring from satellites which 

could help with measuring more frequently 

and at lower cost.” 

AHDB and QMS are currently in the process 

of recruiting farms to join the pilot project. 

More information, including an expression of 

interest form can be found at www.ahdb.org. 

uk/baselining. 


Industry News 

Conference to focus on intelligent 

management for the future 

The National Farm Management Conference will return to 

the QEII Centre in London on 7 November 2024. 

Run by the Institute of Agricultural 

Management (IAgrM), this year’s 

conference will explore intelligent 

management for the future, 

covering innovations in intelligent farm 

systems and how people management and 

a range of new technical and business 

skills, including automation and artificial 

intelligence (AI), remain vital to success. 

Victoria Bywater, IAgrM director, says 

this year’s speakers will not only look 

into emerging and future technology, but 

also question how this will make people 

management even more critical. 

“The rapidly evolving environmental and 

political landscape means it’s clear we 

need to be able to manage our farms and 

supply chains even more intelligently than 

we’ve done in the past,” she says 

The one-day event promises a vibrant range 

of speakers from across the industry and 

includes an opening session from Máximo 

Torero, chief economist at the UN Food and 

Agriculture Organisation (FAO). 

He will share set the global scene with a 

view on commodity prices, input costs and 

outline the challenges of scarcity of supply 

and cost inflation. 

While John Shropshire, Chair of G’s, one 

Europe’s leading vertically integrated fresh 

produce businesses will relate these issues 

to the management of his own business. 

And Andrew McLay, from Innovate UK, will 

look at future innovation opportunities and 

challenges in the agribusiness sector. 

The first session will discuss people – 

specifically leadership in agriculture 

and personnel of the future, with expert 

insight from speakers from Harper Adams 

University, the Gangmasters and Labour 

Abuse Authority, Morrisons and Forces 

Farming. 

Led by Lincolnshire farmer and Agreena 

partner, Thomas Gent will then chair a 

session on ‘What sort of intelligent farm 

systems will we need for the future?’, 

specifically looking at the role of 

automation and AIas it pertains to future 

agricultural management. 

Jack Bobo, from Nottingham University, 

will join the session alongside Ed Ford, 

from Dyson Farming and Matt Percy, Vice- 

President of Business Innovation with a 

specific focus on AI from John Deere in the 

USA. 

To finish the day, delegates will hear a 

hands-on point of view from farmers David 

Jones from Hatton Bank Farm and sisters 

Kate and Vicky Morgan from East Yorkshire, 

on how we manage farms leveraging both 

high quality people and automation and 

innovation. 

Richard Price, newly appointed chair of 

IAgrM, says he looks forward to seeing 

another strong turnout at the event in 

November. 

“It’s a pivotal time for the 

industry and ensuring the 

current workforce and new 

entrants are well equipped 

to take on challenges we’re 

yet to experience is vital to 

maintain a resilient agrifood 

supply chain in the 

UK,” he says. 

For more information or to book your 

tickets for the National Farm Management 

Conference, please visit www.iagrm.com/ 

conference/conference-summary/. 


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Ecosyl Advert See It 190x132mm PR.pdf 1 14/02/2024 11:08 

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Industry News 

Mole Valley Farmers have everything you need to 

feed your cattle, including when they are at grass. 

During periods 

of dry weather 

and later in the 

grazing season 

grass quality and 

quantity can reduce 

causing cattle growth 

rates and condition to 

drop off. To avoid cattle 

going backwards, a small 

Dr Matt Witt 

amount of concentrates alongside grass can keep liveweight gains 

where needed, boost the value of cattle coming off grass and save 

money on feed costs when cattle are finished. 

Mole Valley Farmers have the right products to fit all beef needs 

including growing and finishing cattle, stores, breeding stock, cows, 

and bulls. For customers wishing to look at rations and costings 

in more detail, the Mole Valley Precision Ultramix Ration Program 

has been developed to help with product selection based on 

optimal nutrition, desired growth rates, diet cost and environmental 

considerations. 

Feeding beef cattle at grass is extremely flexible and Mole Valley 

Farmers can supply all product options including compounds, 

standard blends, customer tailored blends and straights. Table 1 

shows some examples. 

Table 1. 350 kg liveweight Angus cross cattle. 

Grazed grass (Jul – Oct) 

Elite Cattle Crunch Nut 

(kg/head/day) 

Super Cattle Grower 16 

Blend (kg/head/day) 

Rolled Barley (kg/head/ 

day) 

Sugar Beet Pulp (kg/ 

head/day) 

Rape Seed Meal (kg/ 

head/day) 

Predicted growth rate 

(kg/head/day) 

Compound Blend Straights 1 

Free 

access 2 

2.5 

Free 

access 2 

2.5 

Free 

access 2 

1.0 

1.0 

0.5 

1.2 1.2 1.2 

1 

Ensure correct vitamins and minerals 

2 

Approximately 30 kg fresh grass per day (11 MJME/kg DM). 

For further advice, speak to your local nutritionist or call the Feed 

Line on 01566 780261. 

Let’s talk feeding 

beef cattle at grass... 

• Feed strategically to achieve target growth 

rates and avoid losses 

• Use latest Precision Nutrition approach to ensure 

cost effective return on investment 

• Reduce the carbon footprint of your feed system 

Challenge us to improve the productivity, 

profitability and sustainability of your enterprise. 

STOP THE 

DROP IN 

GROWTH 

RATES AT 

GRASS 

Contact us now for a free 

assessment of your current diet 

01566 780261 

molevalleyfeedsolutions.com 


GET READY FOR 

A BETTER FUTURE 

AHDB Beef & Lamb’s new knowledge exchange programme continues in 2024 

and aims to challenge farmer thinking for long-term business success 

Farmers, industry stakeholders and the wider agricultural 

community are invited to join AHDB Beef & Lamb in 

embracing its new Roots to Resilience programme and 

its goal to empower farmers and build a more resilient 

future for British agriculture. 

AHDB’s Beef & Lamb team unveiled its innovative 

systems-based knowledge exchange programme, 

Roots to Resilience, in December 2023, challenging 

farmers to stop thinking in black and white and unlock 

their full potential. This systems-based approach 

recognises that agriculture is not just about individual 

people, crops or livestock but involves a multitude of 

factors, relationships and feedback loops that influence 

each other and the entire system. 

Head of Engagement for Beef and Lamb Samantha 

Charlton comments on the programme: “Our levy payers 

are at the heart of everything we do at AHDB, and Roots 

to Resilience is about shining a light on the people within 

farming businesses. 

“It can be challenging for farmers to focus on the future 

and invest in themselves when their time and brain space 

is filled with daily tasks and problem solving. We want 

to challenge their thinking and help them reach their 

long-term goals by looking at the entire system instead 

of focusing on technical application alone. We understand 

that every farmer and every farm is different and that 

one-size-fits-all approaches are outdated and rarely 

successful.” 

