SCOTLAND WILL be the centre-piece event for the 2010 Shorthorn World Conference this summer – the first time that the conference has been held in the UK since 1989.

The breed’s 13th conference includes a tour of 14 farms using Shorthorn genetics to great advantage in a diverse range of farming conditions from the Scottish Highlands to East Anglia and the Midlands, hosted by Beef and Dairy Shorthorn breeders.

Some 120 delegates from across the world and the UK arrive in Edinburgh, on June 23, in time to attend the Royal Highland Show the following day. They will see the biggest entry of shorthorn cattle ever seen at an agricultural show in living memory, as breeders bring out their cattle to showcase British Shorthorn genetics to a worldwide audience.

It ends with a two-day World Shorthorn Conference with keynote speakers in Stratford-upon-Avon, on July 7-8, and a gala dinner. The Shorthorn Society’s patron The Princess Royal has agreed to host a reception during the conference tour.

Shorthorn Society president James Playfair Hannay, who is opening his farm, Morebattle Tofts, near Kelso, to the tour, said: “The Shorthorn is a breed of influence in a world of opportunity. For the last 20 years, because of trading restrictions, we have not been able to demonstrate the quality of the cattle we have in the UK to a worldwide audience.

“This is the ideal opportunity for us to show overseas breeders the changes we have made to our industry and our breed and it provides a huge opportunity to promote our cattle. Over the last 30-plus years, the features of the breed and its breeders have changed dramatically. From the lows of the late 1970s to the current highs, our breed has been transformed.”

More than 120 delegates from 10 countries, including delegates from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay are expected to attend the event which, as well as enabling them to see leading Beef and Dairy Shorthorn herds allows them to sample our diverse landscape, history and culture in the UK.

Scottish herd visits:

The Glenisla herd

John, Anne, Catriona and Nicholas Gibb

Factfile – Livestock: 60 Beef Shorthorn cows, 430 Scotch Blackface sheep bred pure or crossed with the Border Leicester.

The farm: Glenisla House runs to 3000 acres running to 2500ft above sea level.

Quote: “A lot of commercial beef producers have no idea what the Shorthorn is capable of achieving. We don’t get the shape and muscle of a Limousin, but as far as the weight of a weaned calf is concerned, its growth and docility, I don’t think we can get much better,” Major John Gibb.

The Buccleuch Estates, Bowhill Estate

The Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry

Factfile – Livestock: 100 pedigree Aberdeen Angus cows, 300 commercial suckler cows put to Charolais bulls, 100 Aberdeen Angus/Angus cross cows put to Shorthorn bulls, 1300 Mule ewes and 2500 Blackface ewes.

The farm: Bowhill runs to approximately 8000 acres, including 6000 acres of grouse moor and 2000 acres of grassland with kale and spring barley for feed.

Quote: “We quickly began to see that the Shorthorns were good mothers with plenty of milk and they were hardy and able to withstand outwintering on kale - and we progressed from there with the suckler herd. They are a good cow to work with. Principally, we use the Charolais to produce a bigger carcase,” Drew Guthrie, farm manager (now succeeded by Sion Williams).

The Dunsyre herd

Carey and Hilary Coombs

Factfile – Livestock: 100 Beef Shorthorn breeding females and 400 sheep.

The farm: Weston Farm operates over 900 acres.

Quote: “For over 20 years we have been breeding for cattle that thrive in the sometimes harsh environment of this part of Scotland. At the same time we have been trying to produce the very highest quality beef, in as natural a manner as possible. We expect them to grow and finish at about 20 months and to do so without pushing them in any way,” Carey Coombs.

The Tofts herd

James and Debbie Playfair Hannay

Factfile – Livestock: 75 Beef Shorthorn breeding females and 130 Aberdeen-Angus, 130 Shorthorn cross Angus females plus followers; 1040 North Country Cheviot sheep, plus 50 Suffolks and 25 Leicester ewes.

The farm: Playfair Farms operates over 2500 acres at Clifton-on-Bowmont and Morebattle Tofts, including 505 arable acres and 1800 acres contract farmed at Yetholm Mains, including 235 arable acres.

Quote: “We require cows which can live on fresh air – and produce a quality calf. The Aberdeen Angus and Beef Shorthorn have a big role to play. When continental terminal sires came into the UK there were some wonderful cross-bred suckler cows. Now we have the Holstein influence and the cows are too thin skinned and hungry. We tried different breeds of bulls on the cows but we found that with our system the Shorthorn cross Angus cow was the best, crossed to the Angus bull. The cow wasn’t too big and hungry at up to 700kg and she weaned as big a calf as any of the other crosses we had analysed and the decision was taken that we had better buy some Shorthorns,” James Playfair-Hannay.

The Chapelton herd

Donald and Emma Biggar, Jamie, Rachel and Duncan

Factfile – Livestock: 70 Beef Shorthorn breeding females and 60 pedigree Aberdeen-Angus, 250 commercial cross-bred cows; 800 breeding sheep.

The farm: Chapelton Farms, Castle Douglas, runs to 1500 acres, including 80 acres of woodland and 1000 acres of permanent pasture.

Quote: “At Chapelton, we continue to strive to produce cattle of high quality, high performance and superior health. Herd health is of utmost importance to us and it is continuously monitored through the SAC’s Premium Health Cattle Scheme. Everything we do on this farm is the result of a decision-making process with thought for quality, profitability and the environment,” Donald Biggar.

* When the conferences tour moves south, delegates will also visit: the Baynes family’s Marleycote Dairy Shorthorn herd of 120 Dairy Shorthorn at the 165-acre Marleycote Walls; Gerald Turton’s Upsall herd of 74 polled cows on the 1000-acre Upsall and Roxby Estate, Thirsk, in North Yorkshire; the Lowther family’s 50-cow herd at Lorther Park, with the cows kept at Nord Vue Farm, Armathwaite, Carlisle; the 60-cow Pode Hole herd run by Harry, Charles and Sally Horrell on part of their 1200 acres; the mixed commercial and pedigree Groveland herds, run by the Filby family on 600 acres in North Norfolk; the 150-cow Twells Dairy Shorthorn herd run by Tim, Anne and Jonathan Wyatt on the 400-acre Grange Farm; the 40-cow Wavendon herd owned by Christopher and Shirley Marler and run on 110 acres; the 1000-acre Croxton Park’s 84-cow herd owned by Alan and Joy Bowkett, and managed by Dan Bull; the 100-cow Rodway Dairy Shorthorn herd owned by Graham, Shirley and Rachael Madeley.