Praise from across the pond….

…our English friend and partner, Angus Cottey, saw the picture of Thistle Hill Magic on our home page and wrote a glowing appraisal.  We’re immodest enough to share it.  Angus knows cows and a compliment for an American bull from the Brits is no small thing.

He writes:

“Magic looks a tremendous Bull, I recall your photo of him as a young calf.  He certainly has grown on well.  I particularly like his top line and how flat he is across the top.  A good beef animal should not be pointed across the shoulders but broad and flat.  They say snow should be able to settle, certainly not like a pitched Swiss house!!  He has good developed rounds and second thigh and a good large set of testicles.  I note he is not ringed, is that something you do not do in the USA?  I am trying to gauge his size compared to the bales of hay in the background, he must be about 76″ at the shoulder and weigh about 940kg (2068lbs)?”

As I said, Angus is one of the “bright young lights” in Devon circles in England, so this was particularly gratifying.  As we wrote back immediately (with suitable humility), rings are not common here among Devon breeders.  There really aren’t show rings that make that a requirement and Thistle Hill bulls are so well-behaved a simple “shh-shh” is all it takes to get them to do your bidding.

Like most people, Angus was fooled by Magic’s apparent massive size.  He’s big alright, but it’s all down low to the ground.  The weight guess is close but off about a foot in height.

Semen is available from Magic, who is a Rotokawa 93 son by an American cow.  That means he slicks off in the hot summer months.  Currently, he covering both a pure bred and commercial herd in Louisiana.