well it looks like the reporters seem to favour the continental cattle classes more than the native breeds ,very dissapointing.Can any of the reporters tell me why they seem to favour the commercial cattle classes so much ,lets face it the majority are on a one way ticket after the xmas shows!! Or have they also joined the newly formed fatstock "Breed Society"

Hi Doog

Thanks for your comments - I'm sorry you think we only favour commercial cattle - the only reason we managed to get commercial cattle general shots on the gallery was that they were being judged on their own in the afternoon allowing time for Tim to get some generals. The native beef rings yesterday were all on at the same time and were poorly attended, the most many had in the ring at one time were 2 or 3 cattle!

Herefords are being judged this morning and they look like they should get a good crowd out, so we will get some of those up for you later along with the other breeds and of course sheep, pigs and dairy. It is the first day, so there will be far more going up over the next day or two!

Rest assured - we haven't joined the commercial showcattle society either!!!!

Chrissie  

From past reports, I note only lip service paid to native breeds in cattle or sheep.  And they never cover goats, despite the increasing popularity of their products; we are becoming mainstream.  But then I'm not at the Royal: perhaps no-one turned up!

Someone explain please:   

What is the Royal Show all about these days ?   Who goes to it ?

If by native breeds you mean Angus and Hereford, I think you have to come to the USA to find the people who truly appreciate them.  Those two breeds dominate the cattle industry.  Angus are as close to being the perfect breed of cattle that ever walked, any program needs them as the base.  Cross them with Hereford, Charolais, or Limousin, perhaps even Gelbvieh and Simmental, and you have the right balance of genetics for the commercial herds( I gather from this thread that commercial cattle means something different over there).  I think I would have liked to have gone to the Royal Show, looks pretty spiffy.  If there is anything about UK agriculture hard for me to  figure out( I have said this over and over again) it is why you seem to be dominated by Continentals.  There are 6 bulls on this farm, 5 Angus and 1 Hereford, I cannot see a time where that balance will change, unless it is to 4 Angus and 2 Herefords.

kansasfarmer:

If there is anything about UK agriculture hard for me to  figure out( I have said this over and over again) it is why you seem to be dominated by Continentals

KF. Its genetic, we Brits just love the novelty of something different. That means that from time to time we develop fads for this and that. In the 1880s WS Gilbert (Of G&S fame) ironically wrote in the libretti of Iolanthe, "We do not yearn for all one sees that's Japanese." This was at a time when Japanese art, porcelain and culture was all the rage amongst a certain set in society.

Trouble is the introgression of canadian blood into the angus, hereford and even dairy shorthorn has changed the look of those breeds. It has got so bad that they are now separate breeds. The RBST now lists the traditional angus, traditional hereford and the northern dairy shorthorn as rare, such a shame.

 would be nice to see pics of jersey cattle too