South West of England Aberdeen Angus Club

Autumn Newsletter 2011.

 

Even though the weather has been up and down it hasn’t deterred the Club in the least. We have had two fabulous herd walks in the last month and really well supported too. It’s been great to welcome Members old and new to these events and we’ve seen some great cattle and been treated to some tremendous hospitality. Thank you to Trevor and Ruth Dawe, Mark & Jess Pilcher and Irwin and Dilys Rowe for two great days out.

 

PHOTO COMPETITION: For 2011 we have brought back the photo competition. The classes are as follows: 1: Angus – suitable for a Christmas card. 2: A Family Pet. 3: Agriculture. Can all entries please be posted to me by the 1st November so I can get them judged and the prizes will be award at the Lunch in December.

 

The big diary date is the 5th November for the Southern England Calf Show. I have enclosed a schedule and entry form and hope to see as many of you as possible at this event. We would always welcome any sponsorship but would be most pleased to see some different breeders showing. There is a class for new comers so why not have a go. If you need any help or advice give me a ring and I can put you in contact with someone who can help you.

 

Whilst haltering you calves for this event, why not come along to the new ‘Cornwall Pedigree Calf Show’ at Royal Cornwall Showground on the 30th October. Schedules are available from www.cornwallpedigreecalfshow.co.uk

 

The last item on the agenda is the Lunch. This will be held at the Tiverton Hotel on 4th December at 12 noon. We had a fabulous meal last year and the price remains the same at £16. Anyone who went last year will tell you what good value for money this was as the food was great and with such a nice atmosphere it was just right to get everyone in the Christmas spirit. Tickets are available from Ruth Gay on 01398 361225 after 6pm.

 

Sales: (I hope I get the right date this time!) Angus Society Show & Sales at Bristol has been confirmed as 11th October anyone interested in buying or selling should contact McCartneys on 01905 769770. (Clive Roads)

 

Dispersal Sale of the Fowlescombe Herd: 20th October at 11 am, from Ladydown Farm, Fowlescombe, Ugborough, Ivybridge, Devon. Catalogues available from www.gth.net and more info from Robert Venner on 01278 410278

 

 

Well that’s a bit for you all to be getting on with, I hope to see you at these events 

 

Entries for the photo comp to be sent to Gayle Bersey, Perdredda, 47 Morview Road, Widegates, Looe. PL13 1QE

 

Secretary: Gayle Bersey 01503 240478 or gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk

 

 

South West of England Aberdeen Angus Club

Summer 2011.

I must be getting old as this year seems to be flying by! Corn harvest is in full swing and for once I even managed to get some decent hay this year. The three main west country shows have been and gone and we start the round of ‘one dayers’ now. The prizes seem to have been shared around this year with Devon County being won by Ed & Claire Jones with their two year old heifer and me being male and reserve with my yearling bull. Bath & West Champion and reserve went outside the south west and Royal Cornwall prizes stayed in Cornwall with Irwin and Dilys Rowe winning the Champion with a yearling heifer and I settled for being bridesmaid again with male and reserve! Angus have certainly held their own at the shows this year with nearly 30 at the big shows and we have done well in the Inter Breeds too which is all great publicity for the breed.

 A young lady that is certainly a great advert for the area is Jess Denning who recently beat off strong competition to win the Young Stockman’s award at the Royal Welsh Show. It really was stiff opposition with 60 youngsters competing so well done Jess.

Onto the business now and some details on the forthcoming diary dates:

14th August

Visit to Trevor and Ruth Dawe’s Foxcombe Herd. Second prize winner in the 2010 herd competition so well worth a visit. Start time 12 noon for lunch at Highlands, Lewdown, Okehampton, Devon. EX20 4BS then a look around the Foxcombe herd.