ROOTS to RESILIENCE 

The new programme kicked off with a three-day workshop 

for 50 farmers in December, incorporating part of the 

renowned Ranch Management Consultants (RMC) 

‘Ranching for Profit’ course presented by RMC owner 

Dallas Mount. Dallas has worked with thousands of farmers 

and ranchers across the US, Canada, Mexico and Australia 

to position their businesses for economic profit and 

ecological health. The workshops will also run during 2024, 

and for those that cannot attend, supporting modules will 

be available online with additional free events open to all 

levy payers. 

Samantha said: “The farmer workshop in December gave 

delegates the opportunity to step away from practical 

farming for three days and focus on long-term planning. 

The aim was very much about focusing on people and what 

they want to achieve not just in their businesses but in their 

lives, as we know how intrinsically linked the two are. 

“The workshops played a pivotal role in not only providing 

those attending with bespoke action plans for their 

businesses but in equipping us at AHDB with greater 

insight into the topics that our levy payers want and need 

more help with, so we can deliver the best value for money 

in terms of the support services we offer.” 

To find out more about the Roots to Resilience 

programme or to sign up for the events, visit: 

ahdb.org.uk/roots-to-resilience/ 

© Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 2024. All rights reserved.

Guest Vet | Tonia Simms 

Guest Vet 

Tonia Simms 

RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Bovine Reproduction and 

Farm Clinical Director at Hampden Veterinary Hospital 

Mycoplasma bovis: An increasing issue? 

Mycoplasma seems to be the fashionable diagnosis as the moment for bovine 

respiratory disease and the numbers appear to be on the up – but is it a new 

pathogen, an increasing issue or are diagnostics just improving? 

Pathogen 

Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) is one of a group of very small bacteria 

without a cell wall, which are fully dependant on their host (in this 

case cattle) to survive. There have been approximately a dozen 

cattle specific Mycoplasma bacteria that have been identified in 

cattle, but M. bovis are by far the most pathogenic (causing most 

disease). 

It was first identified as a pathogen in the UK in 1974, so can be 

classed as a relatively new pathogen. In fact, it was only identified 

for the first time in Finland and New Zealand in the last 10 years. 

There are various ways in which M. bovis infection can present in 

the UK: 

1. Bovine Respiratory Disease 

– This is the most common presentation of M. bovis infection. 

– Disease can occur solely from M. bovis, or more commonly 

in combination with other respiratory viruses and bacteria. 

– Treatment result is poor and often results in chronic cases 

or relapses. 

2. Mastitis 

– Outbreaks of M. bovis mastitis in dairy herds can be 

particularly severe, but luckily it is uncommon in the UK. 

– Udder spread is largely though the milking machine, so 

should not be a concern for most beef herds. 

3. Arthritis/Synovitis 

– Infection of the joint or joint fluid can occur in animals of 

all age as the bacteria seeds here from the blood stream. It 

is not directly related to the navel as with joint ill. 

– Typically sporadic animals are affected, although it can 

occur as an outbreak alongside respiratory disease. 

4. Otitis Media 

– This is a middle ear infection. 

– Typically this is seem in young stock, and presents as a 

drooping ear and head tilt. It may or may not be associated 

with respiratory disease. 

5. Other rare presentations: 

Trends 

– Eye infections 

– Meningitis 

– Abortion and infertility. 

If you speak to any farmer of farm vet, they will all tell you that the 

incidence of M. bovis is on the increase. This is obviously based 

on anecdotal evidence and as Mycoplasma is not notifiable (and 

therefore testing is not mandatory), we are not able to accurately 

diagnose the UK prevalence. 

We do, however, have the diagnosis data based on samples that 

have been submitted for testing at the APHA, SRUC and partner 

post mortem laboratories in the UK. This data includes tests run on 

blood, faeces, tissues and post mortem carcasses: 

Figure 1. Mycobacterium bovis diagnoses. Data taken from the VIDA 

Report 2022 released June 2023 


Tonia Simms | Guest Vet 

Figure 1. shows us the total number of diagnoses made by the 

laboratories and appears to show an increase each year. The lower 

number of cases in 2020 corresponds with a reduced number of 

diagnostic samples during Covid-19. To remove this bias, we can 

also look at the data by assessing the number of diagnoses as a 

percentage of the total number of submissions, where an obvious 

increase can be seen (Figure 2.) 

Figure 4. Cut section of the lung showing large amounts of 

consolidated tissue (dark red – should be light pink) and caseous 

material. 

Figure 2. Mycobacterium bovis diagnoses as a percentage of all 

diagnoses. Data taken from the VIDA Report 2022 released June 

2023 

This data is based on submissions from private vets and does 

therefore include a large amount of bias - depending on clinical 

presentation of the disease, awareness of potential disease and the 

overall economic climate. So, the trend may actually represent the 

fact more vets are looking for specifically for Mycoplasma bovis as 

awareness increases rather than an actual increase in cases. 

Diagnostics 

As with any disease, gold standard diagnosis is based on post 

mortem examination, where M. bovis classically shows caseonecrotic 

lesions in the lungs (Figures 3-5). 

Figure 3. Section of the bovine lung showing caseous (white) 

discharge. 

Figure 5. Cut section of bovine lung showing mass consolidation of 

tissue and necrosis. 

Pictures courtesy of Dr S. Jeckel, Royal Veterinary College – Farm 

Animal Pathology & Diagnostics 

These classic lesions are now recognised by veterinary pathologists 

as most likely being due to M. bovis. However this does rely on a 

carcass and a larger number of diagnoses are made on either blood, 

nasopharyngeal swabs (nose/pharynx) or bronchalveolar lavage (fluid 

wash from the bronchi). 

1. Blood samples 

– Taking a blood sample for a disease is the simplest and 

cheapest option, however a single sample is unlikely to tell you 

the whole picture of concurrent disease. 

– We are often looking at antibody levels (serology) which are 

only produced after the body has had chance to form an 

immune response, typically after a couple of weeks, and can 

last for years. Therefore this data is historic and may not give 

us a true diagnosis for a current issues. 

– Detection of active pathogen is improved if blood samples are 

taken during the outbreak and again 2 weeks after, when the 

body has managed to form the immune response. However this 

is often too late to affect treatment, but may allow instigation 

of a preventative/vaccine plan. 


Guest Vet | Tonia Simms 

– Serology results from Biobest Laboratories in 2018, suggest 

that over half of blood samples submitted for bovine respiratory 

disease investigation were positive for M. bovis (Figure 6.) but 

we are unable to say if this was the true cause of the outbreak. 

This reduced ability to treat cases of M. bovis, not only means that 

we are getting relapses of clinical cases, but also that infected 

animals are able to continue shedding the bacteria despite farmers 

thinking they have treated them, resulting in more cases long term. 

So are cases of M. bovis increasing? 

As discussed above, answering that question is difficult for 

the following reasons: 

Figure 6: Percentage of submissions with a significant number of 

antibodies. 

