Queen’s prize bulls banned from show
Highland cattle turned away... for not having rings through nose
SHE is well-known for her love of Highland cattle and has been breeding them at Balmoral for more than 65 years.
But the Queen, patron of the Highland Cattle Society, has suffered an embarrassing setback after two of her bulls were banned by the organisation’s officials from taking part in a show.
Two royal herd animals were transported from Balmoral to Oban, Argyll, for last weekend’s Highland Cattle Society Spring Show. However, officials said the animals broke the rules because they did not have rings in their noses.
The show attracts buyers from across Europe, which meant the Queen potentially missed out on a payday worth thousands of pounds from the sale of her livestock.
At the centre of the drama were two-year-old Highland bulls Prionnsa Dubh II of Balmoral and Prionnsa Dubh III of Balmoral – also known by the nicknames Guinness and Magic.
Last night the Balmoral Estate would only say it was ‘a shame’ that the bulls had been refused entry.
However, a friend of the stockman responsible for the Balmoral herd said he was ‘raging’.
The Queen has been raising Highland cattle at Balmoral since 1953 and has won prizes across the country. In the past, her animals have commanded premium prices, fetching more than £7,000 at auction.
Hoping to chalk up another successful sale, royal stockman Dochy Ormiston was sent to last weekend’s Highland Cattle Society’s 128th Annual Spring Show and Sale of Pedigree Highland Cattle at Oban. As well as being exhibited, the two bulls were due to be auctioned to potential buyers from as far afield as Germany, Belgium, France and Ireland.
However, show organisers confirmed that the Queen’s bulls were banned because of a ‘technicality.’
A spokesman for the Highland Cattle Society declined to elaborate on the matter.
But judge Jim Ogston, who has just retired as the breed development officer, said it was because the bulls did not have rings, which are inserted by a vet and have been used for generations as a safety measure to control the animal.
Mr Ogston added: ‘Rules are rules – it’s the same for everybody, no matter who you are. Last year two breeders were also sent home for not having rings.’
The decision is said to have infuriated Mr Ormiston, who has been in charge of the Queen’s herd for more than ten years. A source with knowledge of the royal herd said Mr Ormiston had not used rings, but instead a clamp called a snitch. The source highlighted the official show and sale regulations on the Highland Cattle Society website which state that ‘all animals over the age of six months must be rung or snitched’.
The source added: ‘Dochy was raging. The bulls were set to fetch a fine price – being from the Balmoral fold, perhaps the top price, thousands of pounds each.’ The source also pointed out that rings could be dangerous, saying: ‘You don’t want to put rings on these types of bulls, they are living outside and the rings can get caught on trees and bushes.’
A spokesman for United Auctions which ran the sale at Oban, said: ‘All bulls must have a ring in for them to be led in the interests of safety. The rule applies to all bulls and all breeds.’
Richard Gledson, the Queen’s factor at the Balmoral Estate, said: ‘If they weren’t eligible, they weren’t eligible. It’s a shame but we will sell them privately.’
The Queen is considered one of the top Highland cattle breeders, with more than 50 animals, and has been a regular prize winner.
A royal bull named Coirneal was overall champion at Oban in 2016, and later sold for 7,000 guineas, or £7,350. The Queen also claimed the top spot at the Royal Highland Show in 2014 – winning £75.
‘Set to fetch a fine price, being from Balmoral’