Please let me know if you wish to attend on 01503 240478 or gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk

 

11th September

Visit to Mark Pilcher’s Gear Herd and Irwin & Dilys Rowe’s Bosullow Herd. Both herds have had a lot of success in the show and sale ring and the Bosullow herd has won their section of the herd competition 3 times in a row so come and see the secrets of their success. Start at time 11am at Gear Farm, Zennor, St Ives, Cornwall. TR26 3DD

Please let me know if you wish to attend on 01503 240478 or gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk

 

Obviously with Lunch being provided at both of these events it would be useful to know who is coming at least 7 days before if possible.

 

Sales: South West Multi Breed Sale, Sedgemoor Market on 15th September, contact Robert Venner on 01278 410278

Angus Society Show & Sales at Bristol has been confirmed as 14th October anyone interested in buying or selling should contact McCartneys on 01905 769770. (Clive Roads)

 

Details of the Calf Show and Dinner will be out soon and keep watching the website for the up to date news. If anyone has some exciting news they’d like to share then drop me a line as it might make the newsletters more interesting!

 

One such story to lighten this newsletter: Colin Hutchings who is going International! Congratulations to Colin who has been given the honour of judging the All Ireland Show (Irish National Show) which is a big thing for an Englishman.

 

 

 

Secretary: Gayle Bersey, 01503 240478, gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk

South West of England Aberdeen Angus Club.

Newsletter March 2011.

 

 

I just have to start off by talking about the weather, it’s lovely sunshine and really I should be out in it not writing this letter! Birds are singing, grass is growing and it really does make you feel better despite the gloom of the usual money matters and TB issues etc!

 

So onto the Club matters now, you will find enclosed with this letter the minutes of the last AGM. Yes It’s that time of year again; the 2011 AGM will be held on Friday 15th April, 7.30pm at North Curry Pavilion. There will be the usual formalities of the meeting followed by a talk by Jess Denning. Jess won the 2009 Society’s Youth Development Programme and the prize was a study trip and Jess chose Canada. I’m sure she has some wonderful tales to tell us of her experiences working throughout Canada on several ranches so this will be a very interesting talk. Following the talk there will be a shared buffet supper so please bring a plate of something (ie: sausage roll, sandwiches or cake)

 

Anyone interested in taking on a role in the Club should let me know.  I did say at last year’s AGM that I felt I didn’t give the Club the time it deserves, I very much enjoy being Secretary and the Committee made my life so much easier in 2010 so I would be interested in staying on.

 

Committee Members and retiring dates for Members information:

Claire Jones & Chris Gleeson             2011

Ruth Gay & Gary Passmore               2012

Colin Hutchings & Lisa Davey           2013

 

More dates for the Diary:

 

South West Multi Breed Sale, Sedgemoor Market on 7th April contact Robert Venner on 01278 410278

 

Angus Society Show & Sales at Bristol have been confirmed as 14th April anyone interested in buying or selling should contact McCartneys on 01905 769770. (Clive Roads)

 

8th May: Youth Development Workshop at Ed & Claire Jones. Anyone aged from 8 to 24 that is interested in learning more about cattle handling and preparation should let me know, they don’t have to breed Angus so anyone is more than welcome to come along. Please let me know asap if you know of someone wishing to attend (01503 240478 or gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk)

 

14th August: Herd Visit to Trevor & Ruth Dawe’s Foxcombe Herd (2nd in the Club’s Herd Comp, intermediate section) at Okehampton, details to follow.

 

11th September: Herd visit to Irwin & Dilys Rowe’s Bosullow Herd (1st prize in the Club’s Herd Comp, intermediate section) and Mark Pilcher’s Gear Herd which are both located in a very beautiful part of Cornwall, details to follow

 

5th November: Southern England Calf Show at Bristol Sales Centre

 

We also will be having the stands at the three main westcountry shows so pop along and say hello, any help is always gratefully received too. Don’t forget the list of cattle for sale that we will give to perspective buyers and have on the website so if you have anything for sale then please let me know.

 

I hope to see you all at the AGM J

 

Secretary: Gayle Bersey          01503 240478             gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk

Chairman: Claire Jones           01884 34981      ejones669@btinternet.com

South West of England Aberdeen Angus Club.

Newsletter January 2011.

 

Happy New Year to you all, let’s hope 2011 is a good year for everyone.