Courtesy of P. Burr, Biobest Laboratories Ltd 

2. Nasopharyngeal/Bronchoalveolar Samples 

– Samples taken directly from the respiratory tract of clinically 

affected animals are much more likely to identify the actual 

pathogen. However, there is also the chance that less important 

pathogens are identified in greater numbers and may lead to 

misdiagnosis. However, most vets and veterinary pathologists 

are now considering the presence of M. bovis in a sample as 

clinically relevant. 

– As M. bovis is a bacteria, it can be cultured and grown on 

petridishes for a definite diagnosis. However this is a long 

process and the bacteria are not the most stable, often 

resulting in a failure of culture and a false negative result. 

– Instead, newer polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests have 

developed, which are able to pick up very small amounts of the 

bacterial DNA. This will have inevitably increased the number 

of M. bovis diagnoses, but may also result in false positives if 

these bacteria are not causing clinical disease. 

Treatment 

When an animal is infected with Mycoplasma it can be particularly 

difficult to treat, often resulting in persistent or chronic infections. 

This is because the organism has a number of defence mechanisms 

to protect itself: 

– Mycoplasma does not have a cell wall 

• Many antibiotics work by disrupting the cell wall of the 

bacterium, causing the cell to burst, such as the penicillin 

and cephalosporin groups. For this reason, these antibiotics 

are inappropriate and may act to denature “friendly 

bacteria” which were aiding in control of the M. bovis. 

– Mycoplasma produce a Biofilm 

• Bacteria often group together and release a polymer matrix 

called a biofilm. One example of this is the plaque on your 

teeth. The biofilm is designed to prevent the body’s immune 

system (or antibiotics) getting to the bacteria to remove 

them. 

– Mycoplasma are able to change their surface proteins 

• The immune system works by recognising pathogen cell 

surface proteins as alien and then working to eliminate 

them. M. bovis is able to change these proteins so it can 

hide from the immune system. 

– Emerging Disease? 

• M. bovis was first diagnosed in the UK exactly 50 

years ago, so could still be seen as a new disease. 

There have been little biosecurity or prevention 

measures put in place to stop spread between herds 

so it could be assumed that the prevalence is on the 

increase. 

– Greater awareness of the pathogen 

• The more cases are diagnosed, the more we look 

for it. Sampling results seem to show an increase 

in incidence, but this could just be because we are 

requesting samples specifically for M. bovis as we 

expect it to be present. 

– Improved diagnostics 

• Early diagnostics lead to false negatives with failed 

cultures or over/under interpretation of antibody 

results. The more recent development of highly 

sensitive PCR tests has allowed greater identification 

of M. bovis in samples, but this may not actually be 

an increase in cases. 

– Inability to treat resulting in repeat cases 

• The poor response to antibiotics, incorrect treatment 

or poor husbandry may be potentiating the number 

of M. bovis cases. Repeated cases may be over 

diagnosed as 2 separate cases and carrier animals 

may be shedding and spreading the bacteria to other 

animals. 

We can however recognise that M. bovis is an extremely 

important disease in the UK for animal welfare and financial 

reasons. There are currently no licensed vaccines in the UK 

at the moment, and those that we can import do not come 

backed with substantial amounts of scientific data. 

Consideration should therefore be made of diagnoses and 

treatment limitations and protocols should be put in place in 

conjunction with your vet to protect your animals. 

Reference 


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Industry News 

The Gallagher Wireless Loadbar bundle. 

Better ways to weigh 

Traditional load bars are notoriously susceptible to cable damage, making 

them useless for recording cattle weights which are essential for helping 

farmers make informed management and marketing decisions. 

Gallagher UK has a solution which eliminates this problem. 

Traditional load bars have long been 

a weak link in livestock weighing, 

with cables prone to being chewed by 

rodents, trampled by livestock or worn 

out at the connection points to the scales. 

Gallagher’s latest innovation addresses 

these challenges by removing cables from 

the equation altogether. Instead, the new 

wireless load bars use Bluetooth technology 

to transmit weight data directly to the 

Gallagher Animal Performance+ app on the 

farmer’s smartphone or to a Gallagher scale. 

Designed with both versatility and durability 

in mind, these load bars can be placed 

under most platforms, crates or crushes and 

are suitable for all types of livestock. The 

load bars are constructed from corrosion 

resistant, hot-dip galvanised steel, ensuring 

they can withstand even the harshest farm 

environments. 

Key benefits 

• Wireless connectivity. Eliminates the 

hassle and risks associated with cables. 

Bluetooth connectivity allows weights 

to be transmitted directly to a Gallagher 

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setup and increasing portability 

• Long-lasting power. Features a longlasting 

lithium battery that can last up to 

ten years. Users receive notifications via 

their scale or mobile app when it is time 

to replace the battery 

• Easy to transport and install. The wireless 

design makes these load bars easy to 

transport and move to different weighing 

Wireless loadbars eliminate all the problems farmers can 

have with cables and their connections out in the farmyard. 

locations without dismantling the setup 

• Precision and durability. The load cells 

are completely sealed and waterproof, 

contain no moving parts and are designed 

to prevent wear and tear over time. This 

design ensures consistently accurate 

livestock weights year after year. 

• Versatility. Available in both 600mm 

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• No calibration required. This system 

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recalibration. 

Farming grants are regularly available and 

provide excellent opportunities for the 

implementation of cutting-edge technology, 

such as these wireless load bars. 

The Gallagher team in the UK is always 

ready to provide additional information and 

support to farmers make the best investment 

decision for their specific needs. 

Visit www.gallagher.eu or the local Gallagher 

stockist for more information and advice. 


EUROTIER 2024 

November 12-15, Hannover, Germany 

Plans are underway for a British Livestock Pavilion at EuroTier, 

Hannover, Germany, Tuesday 12 th – Friday 15 th November 

2024. Held every two years, this is the world’s largest indoor 

livestock exhibition where the British Livestock sector has 

benefited from a strong presence over a number of years with 

a joint industry stand supported by cattle, sheep and pig 

societies alongside breeding (AI & ET) and other associated 

companies. Stand packages are available at either £500 or 

£1,000 (exclusive of VAT). Please contact Richard Saunders 

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Industry News 

Programme set to meet calf and rearers’ needs 

The National Youngstock Conference 2024 programme promises something for all calf 

rearers - whatever their management system or level of experience or expertise. 

Calf rearers looking for a ‘best practice’ refresher on the 

cornerstones of good management, such as colostrum, 

milk feeding or weaning, and those wanting an update 

on the latest research and technology, or how to 

manage more challenging issues, such as M bovis, will not be 

disappointed by this year’s National Youngstock Conference 

programme. 

The range of topics set to be covered during the one-day event 

will appeal to everyone who works with calves, be they herd 

owners, managers, staff or dedicated calf rearers. 

Presentations set for the 2024 conference are listed in the 

fresh-off-the-press programme on the page opposite. 

Top speakers from all corners of the UK will share their 

knowledge, expertise and experiences in their particular area 

of calf and youngstock rearing - from birth through to calving 

at two years old. And each session will end with a chance for 

delegates to ask questions. 

