Toplines and Tales

This week on our podcast we discuss the origins of the Limousin breed and the foresight of one man to bring them into the UK and set up a demonstration herd.

Chatting with well known breeder and judge, Richard Bartle, we list a few early breeders and some of the influential bulls that stamped the breed, such as Broadmeadows Cannon. We also mention some of the great Limousin show cows over the breeds 50 year history, as well as modern day genotyping strategies in UK and France.  

Due to some recent events, the part of this podcast discussing the Willoge herd has since been removed.

This week on our podcast we look at another great cattleman, not just in the US but across the world for his work and vision around the type change to larger framed cattle, Dr Harlan Ritchie. Well known to Dr Bob Hough, he tells of Harlan's days at Michigan State University and how he set out on a mission to research cattle the world over to find genetics to improve the beef industry.  

Bob and I get stuck into a discussion about EPD (EBV) figures and their misuse, before examining the frame race at its extreme. As Ritchie instigated the slowing down of the frame race, so he turned his attention to composite breeding which again Bob sheds some light on.

This week we discuss another influential breeder from USA Glen Klippenstein from GK Farms. Recognised as one of the most triumphant Hereford cattle herds of the last half century, he also successfully dabbled in other breeds, as well as being a great marketeer, judge and speaker.

This week we head back to USA to a herd that put the backbone in the rise of larger framed cattle in the Angus breed, the Wye Plantation in Maryland, speaking with former Wye farm manager, Bill Hodge as well as cattle historian Dr Bob Hough.

James B Lingle was a never a man interested in fashion or showing, only output and performance. With a purebred herd numbering over 1000 cows, his dedication to measurements and growth traits were the forerunners of the recording schemes we have today. Producing bulls such as Lodge, Linecacker and Fabron and the name of Wye can still currently be found in many pedigrees the world over.

Today we are launching a new series looking at the early imports of breeds from Europe into UK.  

This week we discuss the early Charolais cattle imports  with top cattlemen, Hector Campbell and Sandy Beaton. As well as looking at the origins of the cattle we hear of the resistance among traditionalists of its inclusion into the British register. We discuss some of the fantastic cows that shaped the breed as well as the show ring, and the turning point that encouraged beef producers to switch to new ideas.

This week we chat with editor of The Scottish Farmer, Ken Fletcher and former livestock photographer, John Fraser about the livestock media. 

Topics covered include the origins of the Scottish Farmer, early photographs and great wee shows on the west coast of Scotland. We also discuss some stand-out show animals, the photographers role in the business, someone called The Raider and a rather fun weekend in Germany, before we move on to more recent digital media.

This weeks legendary cattlemen series takes us to the river plains of Herefordshire in middle England to discuss the prowess of possibly the greatest Hereford cattle breeder of all time, Captain de Quincey. I am joined by breeder, enthusiast and historian Clive Davies as we walk through how this great man sourced his original herd and made his mark in history.

And like many other great breeders, it wasn't just Hereford cattle that he stuck with, as we hear about the other breeds and species that would have made a very interesting visit to The Vern.

JE Kerr from Harviestoun is possibly the most accomplished livestock breeder of all time. In this episode we discuss his incredible record for nearly 60 years with Aberdeen Angus cattle, including the source of the great Erica family, with well known cattleman, Duncan McLaren. Kerr's achievements at the Royal Highland show are unequaled and we look at some of the breeds and species that he championed with. We go on to speak with his granddaughter and her husband about the Shetland ponies and Clydesdale horses, as well as the trophies that adorned the walls of Harviestoun castle.

This week we have a special podcast, listening to an interview I did with legendary stockman Bert Rugg in 2015.  This may be one for the Aberdeen Angus purists as he chats about his career with great herds such as Harviestoun, Lindertis, Westdrums and Thorn, and then Lowney. Bert mentions famous bulls such as Bosun of Haymount, Election of Thorn, and, of course world record breaker, Lindertis Evulse, in addition to great men like  Gerry Rankin at Westdrums and Bob Adam at Newhouse. We touch on foot trimming crates and dressing cattle with scissors to bulls being shipped to Perth by train in this 35 minute tribute to one of Scotland's most able cattlemen who passed away in 2018.

For the second installment of our legendary cattlemen series, I am chatting to master showman Jim Donald in an interview from 2015. In it Jim talks about the fifties Angus bull Keystone of Denira, as well as others, and winning the interbreed at the Royal Highland show. We also hear about him travelling with bulls by boat to the Argentine, an unfortunate trip to Brazil as well as buying one of the first Canadian imported bulls. Then we move on to chatting to a man who knew him pretty well, Dougie McBeath.