The first most important item is its subs time, so if you wish to be a Member of our Club in 2011 could you please fill in the enclosed form and send to me with a cheque for £15, my address is on the form. Anyone paying by Direct Debit need only send back the form if their details have changed.

This letter is being sent to all Society Members, but only those paying a Club subscription will receive future communications.

 

So here’s a quick round up the news from 2010. The Calf Show in November was yet again a great success with a good quality entry of calves and it was great to see some Members coming along to watch too. Sadly none of the big awards came our way!! The last event of the year was the Lunch which Ruth Gay always organises really well. 50 Members attended and enjoyed a fabulous meal and it was nice to have Richard Ashenden (the judge for the Herd Competition) along to give out the awards and say a few words. There had been a record entry of 27 herds entered and Richard said how much he had enjoyed the task and thanked everyone for their hospitality. It was so nice that nearly all the prize winners were there to collect their awards too.

Here are the results:

Large Herd: 33+ cows

1st: Micheal & Jenny Collins, Trewavas Herd, Helston

2nd: Peter & Jane House, Kingston Herd, Taunton

3rd: Malcolm & Sheridan Westcott, Westwilmer Herd, Minehead

Medium Herd: 10-32 cows

1st: Irwin & Dilys Rowe, Bosullow Herd, Penzance

2nd: Trevor and Ruth Dawe, Foxcombe Herd, Okehampton

3rd: Edward & Claire Jones, Rull Herd, Cullompton

Small Herd: 9 cows and under

1st: Antony & Alison Brown, Battens Herd, Taunton

2nd: Ruth Gay, Klipspringer Herd, Taunton

3rd: Roy Sweet, Sweeters Pocket Herd, Taunton

 

Best stock bull: Barry & Judy Butler, Broomhill Herd, Holsworthy. Bull: Kingsbrompton Missethels Endeavour G563

Best group of 2010 calves by one sire: Rob & Una Venner, Woodington Herd, Tiverton. Sire: Lockerley Top Gun F731

Best 2010 born heifer calf: Irwin & Dilys Rowe, Bosullow Herd, Penzance. Bosullow Blackbird K288

Best 2010 born bull calf: Gayle Bersey, Lynher Valley Herd, Torpoint. Lynher Valley Elveiseliha K060.

 

So onto 2011; as yet we have been unable to meet for a committee meeting so I’m afraid to say the diary hasn’t been confirmed for the year. But I can tell you of events that are in the pipeline; Jess Denning is going to speak at the AGM which will be in March/April on her Youth Development Scholarship to Canada, we have also been invited to visit a few herds and this year the Dinner will make a reappearance in the Autumn and not forgetting the usual Show stands throughout the year and Calf Show.

 

Don’t forget that each year I like to compile a list of ‘CATTLE FOR SALE’ in the area, these lists will be available at the shows, will be on our website and I will send to anyone who inquires. If you have any cattle for sale it would be worth your while to let me know so hopefully we will be able to supply the demand that there is for Angus cattle. Please also let me know when you sell them so that I can take them off the list and then I am not giving out dated information.

Our website continues to get a good amount of hits so why not take a look. It is regularly updated with all the news and reviews, show results, cattle for sale etc. www.aberdeenangus-swenglandclub.co.uk If you are a Member and do not want your information on there you will have to let me know.

 

Secretary: Gayle Bersey          01503 240478             gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk

Chairman: Claire Jones          01884 34981               ejones669@btinternet.com

South West of England Aberdeen Angus Club.
Newsletter, Autumn 2010.

It is quite frightening how the time flies and I can’t believe that nearly all our Club activities have been and gone. We’ve had a really good year with some great herd visits, good crack at the shows and on the stands and even a trip to an AI centre under our belt.

We have two more events left to go which should also be very enjoyable. Firstly is the Southern England Calf Show held at Bristol Sales Centre on Saturday November. 60 calves have been entered from as far afield as Berkshire and Hereford so why not come along and have a look. Judging starts at 11am.