For those looking for additional information or bespoke 

advice, there. will also be several opportunites to catch up 

with speakers during the day’s three refreshment breaks. All 

presentations will be recorded and made available, free of 

charge, for everyone who attends the conference. 

The event will also host a trade-stand area where delegates can 

network and talk to nutritionists, vets and other calf-rearing 

specialists, as well as find out more about the latest products, 

services and the technology and ideas on offer to improve calf 

and youngstock rearing management and outcomes. 

New award 

We’ll also be presenting the Calf Rearer of the Year award at 

the event Sponsored by Wynnstay, this important competition 

is new to this year’s conference. More details can be found on 

page 39 of this issue. Take a look and see if you, or someone 

you know, should enter and be in with a chance of winning the 

top prize. It’s simple and quick to enter, but do it soon. The 

closing deadline is May 31. 

The event’s popular ‘actionable insights’ competition will also 

be repeated this year. Conference delegates are encouraged to 

make notes about the key things they’ve learned during the day 

and that they plan to put into action when back on farm. 

More than 50 delegates entered the competition at 2023’s 

conference, for the chance to win one of several prizes 

including a half day of on-farm consultancy. The winner and 

their calf-rearing system will be featured in CowManagement 

later in 2024. 

Book now 

Demand for tickets in 2023 was such that there was a 

waiting list, just as there was in 2022. The packed one-day 

programme, which filled two lecture halls, delivered 16 

technical presentations to a sell-out audience. 

Sandy Park Conference Centre is just five minutes by car from 

Exeter airport, has excellent road and rail links, and there are 

plenty of hotels and pubs close by for accommodation. 

Tickets are now available, sold on a first-come-first-served basis. To buy tickets 

visit www.cowmanagement.co.uk/youngstockconference or scan the QR code 


Industry News 


Breed Society Focus | Red Poll 

RED POLL CATTLE SOCIETY 

This year has seen the Society get back to 

something like normal business with the County 

shows back and our social activities able to return 

to normal. Council and Committee meetings are 

held face to face wherever possible although members 

can attend via Zoom. 12 County shows will hold Red 

Poll classes, although generally with low numbers of 

exhibitors particularly in the Eastern Counties. The 

National Show is being held at the Three Counties Show 

where 30 plus cattle are forward. David Blunt of the 

Abbey Herd will Judge. 

The TB situation has not improved on the west side of 

the country and is in fact spreading to the midlands 

and north with a number of farms now on six monthly 

testing. The weather hasn’t been too kind either with a 

very wet and cold spring. Importantly, the beef price has 

increased gradually through the year and in general this 

has reflected in the price of store and breeding cattle 

increasing and buoyant sales being made. 

There are 356 members which is a slight increase in 

last year. 

There were 26 new members joined the Society 

throughout the year but 21 members resigned for a 

variety of reasons. 

Registrations for last year were 754 Registered Females, 

70 Grading Females together with the 35 Bulls making 

a total of 859 animals, these are from 114 breeders. 

This is an increase of 45 animals from last year which 

again is very encouraging. 

Show results: Breed Champions 

Up to date this year there have only been a few shows 

with the results below: 

Devon: Pinguis Emily 25 th – Owned and bred by John 

Williams 

Shropshire – Pinguis Emily 30 th - Owned and bred by 

John Williams 

Stafford – Pinguis Emily 25 th - Owned and bred by John 

Williams 

Hertfordshire – Capel Manor Enya – Owned by Capel 

Manor College 

Suffolk – Hopeham Levititus – Owned by the Barnes 

Family 

The Society’s Annual Field Day will be at Curtis Farm, 

Fobbing, Essex, by kind permission of George Young. 

The Herd Competition is once again proving to be very 

popular. 

Last years winners in The National Herd Competition 

and The Large Herd winners were Martin Holdings, 

Rugby, Warwickshire, with their Lawford Herd, 

and Small Herd was won by The Goodings Family, 

Wicklewood Herd, Wicklewood, Norfolk. A very big 


Red Poll | Breed Society Focus 

thank you to Judge Billy Laird who travelled down from 

Scotland to judge. 

Regional winners were: 

Midlands – Lawford Herd, Martin Holdings (Judge – 

Rebecca Charley) 

East – Hopeham Herd, Sarah and Gerald Barnes (Judge 

– Tony Barratt) 

South – Boames Herd, David and Simon Tompkins 

(Judge – Mark Martin) 

North – Pentrehen Herd, Andrew Griffiths (Judge – 

Sarah Barnes) 

The Society continues to build up a DNA profile 

database of the breed. To date 235 bulls and 258 

females, having been tested and profiled using Neogen’s 

Igenity Beef Profiling and this includes all the Society 

AI bulls. This year has also seen all 2023 & 2024 

registered bulls tested for the A1/A2 milk protein 

gene. This is showing that about 70% of the breed are 

carrying at least one copy of the gene. A small selection 

of females have also been tested. Going forward this 

information should prove important, particularly as 

the milking attributes of the breed are increasing in 

popularity. 

Last year we said goodbye to our Treasurer of over 30yrs 

Terina Booker. We welcome our new Finance Officer, 

Anne-Marie Hamilton. Ray Bowler, the Society Secretary, 

is a ‘fount of all knowledge’ when it comes to people, 

cattle and the Society! The Society has set up a number 

of Area Field Officers to assist in the management of the 

National Herd, full details can be found on the website. 

The Society continues to catalogue all the Society 

archive material, we now have it all in one place, 

documented and easily available for scrutinising when 

required. A very big thank you to our Archivist, Joy 

Broughton, for carrying out this work. Our website has 

been updated to cope with all the latest technology 

necessary these days. It has become the first point of 

call for anyone looking to buy or sell Red Poll Cattle and 

a useful tool for information and news. 

We are hoping that 2024 will bring even more interest 

in the breed and we are looking forward to getting out 

and about again at both county and local shows. 

Ray Bowler 

Society Secretary 

Tel: 01245 600032 

Email: secretary@redpoll.co.uk 

Website: www.redpoll.org 


Industry News 

Limousin Stacks up against Subsidy 

For upland farmers opting to breed 

Limousin cattle, it is not uncommon 

for their breed choice to be questioned 

when government subsidy schemes 

favour native cattle, but commercial return 

higher than subsidy value is what sees so 

many choose Limousin. 

John Swift has been breeding Limousin 

cattle since 1988 on his farm, Dry Howe, 

an upland unit between Kendal and Shap 

rising to 1900 feet. He initially introduced 

Limousin in 1988 and continued with the 

breed after restocking following the Foot and 

Mouth outbreak in 2001. 

In 2017, John entered the higher-level 

Stewardship Scheme and committed 

425 acres of his fell to the restoration of 

woodland pasture. Despite the additional 

payment for native cattle, John stuck with 

the unsubsidised Limousin. Says John: 

“The commercial return from the increased 

conformation and younger age at slaughter 

far outweighed the ‘benefit’ of the native 

payment”. 

