Welcome to the South West Blonde Club Pages
2010 Royal Cornwall Show, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 7JE
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A Video evening was held after the A.G.M. in January, with clips from the Blonde d’Aquitaine Concours in France and Club visits to Blonde Herds in the U.K. Shows and Sales took place in 2008 with additional planning to comply with Blue Tongue Disease regulations. In the South West, the first sale at Sedgemoor (Auctioneer Mr. Robert Venner of Greenslade Taylor Hunt) met with a successful trade despite some vendors being prevented from attending because of the regulations. The Champion bull from the Whistley Herd (Stephen Potter) sold for 6,000 guineas. Another sale at Sedgemoor is planned for Saturday 25 th April 2009 when it is hoped the flow of trade will not be restricted. Display stands were organised at the Royal Cornwall Show and the N.B.A. South West Event at Hatherleigh. The South West Blonde Club also supported the Blonde stand at the Royal Smithfield Winter Fair at Shepton Mallet. It was a pleasure for members to be able to meet the Blonde Society Secretary, Caroline Jackson. Many thanks to herd owners who brought cattle for display at shows, including Lionel Mann (Meynpern), John Hicks (Kerketh), David and Sue Knight (Doncombe) and Nicholas, Elizabeth and Gerald Haines (Retyn). Thanks to all Committee members and friends who worked hard preparing stands and meeting potential customers. Blonde breeders from the South West have shared in the successes enjoyed by our Breed in the Sales, Summer Shows and Prime Stock Shows held in 2008 (see Journal Results pages). The Doncombe Herd enjoyed the greatest honour of 2008 by winning the National Blonde Herd Competition. Many congratulations to David and Sue Knight who also celebrated their marriage in August. Plans for herd visits were curtailed by the extremely bad weather conditions at harvest time, but we were fortunate to be invited by David and Sue Skinner and Family to view the Allacott Herd at Shebbear in Devon. The quality of Allacott Blonde cattle could easily be seen in the evening sunshine. Many thanks to David and Sue for their hospitality which also included a delicious barbecue in their garden. At the Club’s Annual Dinner at the Fingle Glen Golf Hotel, Tedburn St. Mary, in November, trophies and certificates were presented to winners in the South West Blonde Club Herd Competition, which was kindly judged by Mr. Ian Calderbank (Blackwater Herd). Members and friends were also entertained by local young comedian, Jack Glanville, whose comedy roots began in very successful Y.F.C. competitions. South West Blonde Club Herd Competition first prize winners were as follows:- Best Large Herd – Doncombe (David Knight) Best Small Herd – Retyn (Nicholas Haines) Best 2 Year Old Heifer – Doncombe (David Knight) Best Stock Bull and Progeny – Doncombe Herd (David Knight) Best Cow and Calf – Cosdon Herd (Peter Holman and Pauline Williams) Best Family of 3 Generations – Cosdon Herd (Peter Holman and Pauline Williams) Judge’s Choice – Kerketh Herd (John Hicks) All beef breeders will be facing the same challenges in 2009, but with the Blonde Breed successfully achieving the goals set by a variety of enterprises, whether they be pedigree registered breeding cattle; forage-fed stores; fast-growing stirks and suckled calves; prime beef bulls, heifers or steers; pure-breds or crossbreds (sired by or out of pedigree Blondes); or high quality mature beef; then there is every reason to celebrate all that is good about the Blonde Breed. Christine Kingdon (Hon. Secretary) South West Blonde Club |
2008 Pedigree Blonde Herd Competition Mr Ian Calderbank (Blackwater Herd) judged the South West round. Congratulations to the finalists who represented their own herds and the South West in the National Finals. |
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