National Herd of the Year Competition

Thornes win National Herd Competition

Having previously won the title in 2008, TG, EI and EN Thorne were again successful in 2021 in being named National Herd of the Year.

At the annual awards dinner of the Hereford Cattle Society, Pembrokeshirebased breeders George, Ionwy and Non Thorne were named as winners of the National Herd of the Year title after winning the Wales herd competition this summer. With the Glenvale poll, Studdolph poll and Ashdale British Polled herds to their name, the Thorne family have been in the breed since 1946, and were also founding members of the British Polled Hereford Society. Now running 35 breeding females, the family have experienced some great successes over the years, and previously won the herd of the year title in 2008. This year alone, they topped the female trade at the society’s spring sale with Glenvale 1 Polly 721 which sold at 5,200gns after 40 years of private-only female sales.

This year’s National Poll Show also saw Studdolph 1 Barbie 754 in the reserve supreme position in the hands of Inverness-based owners Calum Smith and Anna Wilson.

Commenting on her visit to the herd, judge Pat Stanley commended the breeders for their animals’ uniformity, stating all groups were of the same type. She highlighted the females’ flat tops and great depth, and praised the cattle for their second thigh and rump angle.

Taking second place was Phillip and Laura Vincent, Norfolk who had led the Midlands and East Anglia Hereford Breeders Association herd competition. Their Pulham herd consists of approximately 30 horned and 15 poll breeding females.

Having won the North of England Hereford Breeders’ Association herd competition a total of seven times, the Kemp family were pleased to be named third place in the national competition. Operating under the Auckvale prefix, they run 100 cows.

Stanley reports on National Herd Competition

At the society’s annual dinner, National Herd of the Year judge Pat Stanley presented her findings on her travels around the UK, examining some of the best Herefords in the country.

Hereford Cattle Society was very pleased when Pat Stanley accepted the invitation to judge the National Herd of the Year Competition, originally destined for 2020.

Pat runs the Blackbrook herd of pedigree Longhorns together with her husband John in Leicestershire, and also kindly judged the 2019 HCBA Christmas Calf Show and National Hereford Show.

On presenting to the society’s annual dinner at the Albrighton Hall Hotel, Shrewsbury on the night prior to the autumn show and sale, Pat commented it had been a very great honour and pleasure to be asked to judge the Hereford Cattle Society’s national herd competition.

She said: “Firstly I would like to thank all of the participating members and their families for their incredible hospitality and in-depth conversation about their animals. It was a privilege to meet them. “You had set me no easy task,” she continued. “I was asked to visit the eight herds which had been picked out by regional judges, to be the best representatives of your breed in their areas in 2021. It was very clear to me that all of the eight families were great advocates of the breed.

“I reiterate here that I was judging the herd as a whole not individual animals. I was looking for consistency of type throughout, management of the herd and the way in which they were marketed,” she said.

“I have an ideal beef type of animal in my mind. I like a good level top line, complimented by a good level bottom line, a neat tail set, good rump angle, good spring of rib, good second thigh, length from hook to pin, width between the pins, a leg at each corner, sound feet and legs and good mobility, an animal with balance.

“In a cow I like to see femininity, a good shaped well attached udder, neatness and style. “In a bull I like to see strength of character, presence and all the essential attributes I hope he will be passing on to his offspring, for as that great man Robert Bakewell once said, ‘like begets like’.

“Although you have the added bonus of consistent colour markings throughout the Hereford breed, compared to the Longhorn, you do have variety of type and I have been shown horned, poll, British Polled and horned crossed poll. “The future outlook for livestock farming going forward is uncertain,” she said. “The traditional breeds like the Hereford will be part of the solution to the problems that we will have to wrestle with. Large-framed continentals with rapacious appetites may not be deemed as favourably as they once were. The Hereford over the last 200 or so years has proved its adaptability. That has enabled it to survive the fads of the eras it has journeyed through and I have no doubt that in the hands of the people I have met on my journey that it will flourish going forward.” Pat explained her journey started with a trip to the Mitchell family in Dorset, where she met Roger, son Christopher, daughter Sally and grandson Harry. The herd has been in existence for 50 years and the tour of the herd of 40 cows and followers found the cattle all looking exceptionally well, she said. The cows were running out high up on a hill with the stock bull which had sired all of the calves. This three to four year old bull was holding his flesh very well considering the amount of work it had been doing, she remarked, and had an excellent second thigh. Its offspring were looking very promising, she thought.

