Breeder gearing up for Return to the big stage

Livestock exhibitors are excited about returning to a more normal Highland Show this year, and young Simmental breeder, Heather Duff from Pitmudie, Menmuir, Brechin, is no exception.

She has missed all the summer shows and feels that getting her stock out in front of a judge and spectators is the ultimate shop window for all the hard work that goes into pedigree breeding.

Heather, 27, farms with her mum and dad, Jennifer and Arthur, on the 600acre, mostly grassland unit, where they run a commercial herd of 120 Simmental cross cows alongside their 50-cow pedigree herd.

Since finishing her BSC (Hons) in agriculture at

SRUC Craibstone, Heather has helped develop the pedigree herd at Pitmudie, while also working in sales for Agrilloyd, Limagrain and Gray Seed Services, Newmacher.

Arthur sometimes bought Simmental cows for the commercial herd but in 2009 he picked up two Drumsleed cows at a sale. One was Drumsleed Twinkle who, two years later, had a good heifer calf, Pitmudie Beaujolais and the pedigree herd was founded.

Neil Caul, who has been instrumental in helping develop the herd with the family, encouraged Heather to show Beaujolais and her love of showing took off.

She said: “I had taken part in the YFC calf overwintering competitions, which gave me the bug, but winning prizes at local shows with Beaujolais was a great experience.”

Corskie Biana was another of the foundation heifers and in order to build up the herd quickly, the family bought some incalf cows and heifers from Cairnorrie and 12 maiden heifers from Delfur.

The Pitmudie herd really started coming to the forefront before lockdown, with Pitmudie Havana, an in-calf heifer by Corskie Elder out of Drumsleed Corinna taking female and reserve supreme champion at the Highland Show in 2018.

Heather said: “That has to go down as one of the best days of my life!”

She usually prepares about eight cattle for the

show season, some for local shows and some for the

Highland, but this year she has reduced the team to five and plans to take two yearling bulls and two yearling heifers to Ingliston.

It is not only at the shows that Heather has made her mark; in February Pitmudie Lancelot by Hiltonstown Irish out of Pitmudie Gladys, sold for 8200gns at Stirling to a pedigree herd in Wales.

She also took two bulls to Thainstone for the first time in February, winning a first prize and selling to a top of 6000gns for Pitmudie Lonestar.

The herd is performancerecorded and the plan is to continue to develop the best bloodlines.

Heather said: “I am looking forward to the future with the Simmental herd.”

TAKING STOCK: Heather Duff with some of her bulling heifers, far left, and some of her heifers with their calves. Pictures by Mhairi Edwards.