The native payment equates to 

approximately £6,000/ year which he easily 

makes up and more from the returns from 

Limousin in the live ring; “the surplus young 

bulls sell at 10-month-old as stores at local 

markets averaging £1,200 but for a similar 

aged native-bred you’d be lucky if they 

made £450. Limousins are bred for calf 

vigour and to put weight on which is what 

we need to farm efficiently”. 

Breeding decisions: 

John operates a 10-week calving window, 

with heifers calved indoors from mid-January 

and the cows in March. Cows are calved at 

the main farm, for ease of management, by 

selecting bulls with good ease of calving. 

Cows and calves remain at the farm until the 

middle of May, when calves are around 70 

days of age with an average weight of 128 

kgs. The bulling heifers are synchronized 

then served using AI before going up on the 

fell. They calve on average at 33 months of 

age. 

Extended grazing keeps costs down: 

The Environmental Scheme limits stocking 

density and forbids preserved forage feeding, 

yet John’s low-density grazing system 

remains profitable due to the hardiness of 

Limousin genetics and their ability to thrive 

on forage. Minimal concentrate feeding 

(1kg/head/day) is introduced in autumn to 

habituate calves to handling before weaning, 

resulting in significant cost savings during 

winter. 

Following weaning, the cows are returned 

to the fell and remain there until around 

Mid-December. These additional 60 grazing 

days results in a saving of around £25 

per cow on feed and bedding costs for the 

winter period. 

Weaned calves are housed and some 

retained as bulls, whilst the remainder are 

sold at local markets. Commercial bulls 

achieve an average weight of 390kg at ten 

months, selling for £1,200 with a daily live 

weight gain of 1.1kg. The total cow-and-calf 

concentrate cost per commercial store bull 

is £165, targeting a £1,000 margin over 

concentrates per commercial bull sold. 

The next generation: 

John’s daughter Lauren, is poised to 

continue the family farming legacy and 

emphasizes commercial viability supported 

by data-driven decisions. Lauren has 

questioned the value of the tree planting 

and is concerned that stewardship schemes 

overlook Limousin, citing data showing 

Limousin’s weight, grazing ability, and calfproducing 

abilities: “There is a perception 

that native cattle are smaller and therefore 

better for the land, but the data speaks for 

itself. Our cows weigh on average 630kg, 

graze evenly, are on the hill till mid- 

December and average 14 calves/cow” 

When asked would John 

encourage other upland 

farmers to consider 

buying a Limousin bull he 

confirmed, “Definitely, you 

won’t find another breed 

with the same efficiency 

and commercial return on 

this type of ground as the 

Limousin breed.” 


Breed Society News 

Breed Society 

NEWS 

Breed Societies, do 

you have any news 

you would like us 

to publish? 

Email your copy and any images to 


22,000GNS DENIZES NEW ORLEANS LEADS ALL-BREEDS TRADE 

AT STIRLING AND SETS NEW SIMMENTAL MAY SALE RECORD 

• £6720 (+£892) sets a new 

Simmental record average for Stirling 

May Sale 

• 22,000gns a new Simmental record 

for the May Stirling Sale 

• 96% clearance rate with 24 out of 

25 bulls selling 

Denizes New Orleans, from MA Barlow 

& Sons, Four Oaks, Ulnes, Leyland, sold 

for 22,000gns, to a commercial buyer, 

to lead a continued strong demand for 

Simmental bulls at the Stirling May 

Sale held at United Auctions Stirling 

Agricultural Centre today, Monday 6 th 

May. 

The 22,000gns led the all-breeds trade 

at this multibreed sale, and set a new 

Simmental record top price at this May 

fixture when eclipsing the 16,000gns 

mark set just last year. Records 

tumbled on the day with the £6720 

average for the bulls sold being a new 

record Simmental mark for this May 

fixture, smashing last year’s record figure 

by £892. 

October 2022 born, Denizes New 

Orleans, a heifer’s calf, is by the prolific 

Denizes Hamish and out of Denizes 

Melody 39 th . Purchasing the top price 

bull, who carried strong performance 

figures and a depth of breeding, was 

commercial producer Alan Wright who 

Denizes New Orleans 22,000gns 

runs 70 Simmental females, 15/16ths 

bred towards pure, in a closed herd at St 

Mungos Farm, West Lundie, Argaty, Doune. 

Speaking after the sale Mr Wright said of 

the 22,000gns price: “When you see a bull 

of this quality then you have to try and buy 

him! If you look at the price of the first ten 

heifers a bull like this will breed that’s how 

we value him.” 

For sale reports and upcoming fixtures 

please visit the society’s Facebook page @ 

britishsimmental cattle society and web: 

www.britishsimmental.co.uk 



Melbourne Park lead the way at Worcester Longhorn sale 

Topping trade for Longhorn cattle at the Society’s Spring Show 

and Sale at Worcester on Saturday 20 th April, as well as setting a 

new breed record for a Longhorn senior heifer were Ben and Tori 

Stanley of the Melbourne, Derbyshire-based Melbourne Park herd. 

Sale leader was Melbourne Park Kiggle, a March 2022-born 

Southfield Nuke EX94 daughter out of a homebred female by 

Blackbrook Trapper who stood second in the senior heifer class in 

the pre-sale show. After spirited bidding this heifer finally knocked 

down at 6000gns to B and J Sutton, Monmouth. 

Joint second highest price on the day was a call of 5000gns for 

Coalville, Leicestershire-based John and Pat Stanley. Blackbrook 

Godiva is by Blackbrook Darth Vadar EX92 and out of a homebred 

female by Blackbrook Acer EX90. She found a new home with 

David Blockley for the Southfield herd, Bradford, West Yorkshire. 

Also selling for 5000gns and leading trade for bulls on the day 

was the pre-sale champion, Longbridge Warren from Jane Grant 

and Trish McDonnell, York, North Yorkshire. The pick of judge 

Wendy Finucane, Carmarthenshire, Warren is by Gorse Yukon, a 

son of the breed record holder and 12,000gns Gorse Rosa EX92. 

Securing this one was Harriet Butler, Tamworth, Staffordshire. 

Melbourne Park Kiggle, senior heifer breed record 6000gns 

Breed Champion Longbridge Warren 

Reserve Champion Gentons Wentworth 

Judge Wendy Finucane, Longbridge Warren and Gentons Wentworth 

Back with females and Ben and Tori Stanley were back in 

action selling their first prize senior heifer, Melbourne Park 

Kate, a daughter of the 2022 Great Yorkshire Show champion, 

Herbertsherd Issac out of another homebred daughter 

by Blackbrook Trapper. She was knocked down to Jane 

Grant and Trish McDonnell for the Longbridge herd. 

Next up and selling for 4000gns was Carreg Warrior 

from B and M Llewellyn, Llandeilo, Dyfed. Born 

February 2022, this Fishwick Lord of The Rings 

EX93 son is out of the successful show female, 

Carreg Romance EX90, a Fishwick Macavity daughter. 

