Megan Friel is a top Angus breeder in New Zealand, so we discuss her earlier years a major sheep farmer, her and her husband’s modern Mt Mable commercial bull stud, as well her current association with the New Zealand Angus association. Dr Bob Hough joins in as we compare the different systems and type of cattle between NZ, US and UK, discovering some surprising similarities with Scotland.
The name Lindertis has been etched in history through the world-famous Angus bull Lindertis Evulse which sold for a record price in 1963. I speak to Tom Hopkinson, a grandson of Sir Torquil Munro and a pedigree Angus breeder in his own right, about some of those halcyon days. We discuss his even more famous Great Grand Father, Sir Hugh Munro who named all the mountains in Scotland. Tom also talks of their other business interests as well as their own top Angus herd and an upcoming dispersal sale...
I may have been quiet on the podcast front for a while as I have been very busy writing. We can now announce that we have just competed a 2 and half year project writing the History of Aberdeen-Angus in the US, UK and worldwide. In this episode, Dr Bob Hough and I discuss what you can expect in this coffee-table styled book, as well as how it came together and the challenges this 540 page tome presented. You can find more about it at www.angushistorybook.com...
Welcome to our fourth Toplines and Tales Podquiz. 4 more rounds this week, which include sports people in livestock, a new special livestock Music round, plus a final round on the history of livestock. So go on, pitch in with your livestock knowledge, just for fun. Answers at the end. #quiz #quizzing #sheepquiz #cattlequiz
Another great guest in this series about characters in the livestock scene, again a man who needs no introduction, top stockman Jim McMillan. Having just had his 90th birthday, Jim tells of his start with showing fatstock and his great successes at Smithfield, as well as his days with Seawell charolais and the unrivaled show cow, Kilkenny Celia. We also hear about his highly successful stint at Moston Muir with Angus and Galloways. Photo courtesy TSF
Welcome to our second Toplines and Tales Podquiz. Only 4 rounds this week and a much more international flavour to suit some of our listeners around the world So go on, pitch in with your livestock knowledge, just for fun. Answers at the end. #quiz #quizzing #sheepquiz #cattlequiz
Embark on an enlightening journey through the diverse world of livestock with the "Top Lines and Tales Livestock Quiz". This intriguing trivia session will challenge your knowledge on a variety of subjects related to sheep, cattle breeds, sale locations, diseases, and much more! Decode the language of sheep, identify the origins of different breeds, and feed your curiosity with astounding facts about the sheer number of sheep in Australia and unravel the mysteries behind the infamous foot rot di...
John Cameron CBE is a man that needs no introduction. From being Scotland’s largest sheep farmer, running 800 suckler cows, a beef cattle contract with Waitrose and a herd of pedigree Hereford cattle, we chat live at his farm in Fife about his incredible career in agriculture. We also have a fun a great chat about his other passion, trains, hearing some superb stories from the great man in this unmissable episode!
Neil Wattie from Aberdeenshire runs one of the top herds of Aberdeen-Angus in Britain. Talking us through the beginnings and the initial families in his Tonley herd, it is not hard to see why he and his son Mark are now consistently at the forefront of the breed in UK. We also hear about his ‘day job’ as head of a large agricultural machinery dealership and a few ventures into other breeds but is his passion for the Angus characteristics that definitely shine through in this informative chat....
Try your luck on the Toplines and Tales Livestock Quiz, hosted by Andy Frazier. Our very first quiz this week has 5 rounds, although one of those is visual. This quiz is mainly UK and Ireland based questions although future quizzes will include questions from the rest of the world. Round 3, Logos round can be found here https://andyfrazier.wixsite.com/ttquiz
Welcome to an engaging episode of 'Toplines and Tails' featuring Sally Crowe, a renowned and inspiring crofter from Caithness renowned for her efforts in wool wrapping and diversification in agriculture. Sally, a single mother inheriting a 25-acre croft, is a shining example of women empowerment in the field of agriculture. Follow along with her intriguing journey which spans from her cattle and sheep rearing, to remote working, global travels, wool handling show participation, and striving in t...
Often referred to as the Welsh Wizard, Esmor Evans needs no introduction, being one of the nations leading cattle breeders for a number of decades. As well as the successes of his top herd of Maerdy Charolais cattle, we chat about his other herds/flocks along with his business as a full-time vet in this highly interesting episode.
A great chat with communicator and social influencer Wallace Currie from Dumfries, originally from Arran. This young man is such a great orator it’s no wonder he has been assigned the lead of communications for Scotland Young Farmers, a lecturer in farm diversification, and a current Nuffield scholar as well as running a successful podcast.
This episode gets fascinating chat with angus breeder John Henning from Northern Ireland. As well as running the top Drumcorn herd with his wife, former banker John has a busy life throughout the agricultural industry with directorships and trustee roles in some highly prestigious organizations and has been awarded an OBE for his services to agriculture.
The second half of our trip to Argentina took us to Mendoza in the west where we stayed in a vineyard and visited a few more. I hope this has captured some of the culture of the vines, wines and country, as well as a chat with some of our tour guests, and even a sing-song.
