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Stop 3….
….Juliet and Chris Cleave continue to make great strides with their beautiful herd. Juliet has joined the British Devon Society’s Council (Board) and is now hard at work planning next year’s world Devon conference in England. As we mentioned in our previous post, Bywood Jasper has several sons “assigned” to Traditional Devon’s English partners. Bywood Cracker is one of those and we got to see him with his young son.
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Stop 2….
….and Margaret Elliott climbs into a hay ring to get a better look at her bulls. Her Cutcombe Farm has produced some great animals, including Cutcombe Jaunty and Cutcombe Millenium…sire of our herd bull Falcon. While we were there we arranged to collect another outstanding male: Bywood Jasper. He was bred by Ken Farmer, who sadly passed away just before we arrived. Jasper is featured on the cover of the British Society’s handbook…and not only he but his three equally impressive sons have been purchased by our partners. Collecting is one thing; however, getting semen out of the United Kingdom is still problematic.
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Batteries recharged….
….and we’re just back from our annual sabbatical in England. We’re overwhelmed with the backlog, of course, but didn’t want to keep you waiting. First stop, Gavin Hunter’s Tilbrook Farm and here’s the latest in a long line of his winners. This guy is just seven months old and Gavin has already set him aside for future use including collection. We’re first in line! Have to sort through about 250 pictures but we’ll drop them in a few at a time over coming days. Meanwhile, back to work at Thistle Hill. Thanks to Duane Ard for keeping things running smoothly while we were gone!
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Off to recharge our batteries….
….for the next two weeks we’ll do nothing but drink in the scenery in beautiful southwest England. And if you believe that…..
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A Traditional Devon update….
….just back from a trip to South Carolina and Georgia, looking at the latest British imports. This heifer is two weeks old, a product of Essington’s Buttercup and our herd bull, Millennium Falcon. Essington has been closed down now so we’re fortunate to have saved genetics from that grand old herd developed by Brian Drake. She and five sisters and brothers will be raised at Doyle Unruh’s farm in Georgia and will play an important role in our project to save British Devon genetics here in America. For this one, you’ll have to click on the picture. Some of our older British animals were gracing the pastures of our partners Bill…
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A sure sign of Spring….
….in England, our Cornwall Correspondent and her husband, Chris, have just turned out their heifers after wintering in their shed. A beautiful set of animals! Can’t wait to get over there to walk in all that green grass. Just one more month to wait! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=423305741149258&set=vb.231333727013128&type=2&theater
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Be my Valentine….
….romance in bloom on Juliet and Chris Cleave’s pastures in Cornwall.
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Stealing in….
…under cover of darkness. Traditional Devon America’s final calf in this class…TDA 15. She’s a Tillbrook Cashtiller heifer by Cutcombe Jaunty. We did very well we think. All nice, thick calves with deep Ruby Red coats. Three heifers; three bulls.
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Ready to take on the world….
This little English bull calf only looks like he’s getting ready to charge. He’s really just getting up for one of the first times in his first day in America….and trying to figure out if he can risk moving those front legs. TDA 11 is a Millennium Falcon son out of Goldings Norah….an embryo calf we bred in England and imported as part of our Traditional Devon America project. Right now he is in the capable hands of Doyle Unruh in Georgia but eventually he’ll join the Virginia or South Carolina TDA herds…..and probably make a few commutes up and down Interstate 81.
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Meanwhile, in South Carolina….
….while we’ve been calving the next group of English Traditional Devon in Georgia, just across the border, at Walker Century Farms in South Carolina, we’re monitoring the progress of earlier classes. In the foreground are two heifers just over two years of age…in the background, a bull calf from last year. Right now the Traditional Devon America herd numbers 14. Progress but still a long way to go.