In March, 450 delegates from around the world, descended on Queenstown, New Zealand for the 2020 World Hereford Conference.
Presentations from the World Conference can be viewed.
The UK country report can also be viewed, presented by marketing manager Laura Bowyer.
There are also a number of photographs available.
Laura Bowyer delivered the UK country report at the World Hereford Conference, New Zealand
Storm Ciara did not stop trade at NIHBA’s premier show and sale at Dungannon Livestock Mart where prices peaked at 4,500gns for a Solpoll-bred bull.
Leading the money and the show was Solpoll 1 Rambo from John and William McMordie, Ballygowan, Co Down, generating the top price on the day before it was tapped out by judge Williams Smith, Co Meath. At 22 months old, this bull is a son of Moeskaer Upgrade and out of a Panmure 1 Henry sired dam and has the same breeding as December 2019’s champion and top price bull from the Solpoll stud. Backed by exceptional figures, after spirited bidding from suckler and dairy farmers in the sale ring, it was knocked down to Nigel Patterson for his Mullantine pedigree herd, Portadown at 4,500gns.
Solpoll 1 Rambo from John and William McMordie, Ballygowan, Co Down
Taking the day’s second top price of 3,000gns was Solpoll 1 Real Thing, again from John and William McMordie.
A 23 month old son of NBG 69T The Wonderer 36R 3W, it also stood male champion at last year’s Balmoral Show and was knocked down to Lurgan-based suckler farmers, Felix, John and Jack McStavick.
Travelling across the water, JR Whitlow, Abbots Morton, Worcester purchased the day’s next highest priced bull, Drumatee Rocket for 2,500gns, to join the HighHouse herd. This 22 month old male was sired by Cill Cormaic Nevada winner of the best stock bull in the NIHBA herds competition for the last two years for John Conlon.
First prize winner in the last bull class was Brookfield 1 Superstar from Roy and Pat McClenaghan, Holywood, Co Down. This 18 month old Normanton 1 Laertes son had several figures in the top 5 per cent of the breed and sold for 2,300gns to David Hamilton, Rathfriland.
Selling at the same price was the youngest bull in the sale, 16 month old Thornbank 1 Superman. A son of previous sale winner and top price bull, Thornbank 1 Mightyman from Hunter Stewart, it sold to join MH Farms, Comber.
Joining Superman at its new home was the first prize winning female from Adrian and Sandra Irvine. This 17 month old maiden heifer Fingerpost AR Grace, was sired by the Irish-bred Allowdale Rambo which sold for 2,100gns.
Carolyn Fletcher has been appointed as vice-president of the society
The society’s council has voted Carolyn Fletcher of Barwise Herefords, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria into the position of vice-president.
Having been a member since 2002, Carolyn is famed for her quality of cattle, having won the UK sire of the year trophy on two separate occasions.
Carolyn looks forward to taking on her role and becoming integral to the running of the society. She will be supporting Mark Roberts in his role as society president this year, stepping in when required.
After an active year as vice-president, Mark Roberts of the Herefordshire-based Bromley herd has been elected as president of the society.
Mark Roberts is now society president
Running his own successful mixed farming business, Mark has lived at Bromley Court, Hoarwithy, Herefordshire all his life after returning from studying for a degree in economics and agricultural economics in 1981 at Nottingham.
His connection with the breed started when his father had kept a herd of 80 British Polled Hereford cows. This strain, developed from a one-off outcross with a Galloway in the 1950s, were very sought after for suckler and dairy herds in the 1970s but failed to get international recognition and were somewhat marginalised by the 1980s. Growing up with these cattle led him to an admiration for large herds of hardy, unpampered, naturally athletic and dark coated cattle. These are still the type Mark likes and has tried to breed since restarting a poll herd in 2005.
Through Mark and wife Maddy’s years of farming, they have expanded the area of cropping, taking out short term leys, moved from potato growing to cider fruit orcharding and also began a poultry rearing enterprise in 1995. They originally reared turkeys, which did well during the BSE turmoil years, but turned the housing over to broiler chickens in 2007 where they grow about 140,000 at a time. Mark describes Bromley as having plenty of banky permanent pastures crossed by streams for stock farming, alongside sandy arable land for cropping.
In 2005 he re-introduced pedigree Herefords to the farm. He bought foundation females from Gerald Blandford, Ernie Colledge and Pete Cobley as well as from Lowerhope, Ford Abbey and Solpoll. Most of these cattle carried a fair amount of Costhorpe bloodlines, which he had always admired for their consistent quality.
Bit by bit, Mark got sucked into greater involvement with the breed. He has sat on council since 2015 and has been chairman of the local area association for the last two years.
Mark showed great diplomacy in his role in vice-presiudent. He has been a great support to chairman and friend Phil Allman as he has learnt the ropes of his role, who describes Mark as an incredibly decent and humble person with enormous integrity.
Mark said: “I am proud of what has been achieved by others in the breed over the last 10 years. Breeders have developed a type of cattle which are commercially viable, strong and competitive.
“The council has faced up to, and is addressing the need to, promote our breed and its qualities to increase market share and premium value. I am excited to be involved in this modernised approach that our breed secretary and council are shaping and to help to strengthen the Society moving forward.
“I don’t see myself as a top breeder but will try to use my position and opportunity to explain the council’s aims and decisions as I travel and meet breeders through this year”.
Representing UK Hereford breeders at the World Hereford Conference in New Zealand will be an honour and a responsibility which Mark says he will take seriously.
He adds: “No doubt the travelling this year will be gruelling, but I hope that wherever I go with a friendly and approachable attitude, much can be achieved.”