Securing this one were the Goodman Bros, Witley, 

Worcestershire. 

Joining the previous one with the Goodman Bros 

at 3000gns was the reserve champion, Gentons 

Wentworth from Bertie Facon, Banbury, Oxfordshire. 

This January 2022-born son of Gentons Ramses EX93 

is out of the Fishwick Macavity daughter, Fishwick 

Paulina EX92. 

Averages: 10 senior heifers £2703.75; 7 junior 

heifers £759.00; 4 senior bulls £3727.50 



BEEF FROM THE DAIRY HERD 

– TREND MIRRORS WAGYU 

GROWTH 

BWA Company Secretary Richard Saunders attended the AHDB 

and NFU’s Dairy-Beef Forum on Tuesday 26 th March at Stoneleigh 

Park, Warwickshire. Although UK (GB & NI) cattle herd numbers 

have remained pretty stable over the last 10 years, it is the make-up 

of the national herd which has been changing. Beef from the dairy 

herd is increasing whilst there has been a decline in the suckler 

herd. These two go hand-in-hand. In 2023, the UK breeding herd 

comprised 3.2 million cows of which 1.8m dairy dams and 1.4m 

beef dams (suckler cows). 

BCMS FIGURES UNDERLINE 

BRITISH WAGYU RISE 

40000 

35000 

30000 

25000 

20000 

British Wagyu Births GB 2014-2023 - source BCMS 

15000 

10000 

5000 

0 

2014 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 

Wagyu purebred Wagyu crossbred Total 

In 2012, relatively few beef calves were born in the dairy herd; 

2023 sees a marked increase, with Angus and Blues very strong, 

but with a notable uplift in Wagyu. As an example, Genus ABS sold 

a record 32,600 straws of Wagyu semen in the UK from Oct-Dec 

2023 with Wagyu now their third biggest seller after Blues and 

Angus. 

There are also fewer dairy male calves born due to the uplift 

in female sexed semen used in the UK dairy herd to breed 

replacements from top-performing cows. Data collected by AHDB 

(12 months to March 2023) shows that sales of sexed semen 

increased to 76.5% of all dairy semen, marking a notable increase 

from 70% in 2022. 

Says Richard: “Wagyu has benefited hugely from all of these factors 

with integrated beef schemes like Warrendale’s basing themselves 

on Wagyu across Holstein/Friesian dams. Put simply for the 

dairyman - easy calving, short gestation, premium calf. There are 

also relatively narrow genetics at play (both in Wagyu and Dairy) 

meaning a uniform calf crop which is easily managed. Wagyu calves 

also generally have a small birthweight and are easily born; they are 

known for being healthy and thrifty with great temperament.” 


WAGYU BREEDERS ASSOCIATION APPROVED 

BRITISH WAGYU CONFERENCE 

• 19-20 September 2024 

• In partnership with Warrendale Wagyu 

Plans are underway to showcase the British Wagyu & Warrendale Wagyu story 

at a conference in Lincolnshire 19-20 September. Organisers are pulling 

together a fantastic line-up of speakers and entertainment with Wagyu beef 

centre stage. 


Day One will be held at Forest Pines Hotel, Ermine St, Broughton, Brigg with 

lunch followed by the conference and Gala Dinner. Hosting the on-farm visit on Day Two are Warrendale Wagyu partner farmers, Gary 

& Jayne Hancock, who farm 1,300 acres at Park Farm, Willingham by Stow. Assisted by five full-time staff, they are currently running 

2,050 head of Wagyu-cross cattle on their mainly grassland holding which is grown alongside maize. 

Having begun around 4 years ago with a few hundred finishing cattle taken in at around 18-19 months of age, the Hancocks have 

expanded to also take in batches of growing cattle (aged 6-7 months) as well as yearlings. Numbers are projected to go beyond the 

2,500 mark in due course. 

BEEF EXPO 

PROVIDES 

BRITISH 

WAGYU 

SHOWCASE 

Beef Expo, the annual 

flagship beef event organised 

by the National Beef 

Association (NBA) saw 

British Wagyu take centrestage 

as a first-time Gold 

Sponsor on Saturday 

27 th April at North West 

Auctions, Cumbria. 

In partnership with 

Warrendale Wagyu, whose 

integrated Wagyu supply 

chain continues to go from 

strength to strength, the 

event showcased the attributes of the breed through not only its 

cattle but also alongside a display of its highly-marbled beef. In 

addition, some 250 people were catered for at the pre-event BBQ 

on the Friday night where they were served both Wagyu brisket and 

Wagyu sausages. 

Cattle on the stand were provided by Jack Thornton of Jack Nook 

Farm, Barton, Preston, Lancashire. They comprised 4 Wagyu-cross 

finishing cattle aged around 22 months weighing 700kg together 

with 4 similarly bred F1 Wagyu-sired dairy crosses. 

British Wagyu Association Company Secretary Richard Saunders 

said: “British Wagyu is the fastest growing breed in the UK, and 

this popularity is being underpinned by the steady rise of beef 

from the dairy herd. Wagyus are easily born, are vigorous calves 

and deliver a premium for everyone in the chain. They are proving 

popular with rearers and growers due to their ease of management 

whilst finishers are rewarded on marble score. British Wagyu is all 

about delivering a consistently excellent product to the consumer.” 

WARRENDALE RECEIVES 

KING’S AWARD FOR 

INNOVATION 

Warrendale Wagyu has received 

the King’s Award for Enterprise in 

the innovation category for 2024 

Warrendale Wagyu, a business 

currently working in partnership 

with over 600 farmers across the country through its 

integrated supply chain, has been awarded the prestigious 

King’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation, in recognition of 

providing new and sustainable practices within the UK Meat 

and Dairy Industry. Warrendale Wagyu said it is striving to 

continuously improve the quality of livestock throughout the 

chain, creating localised supply chain triangles wherever 

possible. 

Jim Bloom, founder of Warrendale Wagyu commented on 

receiving the award: “Receiving the King’s Award is an 

honour for Warrendale Wagyu after founding the business 

seven years ago. We work closely with many farmers 

across the UK to produce British Wagyu Beef and are 

also very fortunate to have established some long-term 

customers who value the product and supply chain we 

have created. The award is great recognition of our efforts 

in building relationships and working with some great 

partners to create a sustainable business. It is a testament 

to everyone involved within our business, including all 

our farmer partners and their dedication to producing the 

highest quality British Wagyu Beef.” @thekingsawards @ 

biztradegovuk 

FULLY WBA ASSURED 

www.britishwagyu.co.uk • info@britishwagyu.co.uk 



Beef Shorthorn Society 

launches sire reference 

scheme 

Beef Shorthorn 

breeders across 

the UK are being 

offered the chance 

to use semen 

from a trio of top 

performance sires 

at discounted 

prices as part of 

a newly launched 

sire reference 

scheme for the 

breed. 

