John D M Thomson
Newlands, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire
DG11 3AA
01461 500769 (home)
01228 528939 (office)
info@shawhillshorthorns.co.uk
Matthew Thomson
07900 181 635
John Dick
j.dick01@btinternet.com
DECEMBER 2015
We have two bulls going to the Stirling
Bull Sales.
Lot 221 is Shawhill
Harry Begg (P) 613803293,
a son of Burnside Elite (Elite is by Creaga Dice and was the top price
bull at the Stirling February 2013 sales). Harry Begg is out of one
of our most consistent breeding cows, Fieldhouse Davina F28.
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Lot 228 is Shawhill Henderson (P) 613802099 by Shawhill Freedom (Freedom is by K-Kim Freedom out of Braebank Dewdrop and has bred very well). Henderson was reserve junior Beef Shorthorn champion at this year's Great Yorkshire Show where he stood first in his class. He also took first in his class at last year's “Stars of the Future”. His dam is our very successful show cow, Fieldhouse Florence Anita, and his half sister, Shawhill Florence Gertrude was the 3,500gns. reserve female champion at Stirling in October 2014.
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NOVEMBER 2015 – 2
The Skipton Shorthorn Sales were a considerable success overall with
a virtually total clearance of all animals forward. There were a lot
of good cattle and a good ringside gathering of people. Our consignment
of bulling heifers was topped by Shawhill Hazelnut which sold at 2,600gns.
to John Whalley from Oswaldwhistle.
Shawhill Hermione Helen was bought
by Mr R. J. Baudain, Nunnington at 2,100gns and he also took Shawhill
Hopeful at a bargain 1,400gns. Alastair Fennimore from Tinswick was
the purchaser of our two other heifers, Shawhill Rosebud Harmony at
1,600gns. and Shawhill Hillary at 1,300gns. We hope that all the cattle
prove successful for their buyers.
NOVEMBER 2015 -1
Our annual autumn consignment of maiden heifers are going to the Beef
Shorthorn Society Sale at Skipton
Auction Mart on Wednesday, 11th
November. There are five in all. Four are from our first batch of heifers
by Burnside
Elite (by Creaga Dice) and the other is one of the last
that we will have available by Alvie
Blue Eyedboy (by Wolf Willow Major
Leroy).
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OCTOBER 2015 – 3
Two bulls, Shawhill
Harry Begg 613803293 and the Yorkshire Show Reserve
Junior Champion, Shawhill
Henderson 613802099, studying the new garden
works at Annan. Both will be for sale in early 2016.
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OCTOBER 2015 - 2
With Colin Armstrong, we went to the Lairg North Country Cheviot sales
to purchase rams for the Archbank Farming Co. In the far North of Scotland,
five hours plus driving but magnificent countryside and it did rain
a lot less than it usually does.
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One of our purchases was a two shear ram from a Beef Shorthorn Breeder, Kelsocleugh Farms, for £1,300.
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We have also been selling Cheviot ewes from Archbank at C & D Auction Marts, Longtown. For the first time, the six year old drafts made £100 per head. The breeding sheep trade belies the poor prime lamb trade. It is all very unpredictable.
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OCTOBER 2015 – 1
Our first Beef Shorthorn autumn calf for 2015. A nice red heifer, shown
here at five days old. Sired by the Canadian bull Winalot
Rodney 1R and out of one of our foundation cows Princess
X304 of Upsall who is
now 13 years of age.
We have semen available for sale from Winalot Rodney – enquiries 01461 500769 or 07900 181635.
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SEPTEMBER 2015 - 2
Owing to pressure of work, we have no cattle entered for the Autumn
sales at Stirling but expect to have a consignment of maiden heifers
at the Skipton Sales on 11th November.
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At last, this week we have had some good weather and field drainage, harvest and sheep-work is in hand. We also attended the Kintyre Agricultural Society's annual sale of rams and breeding sheep at Campbeltown where C & D Auction Marts of Longtown and Dumfries, with whom we are now heavily involved, conduct the sale. Trade was good with virtually a full clearance. It is just a worry for the sheep industry that prime lamb prices remain so disappointing.
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Matthew was in Ireland for James Porter's reduction sale of Beef Shorthorns but our colleague John Dick has been much further travelled. He has just spent a fortnight in Canada where, as well as seeing the Rockies and crossing the Prairies, he visited over twenty Beef Shorthorn herds. The hospitality and welcome which he received from everyone was exceptional.
SEPTEMBER 2015 – 1
A visit to Leicestershire and the world of Longhorns when we attended
the 20th anniversary meeting of the New
Dishley Society who commemorate
the life of Robert Bakewell, the 18th century pioneer livestock breeder.
There were some excellent talks (and a good barbecue) together with
a viewing of the Blackbrook Herd of Longhorns. These are impressive
growthy cattle with nice heifers and young bulls and steers with very
good conformation. The Blackbrook
Gallery of livestock art was also
worth seeing – some exceptional portraits of 18th and early 19th century
cattle.
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AUGUST 2015 – 1
At Dumfries and Lockerbie Show, our cow, Sandwick
Celtic Rose with
her white heifer calf at foot, followed up her Yorkshire Show success
by taking the Beef Shorthorn Championship. She followed this up a few
day's later with a first in her class in the multi-breed section at
Wigtown Agricultural Show.
