Toplines and Tales

77 - Characters in Livestock - Lionel Organ

A highly enjoyable episode chatting to an old friend Lionel Organ who has excelled in everything he bred. For all he will be known as top sheep breeder this interview also gives a fascinating insight into the world of breeding pigs, where Southam would become one of the top herds of Large Whites in Europe. He tells of the challenges that posed and more importantly the lessons we could learn from carcass development. Then followed the sheep when Lionel again reached the pinnacle of two breeds, Charollais and Lleyn, the former being dispersed 12 years ago, yet still the Southam prefix underpins many top flocks today. We hear about the merits of the Lleyn with which he is still very much involved and is both passionate and proud of where the breed is today. 

76 - Characters in Livestock - Jack Dick

Jack Dick of Black Watch Farms really was a huge character in livestock.
From his young days working on a farm to bankrolling himself through college and making and losing millions on the stock market, as a bankrupt man, Jack set about buying Angus cattle by the thousand, including the record priced bull in Perth. During the first half of the 1960s, selling cattle to rich investors, he masterminded one of the biggest ponzie schemes in history.

75 - Characters in Livestock - Liam Muir

This week we chat to well known Orcadian, Liam Muir. From buying upwards of 50 bulls per year to farming and breeding show calves, Liam is a busy and well recognised face across the UK. He discusses the quality of cattle on the Orkney Islands, as well as the challenges that farming that far North can sometimes face, as well as their week of shows in the summer and his very busy schedule as a championship judge.   

74 -Characters in Livestock - Gordon Philip

This week my guest, Gordon Philip from Kansas, is a rare breed who learned his trade in the UK cattle business before plying it in USA. Growing up in Aberdeenshire working with great cattlemen like Alec Ogg and Gordon Blackstock, he brought out a string of prize winners at Perth before heading to America in the later 50s, to set up a new Shorthorn operation for a man who farmed thousands of mink! Moving on to winning seven champions at Chicago, many with offspring of a bull bred at Newhouse by Bob Adam, to drinking with John Wayne and cattle judges on horseback, Gordon, along my with good friend Dr Bob, regales us with tails of success, fun and wisdom.  

73 - Characters in Livestock - The Auctioneers

The UK has one of the strongest auction market presences in the world, which is underpinned by those characters who sell stock from the rostrum. This week, with my two guests, both top auctioneers, Raymond Kennedy and James Little, we pinpoint a few of the great characters that have sold pedigree stock through the ages, as well as hearing about the modern livestock trade in UK.

72 - Characters in Livestock - Willie Thomson

This week Willie Thompson from Turriff,  not only one of the country’s leading nutritionists but a great all round character shares his knowledge and a few cracking stories during his work at the heart of the livestock industry, including ‘win a date with Linda;’ a Charolais heifer from Sandy Innes at Moyness!’ From discovering a carbon reducing product to visiting top breeders around the globe and realising the UK still has a lot to learn, these are some fascinating stories and even a glimpse of the future from a highly interesting man.  

71 - History of Native Breeds - Blue Faced Leicester sheep

Evolving from Robert Bakewell's early efforts, The Blue Faced Leicester sheep is quite unique in that it stamps hybrid vigour on all its progeny. My guests this week are top breeders James Herdman and Derek Hall when we discuss the breed and the marvel of the Mule, possibly the backbone of the sheep business in UK.  

70 - History of Native Breeds - Scottish Blackface Sheep

One of the most populous sheep in UK, the Blackie has a long history among the Scottish hills.  Mathew Hamilton's Woolfords flock have been at the top of the breed for nearly 150 years, and he talks us through the merits and diversity of the Scottish Blackface.

69 - History of Native Breeds - Cheviot Sheep

Quite a bumper podcast this week as we cover the Cheviot sheep, a breed which comes in a number of different formats. Firstly my guest Tom Tennant takes us through the origins of the Cheviot and then the South Country Cheviot of which he is currently president. Then we hear from Rod McKenzie who has an unrivalled knowledge of the North Country Cheviot, as we hear about the different variants of the breed, and people and animals who got to where it is now. 

68 - History of Native breeds - Welsh Black Cattle

A great history lesson in this week's episode where we look at the indigenous cattle breed from Wales, the Welsh Black. With a history dating back to the Bronze Age to winning the Burke Trophy at the Millennium, and supplying a branded product to a nation, our guest Alwyn Jones give a superb account of these wonderful cattle.