The last event of the year for the Club is our Luncheon, this year it will be held at the Tiverton Hotel at (yes you’ve guest it) Tiverton!  This is where we will all find out who won what in the Herd Competition; Richard Ashenden will be along to tell us the results and perhaps a few comments! The date for this event is th November at 12 noon. Tickets are £16 and should be booked as soon as possible from Ruth Gay on 01398 361225 after 6pm. Everyone is welcome to this events so if you want to bring family or friends that’s fine. It’s always a very sociable occasion.

Just one more item that Colin Hutchings has asked me to mention: he is organising a meeting to talk about Health Schemes. As I’m sure everyone is aware that to sell at Stirling or Carlisle from 2011 you will need to have a herd health status (no matter what breed) so it is a great advantage to be able to find out more about it. This meeting will be held in the Tiverton area on the 3 December, venue to be announced. It will be conducted by Ian Pritchard of SAC who has done some talks at Youth Development workshops and is a really interesting speaker. If you are interested then contact Colin on 01398 371100.

2010 truly has been a good year and I would like to thank everyone for their great support and hope to see you at these future events. Don’t forget the cattle for sale lists that I send out to anyone who ask and put on the website. Secretary:

Secretary: Gayle Bersey   01503 240478        gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk

Chairman: Claire Jones   01884 34981      ejones669@btinternet.com

South West of England Aberdeen Angus Club.

Newsletter, Summer 2010.

 

I am almost afraid to start this newsletter talking about the weather! It could definitely be described as varied, whilst some of us are fed up with damp and drizzly days others would be pleased with any form of rain! It’s August already and the year seems to be flying by with many of the south west shows having already come and gone. I know not everyone is interested in the show scene but it is one of the best forms of PR for the breed and we do get alot of interested people come along in a day. Good numbers of cattle have been forward throughout the year and the prizes have been shared around. It was great to welcome Paul Jeenes (Society President) and Albert De Cogan (Vice President) to Royal Cornwall Show as Albert comes from the Republic of Ireland it was a great opportunity for our Club Members to meet him.

 

The year is far from over as far as Club activities are concerned. We have been kindly invited to view the herds of Sue and Nick Harris and Richard and Jean Tully in Dartmouth on Sunday the 12th September. Nick and Sue have been Angus breeders for a number of years now, they run around 70 cows and the youngsters are sold as stores for the Certified Angus Scheme. Richard and Jean are relatively new to the breed after a lifetime in South Devon cattle where they have made the Waddeton herd a household name, so it should be a really interesting day.

We have been invited to Lunch at 12 noon at HOODOWN FARM, KINGSWEAR, DARTMOUTH, DEVON, TQ6 0DY

Please let me know if you wish to attend on 01503 240478.

 

The next date for the diary after this will be the Beef South West Event at Exeter, we are having a stand there so come along and say hello. This is on the 29th September and after the last few similar events I would say it was well worth a visit.

 

The Club calf show will be held at Bristol Sales Centre on the 6th November, schedules will be available in September ( and sent to Club Members) but will follow the same lines as last year, so classes will be for calves born from 1st September 2009 onwards.

 

The Club Lunch this year will be on the 28th November and this will be where the results of the Herd Competition will be announced! It will be held at the Tiverton Hotel and more details will follow. If you have entered the herd comp, judge Richard Ashenden should contact you about dates and times fairly soon, we are very pleased with the entry having 26 herds forward.

 

Sales: Angus Society Show & Sales at Bristol have been confirmed as 14th October anyone interested in buying or selling should contact McCartneys on 01905 769770. (Clive Roads)

South West Multi Breed Sale, Sedgemoor Market on 7th October, contact Robert Venner on 01278 410278

 

Well I think that’s about it! A few dates to put in your diary and hopefully lots of events to suit both commercial and pedigree breeder. We hope to see you at these events and don’t forget to keep looking on the website for news and pictures.

 

Secretary: Gayle Bersey   01503 240478        gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk

Chairman: Claire Jones   01884 34981      ejones669@btinternet.com

 

 

South West of England Aberdeen Angus Club.

