Society member Stan Dixon has sent the Society some photos from the mid 1990's. The Royal Three Counties Show, the Royal Show and the Great Yorkshire Show all feature, as does the RBST Show & Sale.
Click here to view them on Flickr
The Society will be holding an online timed auction from Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th September, hosted by McCartneys
Entries will open soon and the closing date will be in early August in order to get the catalogue out in plenty of time and allow prospective purchasers to visit cattle on-farm if feasible.
Please ensure you have good quality photos and videos please - if your photos or video doesn't show your animal off to it's very best, you may be asked to resubmit them.
More information on how to enter and upload your cattle information, and how to register as a buyer will be sent round to all members via email soon.
Council is made up of a diverse range of members working alongside the Chairman to ensure all aspects of running the Breed Society are covered. It is the opportunity for members to get more involved in the management of their Breed Society and to ensure the Longhorn breed has a secure future.
If you fancy standing as a Trustee the nomination form is now available. Closing date for nominations is Friday 14 August.
Click here for the nomination form.
The Seifton herd have sent in a lovely profile about their herd and their reasons for keeping Longhorns.
Click here to read all about them on the Society blog
Congratulations to Wheatlands Longhorns, Blackbrook Longhorns and Sycamore Longhorns who won or were placed in classes at the Royal Cheshire County's virtual show today.
Have a look at the show on the Cloud-Lines website, the Longhorn Cattle Society will be using the same website to host our own virtual show in August - we're in the test phase at the moment and will have full information out to members very soon.
Click here for the Cloud-Lines website
Society Trustees brought in amended temporary regulations for the registration of bulls due to vets being unable to undertake routine farm visits during COVID-19 lockdown. It was agreed that these rules would be reviewed at the end of May.
During the last week of May the Government announced an easing of restrictions and information on the RCVS and BVA websites indicated that more routine visits could be undertaken. In the light of this guidance the Trustees have agreed that the bull registration regulations will revert to normal from Friday 19 June 2020.
If your vet is still unable to visit after this date please contact the Society to discuss your particular situation.
Any bulls registered from 23 March 2020 and up to
two months after the restrictions will be lifted (so Wednesday 19 August 2020)
will be charged what the registration fee would have been had the bull been
registered on 23 March 2020 when the lockdown was imposed.
Longhorn members Katie Mitcham-Henry and Mike Phillips of the Heath Farm herd are featured in this month's Farmers Guide.
Click here to read the article.
A number of show societies have dusted themselves down after having to cancel their shows this year and are hosting scaled back online virtual shows. Why not have a go? It would be great to see Longhorn cattle in the prizes!
See the individual show listings in the calendar or click on the links below
Royal Three Counties Show, Young Handler classes close 6 June
Cheshire County Show, entries close 9 June
Ashover Show - entries open 1 June
Let us know how you get on!
A message from Marie Handscombe, Bernard Hartshorn's daughter
'It is with great sadness that we have to announce that our dad Bernard Hartshorn passed away in hospital on the 27th May 2020. Dad has been battling various health issues for some time now, and had been in hospital with complications for a couple of weeks but sadly it was too much for his body to fight. Dad was the Manager at Wimpole Home Farm for many years, where he managed the 'Ash' herd of Longhorns'
If any members wish to contact the family my email is: mariehandscombe@gmail.com
The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the show season and it's very unlikely anyone is going to see a show ring this year. Whilst we can't replace the excitement of going to your favourite show, the Society is going to run an online competition this summer to give you the opportunity to showcase some of your fantastic cattle.
Click here for the preliminary details, precise closing dates will be announced in June.
Congratulations to the Saxby family, Buxton, who feature in this week's Farmers Guardian.
Click here to read the article
If you work on a farm you can book a Coronavirus test for you and the people you live with, if any of you have symptoms.
Click here for the self referral test webpage.
If your vet is unable to visit your farm to register bulls you wish to sell, the Society has put temporary registration regulations in place.
