Cow Families

We consider strong cow families to be the basis of any successful breeding programme, and from the outset it was decided to try and buy some of the outstanding cows in the breed and to build families from them. By luck and, hopefully, some judgement we believe we have gathered together some diverse lines that are of some importance in the breed.

We tend to refer to individual cows by their family origin. The main foundation cows are listed below:-

Tanhill Toujour

Tanhill Toujour

Bred by Messrs. King Forster

Toujour is one of those cows that you dream of owning! She had a successful show career, winning the Royal Welsh Show on 3 occasions, and her lifetimes’ production of bulls averaged over £6,000 in the early 90’s. Not only that, but her daughters and granddaughters are proving equally productive.

Toujour was the most reluctant of embryo donors. Therefore, it has taken us longer than expected to build up her family, and only one daughter was sold. Robert Graham of Grahams Limousin twisted our arms to sell her Denver daughter, Hermine. She promptly bred for him a Jockey daughter that impressed all who saw her on the 2,000 show circuit!  A full sister to Hermine, Jemima forms the basis of her family here today.  Two Jockey daughters, Toujour and Ujour, have both bred bulls to 10,000gns, and many heifers to join the herd

Vagabond

Vagabonde

Bred by M Bourbon

Vagabonde was our other purchase from the Tanhill Dispersal Sale. She was a daughter of the great French sire Jeunot, from one of the most important French female lines at M Bourbon’s famous herd. She bred for us a Denver son, Grand Prix, who won the Interbreed Young Bull Championship at the Royal Welsh Show, and was subsequently sold to the Scottish MMB for their A.I. stud.

Vagabonde and her daughters dominated our Signet BLUP rankings for years.  Megan, her Broadmeadows Cannon daughter became our best cow ever, with her two Jockey daughters Tansy and Afallon breeding their socks off. Afallon must be our star cow of the moment

Oakley Michelle

Oakley Michelle

Bred by J R Parry

Michelle was purchased as our choice of the Favori daughters at the first Oakley Sale. She joined our herd when she was 10 years old, but more than justified our investment, being a prolific embryo donor and breeder of several high priced progeny.

Her daughters are very feminine stylish animals, and again, her last daughters – three Ronick Gains Cows – have proved to be among her best. Each one bred a cracking Jockey bull apiece selling from 6,000gns to 10,000gns in the late 90’s.

The present herd contains Ultrabright – an outstanding breeder – and her daughters. 

Olive

Olive

Bred by M Lachaud

Olive was bought as part of the Derri Herd and has returned her investment several times over. A prolific embryo donor she really became the herds’ moneymaker. From her first flush she produced six heifers that were retained in the herd and three bulls, one of which – Consul – was exported to South Africa and subsequently became Supreme Champion at the Pretoria Royal Show. Another bull from the same flush was Cardi, which was sold to Genus for its AI stud and became, arguably, the UK’s most successful AI sire.

A grand daughter became a great breeder – Natalie is the dam of Tanner, the Junior Champion at the 2003 Royal Welsh Show, and sold for 16,000gns; his full brother, Union won the same class at the Royal Welsh, and sold for 10,000gns; a third son, Vantage also won Junior Champion  Royal Welsh. Brenhines, a full sister to Tanner and Union carries her influence on to the present day.

Druk Nadia

Druk Nadia

Bred by the Druk Farming Co.

Nadia came as part of the Derri Herd, having been purchased at the Druk Dispersal Sale as the top priced Maiden Heifer. Principally, her Talent daughter, Evita and her progeny have carried her influence into our herd. Evita is one of our top bull breeders with sales up to 10,500gns and several over 5,000gns.

Several descendants are breeding well in the herd today, led by the Jockey daughter Dyfri Superbe, one of our top flushing cows.

Harpie

Harpie

Bred by Domaine des Etangs

Harpie was imported in the same consignment as Jockey in 1997 and was joined by her Jockey son, Neutron, at heel. She carries the important Lingot line in her back pedigree, which makes her an exciting prospect to mate to Jockey.

Both her grand dams have the highest qualification in France – Reproductrice Recommande, and she confirms that depth of breeding by her depth of milking and consistency of production.

Harpie bred 4 Jockey sons on the trot that grossed £40,000 pounds at sale. They include Neutron 14,000gns and Pascal 9,500gns.

Her family develops through her daughters Undeg and Alaw, with Elle (Nectar x Undeg) breeding the most recent Junior Champion at the Royal Welsh in 2014, Dyfri Idris.

Nenette

Bred by GAEC Laloi, FranceNenette

Nenette was purchased in Autumn 2002 to establish another line. She comes from an important family of Show and Breeding cows in France. She was 2nd Paris Show 2002 and was Reserve Female Champion Royal Welsh Show 2003. Her Nectar daughter, Charmante, is a massive cow and three of her heifers are joining the herd.