The new scheme, designed to improve genetic linkage within 

the breed, follows on the back of the breed introducing genomic 

evaluations last autumn, explains the Society’s operations 

manager Clive Brown. 

“The introduction of genomic evaluations has already resulted 

in increased accuracy values of estimated breeding values (EBV) 

and the Society is seeking to build on that, in part, by offering 

semen from a number of young sires each year to boost the levels 

of genetic linkage between herds. This will assist in the Society’s 

objective of building a solid foundation of performance recording 

to enhance the use of EBVs within the breed. 

“Bulls will be selected for the scheme based on a specific set 

of criteria aimed at continual improvement in the breed, with 

these criteria having the potential to vary slightly depending on 

the Society’s focus area. The Society’s main objective is to have 

the reference sires used in as many herds as possible, large and 

small, forging strong genetic links,” he adds. 

To kickstart the scheme the Society has selected a trio of bulls, 

Mayfield Nimrod, Stanfordpark Specialedition and Vale Meadows 

Flossy’s Cavalier to be available to breeders in the whole of GB, 

with breeders able to select semen from two out of the three. 

Due to export restrictions on semen, just Vale Meadows Flossy’s 

Cavalier, will be available for members in Northern Ireland. 

Both Mayfield Nimrod and Stanfordpark Specialedition have 

performance figures in the top 1% of the breed for terminal index 

and self-replacing index, while Vale Meadows Flossy’s Cavalier 

carries a self-replacing index in the top 10% of the breed and a 

terminal index in the top 30% of the breed. 

“These young bulls have been selected to offer breeders the 

chance to access top level genetics with strong pedigrees, 

balanced performance and good pehnotype and semen will be 

offered to Society members at a discounted rate. However, in 

order to maximise use of the semen within the 12 months it is 

available, members will be limited to the number of straws they 

can purchase depending on herd size. 

“Additionally, to ensure improvements in accuracy levels can 

be achieved, members will be asked to commit to performance 

recording the offspring resulting from these inseminations.” 

The Society hopes members will take up this offer, helping to 

maximise genetic progress and EBV accuracy in the breed as a 

result of using these trait leading sires within their herds. 

2024 CHarolais Youth 

Program (CHYPS) 

The ‘S’ stands for study, stock, 

social, scholarship, skills, 

syllabus, science and success! 

This year the Charolais Youth Program (CHYPS) backed by 

Harbro Ltd will take place in Wales by kind permission of the 

renowned Charolais breeder Mr D. Esmor Evans BSc BVM&S 

MRCVS, also fondly known as the ‘Welsh Wizard’ and his 

partner Iorwen Jones of the record-breaking Maerdy herd. 

The fact that Esmor runs a busy veterinary practice in Mold, 

north Wales, and runs a 120-cow pedigree Charolais herd on a 

1000ft hill farm 26 miles from his home, makes it even more 

remarkable that he has generously found the time to host our 

2024 CHYPS programme and for that, the British Charolais 

Cattle Society is enormously grateful. 

Esmor’s Evans’ pedigree pilgrimage through Charolais began 

with a deep interest in the breed, but it remained only an 

interest until he purchased a maiden heifer, Handsmooth 

Ivy for 4,000gns in 1974 and so the Maerdy herd was 

established. Charolais cattle and the buzz of the bull sales 

are still full of magic for Esmor, the man who bred the record 

price Maerdy Director, which sold in 1989 for 56,000gns. 

The bull was junior champion at the Royal Show in 1989 and 

winner of the MLC beef recorded bull class with 49 points 

out of 50. However, when asked about his breeding career he 

was as modest as ever, Esmor said, “people are very surprised 

when they see that we run a very simple, straightforward 

system with no frills”. The herds 

achievements emulate that most 

famous of pedigree sayings: 

“Breeding will out!”. 

The workshop will be held on 

Saturday 3 rd & Sunday 4 th August 

2024 at Plas Major, Rose Lane, 

Mold CH7 4JL, one of six of 

Esmor’s farms. The 150-acre 

unit is home to some of his 

pedigree breeding females which 

we will have an opportunity to 

view on Sunday afternoon. 

To apply https://www.charolais. 

co.uk/news/2024/04/30/2024- 

charolais-youth-program-chyps/ 



Devon Cattle Breeders’ Society 

Our Spring Show and Sale, held at 

Sedgemoor Auction Centre on Tuesday 

26 th March, saw a superb trade from start 

to finish with a jam packed ringside of 

buyers travelling from as far afield as, 

Wrexham down to Cornwall. Bulls sold 

to an 100% clearance rate with averages 

excelling on the year. 

Leading the day’s trade and standing top 

of the line in his pre-sale show class, 

under the watchful eye of Malcolm Hurd 

from the noted Whitefield herd, was 

Dira Yeoman from Mr R D and Mrs J L 

Youngman, Crediton, Devon. 

Dira Yeoman son of Priorton Useful (SC) 

goes back to the renowned Boskenna 

Donal EX95 and is out of Tilbrook 

Gracious 12. After fruitful bidding with 

five keen bidders eager to secure him, the 

hammer eventually fell at 8200gns and 

he now heads to Moreton in the Marsh 

with Daylesford Organics. 

Following at 6200gns was Priorton Yawl 

from Crediton-based, John and Sue May. 

Sired by Dira Halcyon EX93 and out of 

Priorton Show Lassie 70 th , caught the eye 

of the Joe Dufosee for the Warminsterbased 

Blackhill herd. 

The Devon County Show had a good 

showing from 9 Devon exhibitors with 

Treballywyn Plum 12 th owned by Mr T Wilton 

being crowned as Champion Devon. John 

May’s Priorton Yeoman came in Reserve 

Champion. 

Other first place winners in their classes 

were Colleton Charm 2 nd - Mr S & Mrs 

G Phillips, Hillside Daphne - Mrs D 

Dira Yeoman top selling at Spring Show & Sale 

Telling, Dorcy Daisy 5 th - J M & R C 

Hawke, Treballywyn Plum 15 th - Mr 

T Wilton, Dorcy Tulip 3 rd - J M & R C 

Hawke, Priorton Useful - Mr R & Mrs J 

Youngman, Rocknell Rockstar - Mr G 

Summerhayes and Priorton Amorous - Mr 

J May. 

John May won the Group of 3 females 

with a very uniform 3 Priorton heifers. 

Devon Champion at Devon County Show 

Reserve Champion at Devon County Show 

Breed Societies, do you have any 

news you would like us to publish? 

Email your copy and any images to julie@nationalbeefassociation.com 


Beef Breed Directory 


www.luingcattlesociety.co.uk 

Dairy Cottage, Tower Road, 

Ayton, Berwickshire TD14 5QX 

Welcome! This directory is your one-stop shop for finding 

the contact details you need for the UK’s Beef Breeds. 