Click here for more information
Click here for the latest TB testing advice during the COVID-19 outbreak
Statement issued to members on Thursday 26 March...
With much genuine regret we have cancelled the Society's Spring Show & Sale at Worcester on 16 May. At the beginning of this week the sale was going ahead, albeit with possible restrictions, but events have moved on very quickly and after the prime minister's announcement on Monday evening professional bodies have issued guidance to their members. On Tuesday morning the British Veterinary Association asked vets to restrict visits to emergencies only, so asking your vet to do a pre-movement TB test or blood tests will now probably meet with refusal, putting both you and your vet in a difficult position. Then on Tuesday afternoon the Livestock Auctioneers Association issued guidance to all markets that whilst primestock, cull and store animals can still be traded, breeding cattle CANNOT during the period of the ‘lockdown'. As the lockdown is scheduled to last three weeks, but may continue much longer, it's not fair on you as members to be constantly speculating about what to do.
Additionally as a Society we have a duty of care to you as a Society member and the country as a whole to minimise unnecessary contact. We must all do our utmost to act responsibly and try to get COVID-19 under control as quickly as possible through our own individual, as well as collective actions.The Society's website and social media outlets are available to all members to advertise their pedigree animals and stores for sale; in order to support members at this time we are suspending advertising fees so adverts across all platforms are free of charge until pedigree markets are restored. If you are selling cattle directly off your farm we encourage you to follow government guidance and take all necessary precautions. We would also advise members who are in TB areas that need to pre-movement or post-movement test to check with your vet practice before selling or buying cattle to ensure they can be moved off your holding, or post movement tested after arrival.
We are also looking at the possibility of an online auction, if this is feasible we will provide more details as soon as we can.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, it's a strange world we are all living in at the moment.
Stay safe and well
We appear to be heading into what can only be described as a national crisis caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic. At times like this it makes us focus on what is important in our lives, looking after our friends and loved ones and supporting those most
vulnerable. Whilst many industries will be significantly scaling back production and many workers asked to work from home, the agricultural industry, our nation's farmers and our members will be working tirelessly as ever to continue to supply the nation with the food it so critically relies upon.
The farming community has always been one which supports each other in times of need and I'm sure this current challenge will be met with the same response.
The Trustees of the Society are monitoring the situation very closely and will follow Government guidance when considering any changes which undoubtedly will need to be made to our planned events over the coming months. Further details will be provided to members as the situation becomes clearer, particularly with regards to any potential impact on the Worcester Spring Show & Sale and the National Show at Suffolk in May. I'm sure that a number of other shows will be affected so please keep an eye out on the website as Debbie will be keeping this information as up-to-date as possible.
Tom Mills, Chairman
As the number of cases of Coronavirus rise, information is constantly being updated on the gov.uk website
Click here for the link
An exciting new award is being launched for 2020 to recognise and reward a member promoting the Longhorn breed whether it be in classes not confined to Longhorn cattle, or by supplying cattle to exhibitions or events which advertise the breed, or those working hard in the promotion of Longhorn beef - ambassadors of the breed whose story may not be being heard when so much publicity is concentrated around Longhorn-specific showring results.
This award isn't for the member who has won every trophy going in the show ring; it's for the member who has promoted the breed in their own way – an unsung hero if you will. The Council is open to all suggestions so anything goes!
Members should contact the Secretary to nominate a member, or the member can nominate themselves. A few words and photos and hopefully website and social media links describing what this member has done recently to deserve being called a Longhorn Ambassador should be sent in to the office by 31 August 2020.
All the nominations will then go to the Council meeting in September and a shortlist of three will be selected. The three finalists and then the overall winner will be announced at the AGM in October.
The Society would like to thank Bernard Llewellyn of the Carreg herd for providing a trophy for this new award and Council are looking forward to seeing all the nominations that come in.
Click here for the nomination form which is available on the website (go into Join Us, then Forms) or contact the office for a posted copy.
