Last updated at 14:59, Friday, 22 June 2012

A north Cumbrian farmer has been appointed chairman of the Galloway Cattle Society.

Andrew Waugh

Andrew Waugh, who farms at Kilnstown, Bewcastle, succeeds Drew Brown from Dumfries and Galloway.

His family has a long tradition with the breed.

The new chairman’s great, great, grandfather’s brother, John Noble, founded the Kilnstown Galloway herd in 1879.

Mr Waugh and his family continue the tradition by having a herd that extends to about 50 breeding animals.

They also have about 40 Salers-Galloway crosses, and 40 Limousin cross Salers cross Galloways.

And Mr Waugh has had many successes in the show ring, securing a string of fatstock championships.

His enterprise also includes Park Farm and extends to 1,000 acres. On top of the cattle herd, the Waugh’s have 1,000 Swaledale ewes – 200 of them pure-bred – the remainder crossed with blue-faced Leicesters. From these, they sell about 650 mule ewe lambs per year. They also have a small flock of 20 pedigree blue-faced Leicesters.

Mr Waugh paid tribute to the outgoing chairman for his “hard work, dedication and enthusiasm”.

On his own appointment, he said: “It is a great honour to be appointed chairman of one of our oldest native breeds.

“I look forward to continuing the success of the breed and the society.”

The society also has a new vice-chairman, Scott McKinnon.

He is farm manager of the noted Klondyke herd, part of the Klondyke Group – owners of Houghton Hall Garden Centre, near Carlisle – established by the late Bob Gault and his wife Dorothy. The pure herd of Galloways has been steadily built up over the years and now stands at 100 head. There is also more than 500 head of suckler cows, with nearly half of them being Galloway cross.

John Finlay, of Blackcraig, Corsock was appointed junior vice-chairman. All the appointments were made at the society’s recent annual general meeting.

First published at 14:07, Friday, 22 June 2012
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk