BYGONE DAYS: Farmers pay visit to world famous herd of Scottish cattle on trip
A party of more than 120, who had been joined by eight breeders from Eire, had travelled across to Scotland the previous Wednesday.
The owner of the herd, Mr Bertie Drummond, had judged the Ayrshire cattle at the Royal Ulster Show at Balmoral Show in May 1961 and the visit to his noted herd, “one the most valuable in the British Isles”, would remain a talking point for a long time to come, reported Warren.
COACH TRIP
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Hide AdFrom Stranraer, after the short sea crossing from Larne, the party made the 50 mile journey by luxury coaches along the winding coast road to Leigh Grange Farm, Maybole, in the heart of the rich Ayrshire countryside – “or rather the Burns Country”, noted the News Letter’s correspondent.
There was a stop for a luncheon at the Burns Memorial Hotel at Alloway, where the Irish visitors were met by Mr Drummond.
William Warren wrote of the Scottish herd owner: “Mr Drummond runs two farms – Bargower (216 acres), which provides the herd prefix, and Leigh Grange (300 acres). Most of the stock of the 500 Ayrshire, including 200 cows are at Leigh Grange.”
The visitors were impressed by the housing and layout of the model farm at Leigh Grange. “Extensive byres, calf and bull pens are designed so to save labour and at the same time provide the maximum comfort for the animals,” noted Warren.
MAIN INTEREST
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Hide AdBut it was the Ayrshires, some of whose progeny were famous in many parts of the world, that came in for close scrutiny during the trip.
Warren wrote: “The fact that many Ulster herds have been improved by Bargower blood made the visit doubly interesting.”
The tour began with a visit to the milking herd in a 12 acre field of rich pasture. One of the first animals to catch the eye was a choice heifer which had calved at two years and nine months.
Warren wrote: “With plenty of size, grand dairy conformation and a wealth of breed characteristics this choice heifer is in the five gallon region at a high butter fat.
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Hide Ad“Mr Drummond aims at having his heifers calving down at around two-and-a-half years.”
AMAZING MEMORY
The Irish farmers quickly spotted different outstanding cows and soon learned the pedigrees of the animals from Mr Drummond, who displayed an amazing memory for details of the sires and dams of the different families.
Mr Drummond was also impressed by the visitors’ knowledge of the Bargower animals.
In another field, of more than 30 acres, one of the cows was the dam of three high-priced bulls – 2,200 guineas, 2,000 guineas and 1,900 guineas – which Warren noted as “an indication of the high reputation of this herd”.
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Hide AdWarren added: “Mr Drummond sold an Ayrshire bull for 9,000 guineas – still the world record for the breed.”
Next the Irish farmers visited the young stock. “There are promising bunches of heifers, already displaying the general high quality of the herd,” wrote William Warren.
YOUNG BULLS
Among the bulls calves – “more than 50 will be sold at the annual Bargower herd in November” – were some “outstanding young animals”.
Warren wrote: “They are in fine bloom and some of them are expected to make high prices because buyers will be there from overseas as well as from all parts of Britain.”
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