Advertise here 

Contact Julie Holmes t: 07393 463225 e: julie@nationalbeefassociation.com 

Tel: 01890 781358 Mob: 07592 139708 

Email: secretary@luingcattlesociety.co.uk 

BREEDING SALES 

February, May & October 

Fieldsman: Charles Symons 

T: 01573 440207 Mob: 07971 231885 

E: cjmsymons1@gmail.com 

PART OF FARMING’S FUTURE 

www.redrubydevon.co.uk 

WAGYU BREEDERS 

ASSOCIATION 

A LEAGUE OF 

ITS OWN 

EASY CALVING - DOCILE 

info@britishwagyu.co.uk 

www.britishwagyu.co.uk 

Unit 1, The Stable Yard, Woodhayes Farm, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4TP 

t: 01404 47863 e: dcbs@redrubydevon.co.uk 

Avenue M, 

Stoneleigh Park, 

Kenilworth, 

Warwickshire. CV8 2RG 

Tel: 02476 697222 

Email: 

charolais@charolais.co.uk 

www.charolais.co.uk 

THE 

ULTIMATE 

SUCKLER 

COW 

01377 227 790 

info@stabiliser.co.uk 

www.stabiliser.co.uk 

nba 34 x 68 mm 2023 v2.indd 08/03/2023 1 

13:25:42 

SIMMENTAL 

THE BREED YOU CAN BANK ON 

THE BRITISH BLUE 

CATTLE SOCIETY 

Holme House 

The Dale, Ainstable 

Carlisle,Cumbria CA4 9RH 

01768 870522 

info@britishbluecattle.org 

SETTING THE 

STANDARD 

www.britishbluecattle.org 

PROFIT THROUGH 

EFFICIENCY 

MATERNAL MAINSTAYS 

OF THE SUCKLER HERD 

*SIMMENTAL = NO.1 

CONTINENTAL BREED 

FOR AGE AT SLAUGHTER 

* NATIONAL BEEF EVALUATION DECEMBER 2022 

THE BRITISH SIMMENTAL CATTLE SOCIETY 

+44 (0) 2476 696513 

information@britishsimmental.co.uk 

www.britishsimmental.co.uk 

48 The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2024 

NBA Breed Directory (34x68.5mm) Spring.indd 08/03/2023 1 

09:25:00

MELTON MOWBRAY MULTIBREED SALE – 27 MARCH 2021 

WELSHPOOL SPRING SALE – 20 MAY 2021 


National beef association 

Fighting for the 

future of the 

British Beef Industry 

SALERS 

MATERNAL 

MAGIC 

The Hereford does it all 

SUITS ANY SIRE 

& 

SUITS ANY SYSTEM 

www.nationalbeefassociation.com 

SALERS CATTLE SOCIETY OF THE UK 

Jasmine Cottage, Gavinton, TD11 3QP 

secretary@salers.uk 

07903 626249 

WWW.SALERS.UK 

Visit www.herefordcattle.org to find out more 

01432 272057 

GRAZING SYSTEMS | BEEF QUALITY 

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES 

Gascon 

Cattle 

Society 

Breed Secretary: 

Pauline Milton 

07787722497 

gasconcattle@btconnect 

.com 

www.britishwhitecattle.co.uk 

01954 232796 | 07771 333303 

www.gascon.org.uk 

A versatile hardy suckler 

breed 

t: 02475 099146 

e: info@beefshorthorn.org 

www.beefshorthorn.org 

www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk 

01738 622477 

Patron: Her Majesty The Queen 

Stirling Agricultural Centre 

Stirling FK9 4RN 

Tel: 01786 446866 

info@highlandcattlesociety.com 

www.highlandcattlesociety.com 

Aberdeen-Angus, its more than a breed, it’s a brand. 

The perfect 

suckler cow 

w w w . r e d p o l l . o r g 

( 01245 600032 

secretary@redpoll.co.uk 


NBA Membership 

National Beef Association 

Membership 

WHO ARE THE NBA? 

The NBA is a charity, set up by beef farmers, for beef farmers. We 

exist to express the views of real farmers to politicians to ensure 

they are understood and represented in policy. Over the years we 

have fought against unfair trading practises, advised Government on 

disease management policies and now are working hard to ensure 

beef farmers have a future post Brexit. 

MEMBERS BENEFITS 

Members receive a weekly e-newsletter, which includes the latest 

market information and NBA and industry news. We also produce 

a quarterly magazine for our membership including beef research, 

policy positions and health articles. Our members have access to 

our breeding terms and conditions of sale FOC, a step by step guide 

to selling breeding animals. 

WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN US? 

Without the support of fellow farmers we wouldn’t be able to carry 

out our work on behalf of the industry. The 

NBA is also great for networking and sharing 

knowledge. Members have the chance to join 

regional committees which feed into our policy 

strategies and we run many industry farm walks, 

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For more information on Corporate Membership packages from NBA, please call 01434 601005 or email info@nationalbeefassociation.com 

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Berrystock Feeds 

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Craven Cattle Marts Limited 

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Datamars Livestock 

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Frome Livestock Auctioneers Ltd 

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McCartneys 

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Meadow Quality Ltd 

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Southern Counties Auctioneers 

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Tudor, Lawson, Dallimore & Parry 

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Bishopton Veterinary Group 

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Harrison & Hetherington 

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NWF Agriculture 

www.nwfagriculture.co.uk 


# 

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AFTER THE ONE-TWO PUNCH OF PI REMOVAL AND BIOSECURITY, YOU’LL WANT TO KEEP YOUR GUARD UP AGAINST BVD. 

A DISEASE WITH AN IMPACT OF OVER £40 PER COW PER YEAR 1 . SPEAK TO YOUR VET ABOUT HOW THE UK’S MARKET 

LEADING BVD VACCINE 2 PROVIDES 12 MONTHS’ PROVEN PROTECTION AGAINST BOTH BVD TYPE 1 AND 2, WITH JUST ONE JAB 3 . 

When used as part of a comprehensive approach to BVD including culling of PIs and biosecurity. 

References: 1. Yarnall and Thrusfield (2017) Vet Record doi: 10.1136/vr.104370 2. Kynetec (2019) BVD sales data by value. Full year 2018 3. For 

active immunisation of cattle against BVDV-1 and BVDV-2, to prevent the birth of persistently infected calves caused by transplacental infection. 

Bovela lyophilisate and solvent for suspension for injection for cattle contains modified live BVDV-1, non-cytopathic parent strain KE-9: 10 4.0 – 

10 6.0 TCID 50 

, modified live BVDV-2, non-cytopathic parent strain NY-93: 10 4.0 –10 6.0 TCID 50 

. UK: POM-V. Further information available in the SPC or 

from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd, RG12 8YS, UK. Tel: 01344 746957. Email: vetenquiries@boehringer-ingelheim.com. Bovela is 

a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under licence. ©2019 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd. All 

rights reserved. Date of preparation: Jul 2019. AHD12633. Use Medicines Responsibly. 

MakE BVD history

NBA Summer Magazine 2024 - Beef Expo Review

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