The Society AGM weekend is Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October. This year we are based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, with visits to a commercial pedigree Longhorn herd and for something different a bison farm!
Click here for the booking form. Please note that the Hotel is holding all it's rooms for us until 24 March so early reservation is recommended. Full details of the rooms and rates is on the booking form.
Members wishing to register Longhorn bulls with the Society have to ensure the bulls make a minimum daily liveweight gain. A handy ready reckoner is on the website to help members make the calculation and ensure the weight of their bulls are on track.
Click here for the chart
Click here for the link to the bull registration form
The entry forms, schedule and health declaration for the Spring Show & Sale at Worcester on 16 May are now available.
There is no requirement for health testing, but please complete the health declaration even if you do not test. Please contact the office if you have any queries.
Click here for the schedule
Click here for the entry form
Click here for the health declaration form
The entry forms for the National Show at the Suffolk County Show are now available online. Closing date for stalls is 24 April, and final notification of entries must be in by 8 May. The show is in a four year TB test area which means it's perfect for members in all TB test areas. The show promises us a warm welcome for our National Show!
Click here for the link to the Suffolk Show competitors web page
The Henry Plumb Foundation helps young people (18-35) who are passionate about making a career in agriculture. Grants of £500 to £3000 are made to successful applicants, who are also paired with a mentor to help them. The grants may help with business ideas, internships, business or management courses or overseas exchanges.
Funding interviews are held twice a year. The next deadline for applications in 2020 is Friday 6 March and Friday 4 September.
Henry Plumb has the Maxstoke herd of Longhorns
Click here for more information
The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust awards life changing scholarships that unlock individual potential and broaden horizons through study and travel overseas, with a view to developing farming and agricultural industries. Their motto is "Leading positive change in agriculture". Applications for 2021 opened in January 2020 and close in July 2020.
Click here for more information
The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust runs the Churchill Fellowships, a unique programme of overseas research grants. These support UK citizens from all parts of society to travel the world in search of innovative solutions for today's most pressing problems. Every year they award up to 150 Fellowships. These fund outstanding individuals to travel for 4-8 weeks, anywhere in the world, researching a topic of their choice among global leaders in their field. On their return, we help them to share their global learning with professions and communities across the UK. One of the categories for funding is 'Environment, conservation and sustainable living' and another category is 'Rural Living: strengthening rural communities' which may appeal to Society members looking for research grant funding. The next round of applications opens in April 2020.
Click here for more information.
David and Angela Blockley were recently featured in the Yorkshire Post and the article was also posted on the paper's website. Photo (c) Yorkshire Post.
Click here to read the article
The sale of the Belmont herd of Longhorns is taking place at Melton Mowbray Market on Saturday 29 February as part of their 'Saturday Spectacular'. Sale of cattle commences at 12 noon.
Click here for more details
Society member Joe Stanley has been honoured at NFU Conference for his dedication and commitment to the NFU and to the British farming industry.
The 2020 Meurig Raymond Award – named after the NFU's former President – was presented to Joe at the NFU Conference dinner held at the ICC, Birmingham on 25 February.Click here to read more
Farmers with older computer operating systems may find that access to the Cattle Tracing Service and other DEFRA online tools is blocked from 1 April.
DEFRA said that upgraded security measures mean the online Government Gateway will no longer support certain operating systems and browsers.
These include Windows XP, Windows Vista and Internet Explorer 6&&. Other more recent operating systems and browsers might need reconfiguring to ensure they work with an encryption service known as TLS 1.2
Can you access DEFRA services after 1 April?
No - Internet Explorer version 7 or lower is not compatible
No - Windows CP or Windows Vista - your operating system is not compatible
Maybe - Internet Explorer versions 8, 9 or 10 - you may need to check your configuration
Yes - Internet Explorer version 11 is compatible.
DEFRA urges farmers to make compatibility checks as soon as possible because the upgrade affects a wide range of services including DEFRA SignOn and SignOn Admin; AMLS2; ESP Seedcart; CTS Online; and Sheep and Goat ETAS.
