John D M Thomson
Newlands, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire
DG11 3AA
01461 500769 (home)
01228 528939 (office)
info@shawhillshorthorns.co.uk
Matthew Thomson
07900 181 635
John Dick
j.dick01@btinternet.com
NOVEMBER 2014 -1
At the very enjoyable and well organised “Stars of the Future” Show
at Stirling, our Beef Shorthorn bull calf, Shawhill
Henderson took
1st in his class. He is by Shawhill
Freedom out of our successful show
cow Fieldhouse
Florence Anita.
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John Thomson was not at Stirling as he and his father were at the re-opening, after ninety-six years, of the Annandale Whisky Distillery. This has been beautifully restored and brought back into production. Visitors to Shawhill Shorthorns will be able to pay it a visit also – it is situated just out of Annan on the road towards Eaglesfield and motorway junction 20.
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OCTOBER 2014 – 5
Our Beef Shorthorn maiden heifer Shawhill
Florence Gertrude took the
female reserve championship at the Stirling October sales. She was
purchased for 3,500gns. by Laga Farms of Orkney. We wish them, and
the purchasers of our other heifers, every success. [read
the sale report here]
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OCTOBER 2014 – 4
Sheep rather than Shorthorns. The home bred North Country Cheviot shearling
gimmers from our hill farm, Archbank, Moffat. They have done particularly
well this summer and will be tupped with the traditional Bluefaced
Leicester to breed Cheviot Mule ewe lambs for the Longtown Sales
next year.
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OCTOBER 2014 – 3
The first of our autumn calves. A heifer to Shawhill
Dewdrop Firth (by K-Kim Freedom). The sire is Shawhill
Frosty (by Vortrekker of
Upsall)
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OCTOBER 2014 – 2
We had an excellent and enjoyable visit from the Central Shorthorn
Breeders Club. Unfortunately the long hot summer broke on the day that
they arrived and our visitors certainly experienced some more typical
Scottish weather. It was good to see so many people who had travelled
such a distance.
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OCTOBER 2014 - 1
We have four strong maiden heifers going to the up-coming Stirling
Sales. These include Shawhill
Florence Gertrude whom you may have seen
at the calf shows and summer shows where she has been rather successful
with prizes including a second at the Royal Highland and the reserve
championship at Westmorland County Show.
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SEPTEMBER 2014 – 2
There was a disappointing turnout of cattle at the Westmorland County Show. Many potential exhibitors seem to have balked at the pre-show TB test which was required.
Congratulations to Andrew Bellas who took the Championship and the newly presented Thomson, Roddick & Laurie “Elite” Trophy.
Shawhill Florence Gertrude stood as Beef Shorthorn Reserve Champion. Her next outing will be at the Stirling Sales in October. We have four maiden heifers entered for these sales.
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SEPTEMBER 2014 -1
Our local Moffat Show on Saturday 30th August, saw our cow, Fieldhouse
Florence Anita with her calf, Shawhill
Henderson out again in the
multi-breed section. They took first prize and the section championship.
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AUGUST 2014 – 2
Our first time at Peebles Show. Our heifer Shawhill
Florence Gertrude took a first – this was a big event for us as she had so far had five
second prize tickets in a row including Stars of the Future and The
Royal Highland. We can go back to calling her Shawhill Florence Gertrude
1st rather than Shawhill Florence Gertrude 2nd!
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Fieldhouse Florence Anita & her promising calf, Shawhill Henderson (by Shawhill Freedom) were also there. Anita took a second and Henderson, at five months old, was 1st in the calf class
AUGUST 2014 - 1
Dumfries & Lockerbie Show and a very rainy day! Our cow, Fieldhouse
Florence Anita with her bull calf, Shawhill
Henderson by Shawhill Freedom,
stood 2nd to the champion, (another cow and calf) from W. & I.
McGregor and was then selected as reserve champion when pulled in by
the judge.
Shawhill Dewdrop Futurama, in calf, stood 1st in her class and our two heifers, Shawhill Florence Gertrude and Shawhill Gorgeous Rose stood 2nd and 3rd respectively in the junior heifer class.
