FEW families have enjoyed as much success and gained experience in the show ring with cattle than the Harveys from Balfron, Stirlingshire, who, each year, exhibit at no fewer than 13 summer, calf and winter stock shows all over Scotland and across the border. 
It was in 1985 when George Harvey, along with his brother, John, started showing pedigree cattle after purchasing two heifers that year – a Limousin named Graham’s Ballerina from Robert and Jean Graham’s herd, at Airthrey Kerse, Bridge of Allan, and a Hereford named Panmure 1 Crocus C3 from the Cant family’s Panmure herd at Easter Knox, Arbroath. 
Both females went on to breed well for the Harveys – George, with his brothers John, Jim and Eddie, then established the pedigree cattle enterprise known as Harvey Bros. In fact, the Panmure heifer bred many show winners for them, including a grand-daughter named Harvey Bros 1 Crocus P1, which won her class at local shows and went on to stand reserve overall at the Yorkshire and National Poll shows in 2003. 
To this day, that cow is not only the mother and grandmother but great grandmother to all the females that are left within the herd.
“In early years, showing was just a hobby but it’s become a way of life now,” began George, who with wife Maggie, children Jamie (26), Sophie (23) and Beth (19), have become well-known faces in the show ring. 
“The Limousin and Herefords were just two breeds I was always attracted to, and still am. We bought in other Hereford females from the Chapelton herd and Limousin females from the Ronick and Oakley herds.
“We’ve more or less just built up the herds from those first few heifers and haven’t bought in any Hereford females for 20-plus years, although we did buy a dun Galloway heifer from the Jaw herd in 2002 but sadly, she never left us with a female.
“In more recent years, we purchased two Limousin females from the Whinfellpark herd in 2014 and a black Galloway in 2015 from Ben Lomond,” added George, who established a cattle foot trimming business some 33 years ago but after an injury at Stirling Bull Sales, in February, he has since given up this business . He is now a salesman selling minerals for the Dennis Brinicombe Group.

The Scottish Farmer:

Hereford show team line-up from left to right, Crocus Rose, Crocus R3, Rupert and Richard                                                                                          Ref:EC2510184196

While the family’s Limousin herd numbered as many as 33 females at one time, they decided to reduce the herd in 2013 and now run just eight Limousins, eight Herefords and a similar number of commercial cows. 
Limousin heifers from the family’s herd have hit a top of 6000gns, including Harveys Atique sold at the Red Ladies sale at Carlisle, and Harveys Getique – a heifer sold at the herd’s reduction which the Harveys went on to show for the new owner and saw her win both her classes at the Highland and the Yorkshire. 
“Nowadays, we’re concentrating more on the Herefords, although we are still just as passionate about the Limousin breed. I’ve been waiting 33 years to see the Hereford grow in popularity in Scotland and I think I’m finally starting to see that happen now,” commented George, who pointed out that this year, they won first prize with a heifer – Harvey Bros Crocus R5 – in the Scottish Hereford herds competition.
Sophie now works full-time with the family’s cattle and as a freelance stockperson after studying agriculture at Craibstone, before doing a two-year stint as a stockperson at the Hodgson family’s beef and sheep unit in Cumbria. She added: “Our aim is to breed bulls and cattle with good loins, backends, conformation and temperament the same as any breed. 
“Although we breed with a mixture of cattle breeds, we breed them all for the same trait – tops and loins, and to have better cover over the shoulder. You can’t beat the Hereford for its fertility and temperament. 
“They are so easy to work with and the Hereford Cattle Society is a society which is so supportive and encourages you to promote the breed.”
Although the Harveys are based at Balfron, the cattle are kept at Manor Neuk, near Stirling, which both George and Sophie point out is an ideal, central location for exhibiting at many shows across the country. They use mainly AI due to running such small herds but have used bulls on both herds. 
Hereford wise, Graceland Aussie – a mature bull bought privately and originally bred in Ireland – has made a real stamp on the herd and bred one of the best heifers, Harvey Bros 1 Crocus E2, which was not only a winner in her own right in 2009 but has also bred Harvey Bros 1 crocus N1, which was gifted to Sophie for her 21st birthday. 
Another to make its mark was the privately purchased, Venture Nightime, a bull imported from Denmark and backed by American genetics. The most recent calves in the Harvey’s Hereford herd are by Normanton 1 Laertes, the Hereford which was the beef inter-breed champion at the 2017 Royal Highland. 
All Limousin females in the herd are AI’d, although three bulls which are up for sale are by a Whinfellpark bull which the Harveys have a half share in. 
“All Hereford females are retained in the herd and we tend to sell bulls privately or at the breed sale down in Hereford. Bulls have sold in the sale ring to a top of 4850gns and we’ve been champion in the past which went on to sell for 4000gns – the top price that day ,” said George. “Most of the Hereford bulls have sold to pedigree herds and we’ve sold four or five to breeders down in Wales.”
Although having scooped several reserves at the Yorkshire and the Highland with both Herefords and Limousins over the years, as well as with a Galloway heifer this year, the Harvey team have enjoyed major success at the Royal Smithfield Show. 
A year that will go down in history for the family was 2006 when they won the King’s Cup with a Galloway steer, Read All About It and in 2002 when they won the Galloway and Hereford championships.

