DNA confirms it…

THF 1 is indeed an off-spring of the great English bull Champson Defender.

He’s the second bull in partially obscured by an American herdmate.  Again note the difference in coloring of a pure traditional English animal versus the American variety!

This was Church’s first try at artificial insemination and it’s a great success for the farm!  We now have three very separate English bull blood lines to work with.

Wooz and I saw Defender on our very first trip to England in 2010.  Breeder Robert James had purchased him for what was then a record price of 14,000 guineas!

When we started we had no idea how difficult it would be to find a pure English Devon.  Most herds today have been diluted by Salers blood.

Today, in fact, it may not be much of an exaggeration to say Thistle Hill is the best source for pure, traditional English Devon genetics!