A chance of a lifetime to accompany a trip of great folks to Argentina to look at some cows. The first of two special episodes, where I did my best to explain the trip as well as capturing snippets of conversations with some of the many huge farms that we visited.
Still at our Christmas Party, which just kept getting better. This time someone posed the question of the best beast that maybe should have won Smithfield but didn’t which set the minds of my highly knowable guests to work. As the drink flowed, Stuart Hunter recalled his last Smithfield kist party drinking out of a Pringles tube, Donald discussed the excessive size of modern show winners with some solid opinions added from some wise men, before eventually persuading Ian Anderson to sing us a dit...
In part 2 of our Christmas party, we reminisce about some of the nights ‘downtown’ in London before my fellow cattle steward, Julian, and I have more serious chat about the challenges of running the show. Then follows some stories about the frequent visits of the Royal family, and a few rather hilarious tales around that.
This week we hosted an online Christmas kist party for our listeners to celebrate 19 years since we were all last at Royal Smithfield Show together. Taking about legends in the fatstock world, to legends in the fatstock world, we start with a roll of honour for all those champion winners over 50+ years which morphs into more general chitchat and tales from the event with over 40 distinguished guests. As the party went on until 2am, this is the first hour, with more shenanigans and craic to follo...
A familiar character about the show scene, Kenny Sutherland and his family run one of the largest livestock operations in the North of Scotland, with 2000 ewes and 400 suckler cows. A past champion winner at Smithfield and an involvement in the Highland show, Kenny discusses their more recent success with the Longhorn breed as a base for their cows, as well as Cheviots, Texels and Suffolk sires in the sheep. They have also diversified into tourism at Sibmister Mains in Caithness.
Started by Lord Nuffield in 1947, the Nuffield Farming Scholarship has been paramount to the success of many candidates who have applied and reaped the rewards. Now with over 1000 scholars being awarded I speak to Nuffield's Charlotte Mersen about the fascinating history of the Lord, the Award, and its current operations in UK and around the world.
Marteye has been an incredible success story since the start of Covid lockdown, a system now used by over 100 livestock markets across Ireland and UK to stream online sales and facilitate bidding. I speak with one of its founders, Jamie Nolan, about their journey and what the company now offers 2.5 million farmers who now tune into to sales, bringing local and national marts into their own homes.
Highly interesting chat with Frenchman Olivier Rambert, the manager of Interlim, the commercial arm of the Limousin cattle society in France, based at the Pole du Lanaud station. Holding 4 bull sales per year they market upwards of 500 bulls selected from the best in the country. With many going for export, the bulls have undergone strict tests, not just for weight and muscle but also genomics and temperament. We also hear the differences in beef consummation between France and its neighbouring ...
Robert Groom is rather unusual guest, being an Englishman in New York! Having dispersed his Angus herd in Scotland he has been breeding top Angus in USA for 25 years and is a regular exhibitor on the American show circuit. A great ambassador for the breed, he also reveals that he is behind the set-up of a nucleus herd of American type Angus back in Scotland.
A quite unusual special short episode live from the Young Handlers section of the Stars of the Future calf show at Stirling. This episode is backed up with photos and short video on our Toplines and Tales Facebook page.
Welshman Arwel Owen is not only a top Charolais cattle breeder and judge, but also a man who sees, assesses and buys a lot of bulls through his day job as Beef Supply Chain Manager for Genus, one of the world’s leading semen supply companies. This week we get a fascinating insight into the changing state of the industry both at home and worldwide as beef-from-dairy makes rapid inroads, while Arwel furnishes us with some excellent words of wisdom gained by 40 years in the business.
A man who has been on the UK cattle showing scene for a long while, large as life Jason Wareham chats about the family farm shop business, his and his wife Sarah's successful journey with Galloway cattle and their herd of British Blues. Add in some pedigree sheep, an abattoir, a haulage business, as well as a busy judging schedule and you can understand why it took me while to track Jason down to speak to me on Toplines and Tales!
It was my pleasure to sit down with The Late Jim Stobo, OBE, in his home 10 years ago and record some of his wisdom. Sadly no longer with us, Jim was one of the great men in the UK livestock business, holding a number of senior positions throughout the industry. His depth of knowledge both historical and recent on a whole range of subjects, particularly with Angus cattle, was just astounding.
One of the most successful Angus and Hereford breeders in Ireland, Mathew Goulding talks through his journey with both breeds. Mathew attributes his initial success by applying principles in female families that he learned through growing up on a dairy farm. With wise words such as ‘every cow has to be a machine in your factory’ and ‘idle cows are a drain on resources, adding to carbon footprint’, you soon get an understanding why Mathew has become one of the highest regarded cattle breeders in ...
From a top stockman to one of the most successful breed CEO’s, David Benson has been involved in Charolais cattle, both man and boy. We have a chat about his early years with the breed as well as his reflection on what he and the breed has achieved during his 29 years at the helm of such a great society.