The Scottish Farmer:

Hereford show team line-up from left to right, Crocus Rose, Crocus R3, Rupert and Richard                                                                                          Ref:EC2510184196

Galloways have also been a part of their cattle enterprise over the years as they believe they’re the ideal breed for showing at winter stock shows and as a bonus, the family show the females at summer shows. In 2013, they bought Ben Lomond Vimto privately from Duncan Maxwell’s herd and her first daughter stood reserve champion at the Yorkshire, this year. Her full brother is destined for LiveScot at Lanark, this month, as well as the Welsh Winter Fair. 
“Galloways are a great commercial beast for fatstock shows – they have the lugs, the hair and the presentation,” said Sophie, who clips, washes and halter trains all the cattle thanks to guidance in the early years from her uncle, John. 
“Showing cattle is a great shop window. The social side is brilliant – that’s why we love going to the big shows and sales,” pointed out George. 
“Sophie, myself and a heifer went to the Welsh this year. We drove down overnight on the Friday and when we got to the show on the Saturday, we socialised right through to the Wednesday night. The showing was good fun too!”
The summer show season for the family kicks off at their local shows which include Drymen, Stirling and Doune and Dunblane, and in more recent years, Campsie and Kilmacolm. Following on is the Highland, Yorkshire and Welsh shows, while young calves go to Stars of the Future at Stirling, Agri-Expo at Carlisle and Shrewsbury Calf Show. 
As if that’s not enough, the Harveys are regular faces at the Stirling Bull Sales and also hit the LiveScot show rings at Lanark, and for the first time this year, the Welsh Winter Fair, at Builth Wells.
“Stars of the Future is great a show – it’s a wonderful concept, seeing as many nine different cattle breeds in the rings,” commented George. “We’ve not missed a year yet and in that time have managed to scoop a few firsts, and two junior championships with two bulls which were maternal brothers. 
“We have started calving earlier, though, as we realised that our calving pattern didn’t suit the classes at Stars of the Future,” he added. 
Sophie concluded: “It’s a great event because you can see future calves from other herds which will go on and be sold at bull sales or female sales. Not only that but it’s a great way of getting the calves out and getting them used to the show ring, and it is easier handling bulls as youngsters, too.”
Forward for the Stars of the Future Calf show and LiveScot will be a team of four which includes the March-born, Harvey Bros 1 Crocus Rose (the first calf bred from Sophie’s heifer Harvey Bros Crocus N1); two yearling bulls, Harvey Bros Crocus 1 Richard and Harvey Bros Crocus 1 Rupert; and the heifer, Harvey Bros Crocus R3.