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JULY 2015 – 2
We had an evening visit from the local Eaglesfield Gardening Club.
Some twenty one members attended and had a detailed inspection of
Mrs Thomson's garden, together with an interested look at some Shorthorn
cows and calves which we pulled in for them. For once, the weather
was dry and pleasant. Our farming operations are well behind because
of the persistent rain.
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JULY 2015 – 1
We took three cattle plus a calf to the Great Yorkshire Show. Our senior
stock bull, Burnside
Elite together with a young homebred bull, Shawhill
Henderson and a 2009 cow, Sandwick
Celtic Rose and her white heifer
calf. We managed to get two Beef Shorthorn reserve championships which
was pleasing.
A good time was had by all. It is an excellent show and we were well
looked after (and some of our team certainly needed looking after!).
Shawhill Henderson by Shawhill Freedom (a K-Kim Freedom son) stood
first in a long class of young bulls, he followed this by taking the
reserve junior overall Beef Shorthorn championship. Sandwick Celtic
Rose, bred by Messrs Ivison from whom we bought her some years ago,
added to her show successes with the reserve overall female championship.
She had been second, in an outstanding class, to the champion female.
The Australian judge was most interesting in his between-class commentaries
and Prince Charles visited the Shorthorns whilst they were being shown.
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JUNE – 2
The late John Mattley was, for many years, Regional Livestock Officer for the Milk Marketing Board. He was well known to farmers across the country and his particular responsibility was the purchase of bulls for the Board's famous stud. Subsequently, he established his bookselling business, Phenotype Books. Based in Penrith, he became known worldwide as a major specialist in books on agriculture and related subjects.
On Thursday 9th July, at the Carlisle saleroom, our auctioneering firm, Thomson, Roddick & Medcalf offered books and pictures from the late Mr Mattley's collection and stock. This comprised an excellent selection of antiquarian and later books on agriculture including individual breed histories and a splendid selection of the famous reports on the farming of the various counties of Britain which were prepared in the late 18th and early 19th century at the behest of the Board of Agriculture in England and Sir John Sinclair in Scotland. There was also earlier works on farming and a good range of books on equestrian subjects and the countryside and rural life generally.
The sale also included John Mattley's collection of paintings, engraving and prints of farm animals and horses. These include some fine prints of early Shorthorn and other cattle and paintings and prints of heavy horses.
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JUNE 2015 – 1
The usual good time was had at Edinburgh's Royal Highland Show. There was an exceptional entry of Shorthorns, although it was a bit cold on judging day.
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Our bull, Burnside Elite stood third in the senior bull class and our cow, Sandwick Celtic Rose, with her white heifer calf at foot, got a sixth ticket in the senior female class.
John Dick featured in an excellent photograph in Thursday's Scotsman Newspaper – definitely a Shorthorn character.
MAY 2015 – 1
Our usual first show outing of the
year at The Fife Show which featured a record entry of Beef Shorthorns.
Shawhill Harry Begg (613803293), by Burnside Elite, stood third in
the young bull class and Shawhill Princess Hawaii (613803335), also
by Burnside Elite, took the fourth in a long and good class of maiden
heifers. Excellent weather and a good event.
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APRIL 2015 -2
We are well through calving with most of the cows and calves now out
and enjoying the days of sunshine, as long as they last. The calves
shown below are mostly by Burnside Elite with a few by Shawhill Freedom
who has also bred very well on the cross cows.
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APRIL 2015 – 1
The good weather seems to have come, but doubtless temporarily. We
have a good number of calves on the ground by Burnside
Elite and Shawhill
Freedom. They are looking well but there are a distinct preponderance
of bulls so far this year. We are starting to think about shows and
John is beginning to work on the heifers, although there is a lot to
do!
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FEBRUARY 2015 - 1
A good visit to the Stirling sales and nice to see the Princess Royal
in attendance - more photographers than Shorthorns!
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For the second consecutive Stirling sale we took the Reserve Female Beef Shorthorn Championship, this time with one of our three 15 month old heifers, Shawhill Foxglove Grace, which sold for 1,700gns. to the judge, Nigel Miller from Stagehall.
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2,000gns was paid by Mr J. Fyall of Sittyton (a previous purchaser of our cattle) for Shawhill Irene Gillian and Tessa Darlington of Roundhill Farm took Shawhill Tessa Gemima at 1,700gns. Our bull, Shawhill Gerald, went to Newtonmore, to Caroline and Andrew Rafferty. We hope that all the buyers will have success with their cattle.
JANUARY 2015 - 2
We have three fifteen month old Beef Shorthorn heifers going to the Stirling
Sales next week together with a roan bull by Vortrekker of
Upsall.
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JANUARY 2015 -1
New year greetings and best wishes to all our friends and customers.
The exceptional weather last year continued well into the autumn and
early winter. This has certainly benefitted the stock and kept feed
costs down a little. Ewes both on the low ground and the hill are pregnacy
scanning well. Snow has come to our hill farm, Archbank, this week
but still not too bad.
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We have four Beef Shorthorns for the Stirling Sales on 2nd and 3rd February. There are three October 2013 born maiden heifers – Shawhill Foxglove Grace and Shawhill Irene Gillian are both by Chapelton Diplomat and Shawhill Tessa Gemima is a Vortrekker of Upsall daughter. Also by Vortrekker of Upsall is the roan bull which we are consigning – Shawhill Gerald, born April 2013.