Ruth Skinner, MBE presented by HM Q E II, Holyrood house, 30th June 2009, for services to Carriage Driving and Riding for the Disabled, New Year Honours list 2009.

Hello!   After an extended absence of nearly 4 months I've crept out to blog again by getting you all up to speed with what's been going on in BGCoo land.

 Firstly I sold one of my two entries at the RNAS Spring Show for a good trade to one of the north-east show circuits more outgoing competitors who intends to take his new purchase to some of the local summer shows up here. (New Deer on 18th July if any of you young, single ladies want to give a potential future husband a hand with his showing!)

Then in March it was off to the Show and Sale of Young Farmers Overwintering Completion of Cross-bred cattle.  This time however it was more of a 'see what's out there and pick up a bargain' outing.  How wrong could I be.  Our friends son won the whole competition with a Heifer bought at handy money and sold for £4,000 - better than going to Uni was how Wils Junior described the experience to our local reporter, which was duly reported in the next days 'Farm Journal'!

 April saw the departure of another of last years calves, again at Thainstone, 3rd prize in the heavy bullocks gave me a £10 'luck voucher' to pass on to the particularly bullish buyer.  My sole entry was sold at 6pm, following a 9.30am start selling in 2 rings.  More than 3,000 store cattle were traded that Good Friday day, which marked the start of a busy spell at Thainstone when they nearly matched this throughput on each of the following Fridays, for a month, with a few midweek sales thrown in for good measure.

Then in May I broke with tradition and actually took a day off to go down to Carlisle for the annual May Sale of Pedigree Charolais Bulls.  I say broke with tradition as normally due to work commitments time away either has to come under the category of weekend, local (Thainstone or Huntly) or family holiday (Perth Bull Sales, Royal Highland Show) to keep me in employment!

Anyway, this again fell in the same category as the YFC sale at Thainstone, as it was my first visit to Carlisle Mart and, yes I would love to come home with a bull, but after the trade at the Perth Bulls Sales, then this seemed unlikely.

Again, how wrong could I be.  There was a distinct edge to the trade, with the odd bargain available so when I put in 1 bid for a well bred, natural young bull from a breeder I didn't know from Yorkshire, BANG, gavel down one more beast at BGCoo-Land!

It's a fortnight since he went out to the cows so it's too early to see how he's going to do but the first signs of a sucessfull career as a breeding bull are there!

Which brings me to my conclusion, having just broken my 2 Highland Show entries to walk on the halter I've finally found some time to write something for you all again, all with the help of the UK's favourite oil company you may understand.

I'm hoping to attend 'The' Angus Show at Brechin tomorrow so expect some chat from the cross cattle, pedigree beef cattle and possibly Clydesdale Horse sections (in that order!) sometime soon.

Hot on the heels from my last post, I have received an email from a vendor asking me to let you all see his press release for the his debut selling Limousin bulls at Thainstone next week - here goes.......

OK following on from yesterday in the last 24 hours I've started adding the finishing touches to my entries for the Royal Northern Spring Show at Thainstone Agricultural Centre, Wednesday 25th February.

I've 1 bullock and a heifer, both sired by a Limousin bull  with Charolais breeding from the dam's side.  My best one is actually out of a pedigree Charolais heifer and the way he's looking now I'm wishing I'd kept him entire as he would have made a fantastic crossing bull for someone with the right cows to put that type of breeding across.

Photo now here if anyone is interested!

http://www.fwi.co.uk/community/photos/bluegreycoos/lim-x-cha-bullock-12-months-entered-for-rnas-111398.aspx    

Details of cattle will be on here by Wednesday and the catalogue for the bull sale is already there - http://www.goanm.co.uk/anmarts/livestockauctions/salesinfo/index.html

The Royal Northern Spring Show is organised by the Royal Northern Agricultural Society (funny that!)

http://www.rnas.org.uk/springshow.htm

This is intended to be a genuine blog and not just a blatant plug as anyone who has met me will know that's just not my style!

Keep on trucking folks!

BGCs

Hi folks!

After much deliberation and lurking I've decided to join you all properly and try to contribute a bit more - I was getting all hung up about getting it right that I never continued from my debut last July.

I guess just getting back to work after 3 days at the Perth Bull Sales has been the encouragement I needed.

It was great meeting old friends and making some new acquaintances so If any one out there has some chat or any of you fellow FWis want to comment please do........I really enjoy the banter!

The record books were thought to have been re-written at the weekend when an entry of  over 100 cross-bred cattle were paraded on a new out-of-town show-field, at the Nairnshire Farmers Society's Annual Show, Saturday 26th July.  The switch was considered a great success by organisers, exhibitors and public alike, allowing space for everyone to enjoy both the warm weather and the occasional cooling shower of rain.
An amazing 14 calves in the Bullock calf born after 1st March class for judge Alistair Vance, Bridgehouse, Newton Stewart, Wigtonshire, to scrutinize.  Although he found his champion elsewhere in the class for Bullocks born between 1st September 2007 and 30th November 2007.  The steer, named Harlequin, sired by Linarn Unique was one of nearly 2 dozen exhibits from Andrew Anderson, Plewlands, Duffus, Elgin, Morayshire.  After Andy giving himself some competition from his own camp, taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd in his class he then stormed to Male Champion, before going on the Overall Champion ahead of the Female Champion from Messers Munro, Invercarron, Ardgay, Ross-shire.  The first time exhibitors were to have their hopes dashed of claiming the Reserve Overall title as the Reserve Male followed his conqueror to the title.  This was a much admired and deserved winner of the largest class of the day and was exhibited by the breeders of last years champion, Messers McArthur, Mid Fleenas, Littlemill, Nairn with  a 4 month old Limousin cross calf.
As well as the strength and depth of the classes the most encouraging aspect of the day was the amount of young people involved throughout the day and in the Young Stock-persons classes being judged  both on the quality of their calves and their skills in presenting and showing their exhibits - in separate classes.  With 12 forward this demonstrates that the skills and enthusiasm will continue in Nairnshire for many years to come.

To top off a quite amazing day for the Anderson family their Bullock then beat off fierce competition from the assembled pedigree section champions to claim the award for Overall Beef Champion. 
All this after a reserve placing for the inter-herd group of three animals from the same exhibitor, both times put under the watch-full eye of former Smithfield winner Scott Watson of Carnousite, Angus. This time giving way to a very powerful Group of Three Simmental females with calves at foot  from the Green family at Corskie, Garmouth, Fochabers - a member of which was Simmental section leader and Runner-up in the Overall Beef Champion to the cross bred bullock.   As both animals will be entered for Turriff Show on Monday 4th August, it will take some exceptional exhibits to come in their way and prevent a rematch.

Hi all - just a quick post to tell you all about me. As the 'Bio' says I'm a Cattle breeder and enthusiast from the North East of Scotland.  

My intention meantime is to keep you all posted as to how our local shows are going up here as It's a favourite summer pastime of mine (and my family) to get out and about, show our cattle and meet friends, old and new, for a bit of fun. If the occasional beer can be squeezed in then all the better!