Click here for the link to the gov.uk website to find out if your operating system and/or browser is compatible
An integrated beef scheme between a processor and a leading agricultural university is aiming to grow a heritage beef brand using Longhorn bulls as a dairy sire.
Newcastle University Farms and meat processor Buitelaar have launched the Longhorn Heritage Beef project at Cockle Park Research Farm, Northumberland.
The launch has received extensive press coverage:
Click here to read the print article in the Farmers Guardian
Click here to read more via the Scottish Farmer website
Click here to read more about the project via the Farmers Weekly website
Shrewsbury based farmers, Sam and Claire Barker are delighted and very excited to be working with Pipers Crisps to produce the newest flavour in their flag ship range – Great Berwick Longhorn Beef.
Pipers approached the Barkers at the end of last year, following some very careful and extensive research into flavour, provenance and market demand. The combination of some the finest, most flavoursome, organic, pasture fed beef from the Great Berwick Longhorn herd and Piper's famously crunchy potato crisps has culminated in a flavour which is destined to be their third best seller.
Sam Barker said 'Claire and I are so proud of the recognition this gives to 15 years of hard work establishing the Great Berwick brand and of promoting the Longhorn breed. It's a complicated process converting our beef into a beef flavoured crisp, but the results are amazing. We can't believe that the crisps actually taste like our beef. They have to be tasted to be believed!'
Pipers Crisps are particularly popular in pubs, clubs and bars and they will, of course, be available directly from Great Berwick Farm just north of Shrewsbury.
Many congratulations to the Barker family on this amazing use of their Longhorn beef!
The Government has committed to support native livestock and equines in the Agricultural Bill that was published last week, which is great news for all Longhorn breeders and members.
A briefing document has been prepared by Chris Price, CEO of the RBST which explains what is outlined in the bill.
Dutch members Nanning Van Wijk and Janny van Dellen keep their Nanning's herd to produce Longhorn beef for their own very successful butcher's shop in Niekerk.
Nanning was recently featured on Dutch national television with his cattle. The seven minute piece is of course in Dutch but you can still enjoy seeing his cattle even if your Dutch is a little rusty!
Click here for the link to the feature
Photo (c) Gert Van Den Bosch
The Society recently attended the unveiling of a plaque at Melton Mowbray Market to commemorate Robert Bakewell, the 'founder' of the Longhorn breed.
The plaque had been commissioned by the New Dishley Society and representatives of the New Dishley Society, Melton Market Auctioneers and the Longhorn Cattle Society joined other distinguished guests to unveil the plaque.
At the recent meeting of the Longhorn Cattle Society Trustees, Tom Mills was elected as Chairman of Council. Tom has the 'Wheatlands' herd based in Baslow, Derbyshire.
For a full list of Council members see the December newsletter, or go to the 'contact us' page of the website.
The Society has been informed that Ron Wilson, herd manager to the Grendon herd, passed away on Christmas Eve. Mr Wilson was also Chairman of the Society 1977-1978.
The Grendon herd belonged to the Walters family who had a long connection with the Society. Mr RS Walters was Breed Secretary from 1924 and Mr EH Walters was Breed Secretary from 1932.
The Memorial Service will be on Friday 17th January 11.30 am. at Grendon Church CV9 3DP.
Undertakers : M G Evans & Sons Ltd, Atherstone. 01827 713240.
Pictured is Mr RS Walters with Sutton Victor, a Longhorn bull unbeaten between 1932-1939, taken sometime in the 1930's
Are you looking for a varied, full time position working with Longhorn cattle and other enterprises?
Ben and Tori Stanley of the Melbourne Park herd, Derbyshire are looking for a new member of staff to join their team.
Click here for the job description and contact details.
Ruth Russell of the Settrington herd is promoting 'Meatruary', a campaign to encourage meat consumption during February. She has produced a poster for all members to download and print off to spread the word.
Click here for the poster
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