L-R Non Thorne, Pat Stanley and Ionwy and George Thorne

Pat’s second visit was to the father and son partnership of Richard and Tony Bradstock. This herd had won the West Midlands round and resides in a beautiful part of Herefordshire. Free Town Herefords has been in existence since 1906 and now consists of 70 breeding females, two thirds of which are horned and the other third poll. Each year, 10 to 15 are sold and the herd currently has two senior stock bulls and two home-bred juniors. Pat commented: “The cows here were big, deep bodied, flat topped. They are kept until they are no longer useful. A smattering of Australian genetics was being used and we saw an impressive spring calving group of cows and calves out on a herbal lay on a flood meadow. We also saw good groups of served and yearling heifers.” Pat next set out on the long haul up to County Durham, followed by Northern Ireland and Scotland.

“Our first port of call on this leg was to the Kemps where we were met by Tom, John, William and Katherine. What a very talented family this is, from topflight carriage driving, cider production, museum curating as well as looking after a 100 cow herd of Herefords on 300 acres of grassland. “This herd certainly had the ‘wow factor’ as we looked across the fields after a heavy downpour. I do not remember having seen so many Herefords in one place in the UK before.” Of the Auckvale herd, 60 per cent of this herd were of horned breeding. Heifers calve down at between two and two and a half years. The bull running with the first group of cows was an ET who had been selected for among other traits, udder quality. She said: “I saw some exceptional cows within this herd. One I picked out was apparently a cow I had put up at Tenbury.” Now for Northern Ireland and the McMordie family, and thanks to the weather gods for a smooth crossing, recalled Pat.

“John and William keep 53 cows and the herd was established in 1953. We saw the beginning of the autumn calves which were looking good and strong and usually average 40kg. These calves were by a bull called Herbert. We saw some excellent cows and calved heifers doing a fine job rearing their calves. Youngstock are not pushed hard and we saw some very handy young bulls which would shortly be heading for new homes. “Some supersmart heifers will be heading to the show ring in the coming months. John and William know what they like and are keen that the cattle work for them and earn their keep,” she said. In Scotland Pat travelled to the herd of John and Margaret Cameron. Pat said: “It was wonderful to meet them both before John took us off to see the herd and meet with stockmen Jimmy and Andy. This is a 40 cow herd, where heifers calve for the first time at three years, making for big, strong cows, with the oldest cow in the herd being 17 years. Calves of both sexes run together till weaning, and calves have access to ad lib creep feed from two and a half to three months.

“John is very keen on high health for all herds in Scotland and has been instrumental in achieving this. He would like to have the scheme rolled out across the whole of the UK.”

Gloucestershire meant a visit to Martin and Deborah Jenkins and son Steve. This father and son duo run a herd of 42 cows which was established in 2004, alongside a contracting business. The heifers calve at two years and are put to the bull at 400kgs. Pat said: “The herd is run very commercially and with great attention to detail. The cattle are all poll and six young bulls are usually sold annually mainly for commercial use. Two stock bulls are currently used; one for the cows and the other on the heifers. Milk is the main criteria that Martin and Steve are looking for in their cows. The system they have in place is working exceedingly well for the Jenkins.” Pat’s journey to Wales lead to the home of George, Ionwy and Non Thorne. This herd was established in 1946. They have 46 breeding cows and nine in-calf heifers, she said. with heifer calves at-foot and those with bull calves from the age of four months. Calves only get creep as the grass starts to die back. Bulls are chosen for length of carcase and milk figures. The herd used its first British Polled bull in 1979. The cows in this herd were deep, wide and had good tops and tidy tail sets. They were rearing good calves and were obviously milky. The temperament of the whole herd was excellent.”

Pat’s final visit was to the Norfolk based Pulham herd of Philip and Laura Vincent which consists of 40 cows, two thirds of which are horned and a third poll. “Heifers calve at two and a half years and their criteria for choosing a bull is down to type, calving ease and lineage. They confessed that horned cattle are where their hearts lie and who am I to question that?” she remarked.

“I saw some good groups of cows and super heifers. Females are being flushed with an excellent success rate of an average of 10 eggs per flush. This is achieved through attention to detail. This herd had some promising young homebred bulls and has been using a senior bull with plenty of bone and power.” On concluding her presentation, Pat said: “I had to put the Auckvale herd in third place. The largest herd I saw on my visit was an amazing experience. I saw exceptional cows that were a testament to the hard work and dedication that have gone into the herd over the years. The family are very progressive in their thoughts and are making use of overseas genetics. A really lovely herd. “Second place went to the Pulham herd,” Pat said. “This herd provided some exceptional individual heifers, a really good selection of bulls of all ages, and good cows. The herd is being driven by great enthusiasm and I am sure will keep hitting the high spots for many years to come.

“First place went to the Thorne family’s Studdolph, Glenvale and Ashdale herds. The overall consistency of type across all the ages of this herd put them into number one spot for me. The squareness of rump on the cows, the tops they had and quality thighs put them ahead. Along with their generous proportions, they were a delight to view while doing the job they were put there for.”