May 2010

 

Summer is well underway with the first of our ‘big’ shows already behind us. An excellent number of Angus cattle were forward at Devon County Show and I hope it will be the same throughout the year. Congratulations to Colin & Joan Hutchings for winning Breed Champion and Irwin and Dilys Rowe for winning Female and Reserve Breed Champion.

 

At the recent AGM in April members approved the Constitution with a few minor amendments. We welcomed Lisa Davey to the Committee and Claire Jones as the new Chairman or should I be politically correct and say Chair person!

 

Below is a list of the committee members with contact details and year of retirement:

 

Claire Jones: 01884 34981. ejones669@btopenworld.com                             2011

Chris Gleeson: 01803 873395. the gleesons@tiscali.co.uk                             2011

Ruth Gay: 01398 361225.                                                                           2012

Gary Passmore: 01935 841517. garypassmore@hotmail.co.uk                      2012

Colin Hutchings: 01398 371100                                                                   2013

Lisa Davey: 01566 86049 / 07973 343831. allaburyangus@aol.com               2013

 

Gill Quinn continues as Treasurer (01823 490718. hammer.quinn@btconnect.com) and me as Secretary (Gayle Bersey 01503 240478 gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk )

 

I’m sure you will all join the Committee in thanking Bob Quantrill for all his hard work on the committee  and in his time as Chairman.

 

The Committee has invited Mary Smallwood to become an Honorary Member of the Club & Committee in recognition of her many years of support for the Club and the Angus breed. Mary has not been so well lately and it was great to see her back with us again at the Jones’ open day and Devon County. Mary has accepted this invitation.

 

Don’t forget to come and see us at our stand at Royal Cornwall. The Society’s President, Paul Jeenes and the Society’s Vice President, Albert de Cogan from the Republic of Ireland will be there on Thursday 10th June, so there will be a chance to meet with them and have afternoon tea at 3pm on the stand, everyone welcome.

 

 2010 sees the Clubs biennial Herd Competition. It has been decided that this year the competition will be judged over the last two weeks in September. The judge has been confirmed as Richard Ashenden from the Shendar herd in Dorset. Rich has been associated with Angus for many years and now currently shows for Colin Hutchings. Once the entries are in, Richard will contact you to make arrangements for his visit. It is hoped that this arrangement will work out better for everyone involved. The competition will otherwise follow the same format as previously: small, medium and large classes, entries will be split when all have been received to make sure there are even classes. Only pedigree cows will be eligible. There will also be classes for the Best Stock Bull, Best group of 2010 calves by the same sire and best 2010 bull calf and best 2010 heifer calf. An entry form is enclosed; please send it back to me by 30th June.

 

The results will be announced at the Lunch that will be held on 28th November at Tiverton (a date for your diary)

 

Lastly, the SW Beef Event is moving to Exeter Market this year and will be held in September. We are in need of some good Angus cross beef cattle to go on our stand. They do need to be TB tested but the Club is willing to pay for this. If anyone thinks they may have something suitable then please let me know asap.

 

South West of England Aberdeen Angus Club

Newsletter, Spring 2010.

 

 

 

Spring has definitely sprung in Cornwall with the birds in full song and hopefully the warmer weather might bring some grass with it! By the time you read this letter we should have had a fab day out at the Rull Herd of Ed & Claire Jones and we already have another fantastic opportunity of a trip out.
Rob Wills of UK Sires has given us the opportunity to visit their Bull Stud at Tigley, Dartington, South Devon, TQ9 6DP.  This will take place on Tuesday 13th April at 6.30pm. Rob will provide us with some refreshments so I need to let him know numbers by the 9th. If you wish to attend then please let me know before this date.
Rob has also asked that all attendees wear clothes that have NOT been in contact with farm animals.
 
