High Court rejects challenge over Traditional Herefords

Traditional Hereford cattle will remain part of the wider Hereford breed after the High Court rejected a legal challenge over their classification.

Australian cattle breeder Peter Hall sought permission to bring a judicial review against Defra over its treatment of Traditional, or Original Population, Herefords.

See also: Hereford cattle ‘rare breed’ dispute heads to High Court

Traditional Herefords were previously identified separately in native-breed-at-risk reporting, but Defra’s revised Native Breeds Support (NBS) list, introduced in April 2026, classifies the wider Hereford breed as “not at risk”.

However, the Traditional Hereford Breeders’ Club’s latest census records just 1,230 pedigree-registered Traditional breeding females, below the 6,000 threshold used to determine at-risk status in cattle.

Mr Hall argued that combining Traditional Herefords with the larger North American Derived (NAD) population masks the rarity of the original bloodlines.

He challenged Defra’s whole-breed approach and its refusal to investigate or take enforcement action against the Hereford Cattle Society.

In a judgment handed down on Wednesday (14 October), the High Court refused permission for the judicial review to proceed and found Defra’s decision not to exercise investigative or enforcement powers against the Hereford Cattle Society to be lawful. 

The ruling means Traditional Hereford breeders remain ineligible for native-breed agri-environment support payments in England.

‘Not the end’

Mr Hall, whose family helped establish the breed in Herefordshire in the 1780s, vowed to continue his campaign.

“This is a setback, not the end,” he said.

“The court’s decision does not resolve the fundamental questions about the history, scientific genetic identity and conservation of Original Population Herefords and all autochthonous breeds.”

Mr Hall maintains that scientific evidence supports recognising the original bloodlines separately and has raised concerns over the society’s refusal to register cattle from his Australian herd as Original Population Herefords.

His herd includes 10 cow families he says are now extinct in the UK.

“Conservation can only work if there is a credible way to identify and register the animals that form part of the population we are trying to preserve,” he said.

Breed governance

The Hereford Cattle Society, representing more than 1,000 UK breeders, maintains that all animals registered in its herd book are purebred Herefords.

General manager Seth Wareing said: “We welcome this decision, which provides clarity for our members and supports the Society’s role in maintaining the integrity of the Hereford breed.”

Rare Breeds Survival Trust chief executive Christopher Price welcomed the clarification, but urged greater protection of native breed genetics.

“The onus is now on breed societies to ensure they do all they can to conserve all important genetics within each native breed, and this should be overseen by government in its role accrediting breed societies,” he said.

Defra also welcomed the ruling, saying its approach was informed by scientific advice to protect Hereford cattle and maintain genetic diversity.