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of struggling through hasn ’ t given me the motivation to gallop about . There ’ s always that chance that by attending a show you may also risk TB turning up in the herd too , so health status for what is a closed herd apart from the odd bull bought in and the downturn have been the major reasons . It also didn ’ t help though that judges were largely on a totally different system to us and seemed to want a cow that looked more like a Holstein . We have to keep a cow that weighs no more than 500-600 kilos that can function on steep hillsides . They ’ re not generally after those . All cows here have been born and bred on the farm as well as an occasional homebred bull . We have an 18-month old bull off one of our better cows who has had a group of heifers and we ’ re just waiting for his first calves .’
Steph , who grew up in Rosedale , has been secretary
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for the Ayrshire Cattle Society ’ s Northern region for the past 11 years . She ’ s heavily involved with three shows at Rosedale , Ryedale and Danby looking after the fur and feather classes . Steph is also involved with school dinners at Rosedale Abbey school .
‘ We ’ ve been very active in apprenticeships and we were quite involved in the North York Moors Apprenticeship Scheme ’
While the dairy sector is proportionately more significant then the sheep at Low Thorgill and Wheat Ends the breeding ewes are still a major part of the farm operation .
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‘ We have a small flock of around 30 pure Texels for pure Texel breeding , but our main enterprise is Swaledales . We have around 490 that saw the Swaledale tup this autumn and another 50 or so that saw the Texel tup . The Texels lamb in late February and early March . The Swaledales start April 15 . The majority are on the moor between here and Hutton le Hole .’
Breeding quality Swaledale tups is Alan ’ s domain .
‘ They ’ re more my dad ’ s kind of thing . We take our tups to the Swaledale Sheep Breeders ’ Association ’ s E District sale . We ’ re a closed flock and just buy in tups . Dad trails about to the other district sales and will buy anything that he feels fits our standard and budget . We sell stock at Ruswarp and the annual Fadmoor Sale . We bring the ewes in for tupping and lambing .’
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The Myers ’ are in an HLS agreement on the moor on a roughly mile wide strip for five miles with 11 other graziers . Sean ’ s brother , Rob farms in Bransdale . Rob ’ s son , Dan has just started working with Sean as an apprentice .
‘ We ’ ve been very active in apprenticeships and we were quite involved with the North York Moors Apprenticeship Scheme . Dan ’ s with us now , which is good news as in the past few years with the downturn our paid labour had to be cut down .’
Whether Sean and Steph ’ s sons will take over in years to come , like Sean has from Alan , is yet to be seen - but Mark may be motoring on !
‘ Mark ’ s into motorbike trials ,’ says Sean . ‘ And he ’ s doing very well . We have a neighbour who has taken him under his wing and reckons he has what it takes to go professional . We ’ ll see !’
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