 Spring means it must be time for the AGM and this year it will be held on Thursday 22nd April, 7.30pm at North Curry Pavillion, near Taunton.  I have enclosed the minutes from last year along with a copy of the proposed constitution, incorporating a complaints procedure, drawn up by the Committee as requested at last years AGM.
The AGM should not take more than half an hour and then we are delighted to have the Society’s President, Paul Jeenes to speak to us afterwards. After the speaker we will have a shared supper so please bring a plate of something (buffet style, sandwiches, cake etc) If anyone wishes to become a Member of our Committee please let me know before the meeting.
The show season is just around the corner and we will be having our stands at Devon County, Bath & West and Royal Cornwall. Therefore I am looking for ‘cattle for sale’ to go on my list that I hand out to all perspective customers that inquire. We do get several inquiries so it is worth letting me know! This year the stand at Bath & West will be in one of the rooms at the side of the cattle building. We are always in need of Members to man the stand; this is not a difficult job as all you have to do is have a friendly chat with the public! Let me know if you think you can help.
 
Don’t forget the sales at Sedgemoor on the Thursday 8th April (catalogues contact 01278 410278) and
Bristol on Saturday 10th April  (catalogue contact McCartneys on 01905 769770)
 
Hopefully there is something of interest for everyone this summer so we hope to meet up with you all at some of these events and we hope to have another Herd Visit in the Autumn, as well as the herd competition. Don’t forget if you have cattle for sale, let me know.
 
 

SOUTH WEST of ENGLAND ABERDEEN ANGUS CLUB
www.aberdeenangus-swenglandclub.co.uk
Newsletter – February 2010.
Let me start off with an apology for the tardiness of the first newsletter of the year. We always have a committee meeting to discuss the year’s events before writing to you all and due to the inclement weather conditions this meeting was held up!  
Second most important item is subs time, so if you wish to be a Member of our Club in 2010 could you please fill in the enclosed form and send to me with a cheque for £15, my address is on the form. Anyone paying by Direct Debit need only send back the form if their details have changed.
This letter is being sent to all Society Members, but only those paying a Club subscription will receive future communications.
 
Quickly I will just roundup previous news! November saw our Dinner held in conjunction with the SW Limousin Club. A big thanks to Colin & Joan Hutchings who worked really hard on this event. Although the numbers in attendance weren’t great, the food and company made for an enjoyable evening and with an Auction, we even managed to raise £900 to be split between the two Clubs and the Devon Air Ambulance. We also organised a really good Calf Show at Bristol with a tremendous entry forward on the day. Thanks to all involved in making this event a huge success.
 
So now onto 2010, it may only be February but it has already been a tremendous time for the South West Club. At the recent Society AGM one of our Members, Paul Jeenes was voted in as the President. This is a great honour and I know Paul will do a fantastic job. Also at the meeting, Ed Jones was voted onto Council, he will join Mark Pilcher who is already in attendance and the South West will certainly be well represented in Scotland now!
 
Events for 2010:
28th March: Sunday Lunch Social at Cullompton! Ed & Claire Jones have kindly offered to show us around the Rull Herd, which has been extremely successful in the last few years. There will also be some fun competitions and a hot Sunday Lunch, 11.30 onwards.
Please let me know on 01503 240478 if you wish to attend. (At least a week in advance)
 
Sales in 2010:
The Angus Society Show & Sales at Bristol have been confirmed as 10th April anyone interested in buying or selling should contact McCartneys on 01905 769770. (Clive Roads)
South West Multi Breed Sale, Sedgemoor Market on 7th April. Contact Robert Venner on 01278 410278
 
Other events are still in the planning stage, the AGM in April and the biennial Herd Competition will run  this year and the Luncheon will make a reappearance too.
 
Don’t forget that each year I like to compile a list of ‘CATTLE FOR SALE’ in the area, these lists will be available at the shows, will be on our website and I will send to anyone who inquires. If you have any cattle for sale it would be worth your while to let me know so hopefully we will be able to supply the demand that there is for Angus cattle. Please also let me know when you sell them so that I can take them off the list and then I am not giving out dated information.
Don’t forget to visit our website (address above) as it is regularly updated with all the news and reviews, show results, cattle for sale etc.  If you are a Member and do not want your information on there you will have to let me know.
 
We look forward to meeting you at our events in 2010.