Page 10 - British Blue 2025 Yearbook

2024 CHAIRMANS OVERVIEW
2024 commenced with the prospects of it being another exciting and rewarding year for the British Blues,
and, as ever, it did not fail.
The year started with the January sale in Carlisle, where
there was great demand for bulls and heifers alike. Bulls
reached 14,000gns for Greystone Sheriff, from the Coates
family, Settle. Females topped at 4,500gns for Clifftown
Starburst, the female champion, followed very closely by
Sweet Cheeks at 4,200gns from the same stable. The
average for 17 bulls was £7,443.00, and six females
averaged £3,623.00.
In March, the "Blue Genes" sale at Shrewsbury saw the top-
priced bull sell for 3,600gns for Trencrom Swinton from
Gail Ellis. Heifers from the Delhorn Herd of John & Yvonne
Hopkins topped at 4,100gns and 3,400gns for Delhorn
Truly Scrumptious and Twilight Zone.
At Carlisle in May, it was the Male and Supreme Champion,
Almely Shaggy, who topped the sale at 25,000gns from
the Morgan family, who saw an excellent day's trading,
selling 10 bulls to average £8,946. The females topped at
7,500gns for Solway View Stella from Maulscastle
Farming. Averages - 49 bulls £6,777.14, and 25 maiden
heifers £4,670.40.
Back at the same venue in October, the top price of
4,200gns was achieved by the Supreme Champion,
Knockagh Show King, from Stephen McKewan and Laura
Ervine. Standing Reserve to him was the female
Champion, Stonebyres Sabrina, from the Comrie family.
Five bulls averaged £3,506, and two females averaged
£2,835.
In addition to the strong sales performance, the show
season also highlighted the excellence of British Blue
cattle. The show season commenced with the Balmoral
event in May, where Andrew Kay judged the competition.
Drumhilla Tiktok from the JCB Commercials team took the
top spot, while the imported cow Lueur D Hontoir from
Seamus Brannif secured the reserve position
The Royal Cornwall Show in June saw Andrew Luxton take
the Supreme Championship with Highland Blues Spruce.
At the Royal Highland Show, Paul Walker was the judge,
and it was the beginning of a very
successful show season for the Hartley
family, with Pendle Sarsaparilla taking the
Supreme Championship. Continuing her
success at the Great Yorkshire Show, she was the Supreme
Champion for Judge Steve Pattinson.
At the Royal Welsh, under judge Andrew Price, it was
Solway View Tamsin from Maulscastle Farming who took
the Female and Overall Championship, with Bringlee
Tansy taking the reserve slot for Rhiwonnen Blues.
The 2024 AGM was held on the eve of the Borders Club
Blue Sale at the Shepherd's Inn, Carlisle, sharing the venue
with the club's pre-sale dinner, for which we are most
grateful.
Again, we operated a postal voting system, which sped up
the whole process and ensured the integrity of the
meeting. Where I, Steve Pattinson, and Alan Wilkinson
were voted back onto the council. Oliver McCann was
welcomed to the council in March after being co-opted to
represent Northern Ireland for one year until the seat
comes up for re-election in 2025.
I must thank all our council members who freely give up
their valuable time to serve our membership and steer our
society's policies for future fruition.
2024 saw 30 new members join the society, whom I
warmly welcome and wish much success and enjoyment
with British Blue cattle.
It was with sadness that we lost a great character of the
breed from the Borders, Mick Gamble, an enthusiastic
promoter of the breed for many years. I offer my
condolences to his family, as I do to all members who lost
loved ones during 2024.
In the summer, our president, Geoff Walker, and his family
invited us to an open day to view their Brennand Herd.
What a fantastic day it was! The weather was brilliant,
which set off the scenery and ambience at Brennand Farm.
Attended by several hundred people, they were inspired
by the quality of the pedigrees and commercial cattle
being bred at Brennand. During the day, there were
various fundraising events to raise money for two charities
close to Geoff's heart. £6,040 was raised for Alzheimer's
and Diabetes UK. Thanks must go to Geoff for his role as
president and for making this day such a success, ably
assisted by his wife Margaret and family.
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