I was invited to judge the South Devon cattle classes at
the Bath and West Show recently. Having judged at Camelford last
year in torrential rain, I felt jinxed to be faced with similar
weather as I travelled to Shepton Mallet. Clearly, my judge's
bowler has water divining properties. However, the rain eased
somewhat and I got away with only a moderate soaking.
The organisation, stewarding and hospitality at the show were
excellent and a lesson the RASE at Stoneleigh would do well to
learn - perhaps we have discovered the new home of the Royal
Show?
By the time you read this, our silage, hopefully, would have
been safely gathered in without rain - always problematic as it's
Wimbledon fortnight weather and about as likely as a British win at
the championships (but Andy Murray's going to do it this year isn't
he?).
Cows have been sorted into their bulling groups and the eldest
calves have had their first bluetongue vaccine. All but four
tail-enders had calved and I was congratulating myself on a
relatively trouble-free calving season with no posterior
presentations (we had about six last year) when one cow presented
tail only. Luckily, the cow had plenty of room and I was able to
manipulate the calf and draw it out alive.
On returning to the house, I was met by my six-year-old daughter
who expressed her disgust at the state of my overalls dripping with
amniotic fluid. "You were covered in something very similar when
you came out of Mummy's tummy," I explained to her. "What, poo and
straw daddy?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