Four animals and five tickets; we went home wet but satisfied. An enjoyable day and a nice show of Beef Shorthorns from local herds and from as far afield as Jedburgh.
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JUNE 2014 - 2
A good time was had by all at the Royal Highland Show (or so it is
rumoured!). Our maiden heifer, Shawhill
Florence Gertrude took a 2nd
in her class. Her mother Shawhill Florence Anita 15th did well for
us at last year`s summer shows and took the Shorthorn Championship
at the Westmorland County Show with this heifer as a calf at foot.
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JUNE 2014 - 1
Two shows so far this year. We took two young white heifers, Shawhill
Lady Gaga & Shawhill
Gemma, for a first outing to Fife Show. No
tickets but an excellent day out with plenty of Fife hospitality.
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Stirling Show had the usual strong entry. Our in-calf heifer, Shawhill Dewdrop Futurama took a 2nd and a young heifer, Shawhill Gorgeous Rose (by Alvie Blue Eyedboy out of Sandwick Celtic Rose) went well for her first trip out. Our team are off to the Royal Highland Show this week with two heifers and a young bull.
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MAY 2014 - 2
At the Carlisle sale, our heifer Shawhill
Princess Emily with her heifer
calf at foot sold for 3,300gns to Messrs J.R. & C. Elliott, Farlam
Hill, Brampton. We did not sell our bull, Shawhill
Freedom and
will retain him for our own use.
Our senior stock bull, Alvie Blue Eyedboy has been purchased by Messrs A. Hall & L. Done for their Housebyres herd, now based near Moffat.
MAY 2014 – 1
We have a roan bull, Shawhill Freedom (P) (ET) (593802065) going to
the Carlisle sale on Friday 23rd May. An all Canadian son of K-Kim
Freedom, he is out of Rolly Bateman`s good cow Braebank Dewdrop. We
think that he is well worth a look both for his conformation and his
genetics.
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At the same sale, we will have an Alvie Blue Eyedboy daughter, Shawhill Princess Emily (P) (583800811) with a heifer calf at foot and in-calf to Burnside Elite, the top priced bull at Stirling in February 2013.
APRIL 2014 -1
We are midway through calving and our April born calves are enjoying
the pleasant spring. Our first calves by our new stock bull Burnside
Elite (by Creaga Dice) have been easily calved and are already showing
promise. We look forward to seeing them develop. We also have a one
off bull calf by Shawhill Freedom, our ET son of K-Kim Freedom. Out
of last year`s Westmorland Show champion cow, although still very young,
he looks a to be a decent calf. Shawhill Freedom (523802065) will be
at the Carlisle Show and Sale on 23rd May along with a first calver
with heifer calf at foot and in-calf to Burnside Elite.
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MARCH 2014 – 1
On Sunday 2nd March, we enjoyed a North of England Beef Shorthorn Club visit to Tracy and Mark Severn's Highlee herd at Barkisland, Halifax. Excellent cattle and well presented, as you would expect. There was a good attendance of members from a wide area and the pub lunch afterwards was appreciated.
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FEBRUARY 2014 – 1
Our two cattle at the recent Stirling sales have both sold to go “overseas”!
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The 2nd prizewinning maiden heifer, Shawhill Fieldfare has gone at 2,000gns as a foundation animal to the Rodgers family of Dromara, County Down, Northern Ireland. Our bull, Shawhill Frontrunner, who took 3rd prize in class 8, was bought by Liam Muir from Orkney for 3,800gns. We hope that both buys are successful for their purchasers.
JANUARY 2014 – 2
A quick image of our bull Shawhill Frontrunner 593801623 which will be at next
week's Stirling Bull Sales. He is lot 281 on Tuesday 4th February.
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JANUARY 2014 – 1
We hope that all our friends and customers will enjoy a happy, healthy
and, of course, prosperous 2014.
We have three cattle entered for the Stirling
Sales on 3rd & 4th
February.
A maiden heifer, Shawhill Fieldfare 593801951 (by Alvie Blue Eyedboy) and two bulls, Shawhill Freedom 593802065 (by K-Kim Freedom 100P) and Shawhill Frontrunner 593801623 (by Alvie Blue Eyedboy).