Stockmen of our time: Pat Boyd of Drumaglea Salers, Tiree

Background?

I was born in 1953 and reared on the family farm in Co Antrim. There was a bit of everything; my father looked after the cattle and sheep, and my mother tended to the pigs and poultry.

When I was still in primary school one of the local vets was ‘my hero’, and I decided I wanted to become a vet with maybe the chance to drive a fast car!! I graduated in veterinary medicine in 1977 at Glasgow University where I met my wife, Judith. We graduated and married within a week, then honeymooned on the Scilly Isles.

From there we moved to Shetland to begin our veterinary careers. I spent nearly 40 years serving Scottish crofters and farmers in Shetland, Orkney and then the islands of Coll and Tiree, the latter from 1980 to 2015.

Where did your career begin?

My dreams came true in 1983 when an elderly crofter assigned me a croft. I bought three cows locally then selected 10 Black Irish heifers, in calf to a Hereford bull, from Billy Glazebrook. The following year the calves came out top at the local show on Tiree.

I had been inseminating cows in Shetland and then again since I arrived on Tiree. I was a big fan of AI! What a selection of genes without the expense of a bull and boundary problems!

Soon I was using top French Charolais semen from Sujet and Ecran to good effect, and I quickly got a buzz from seeing what animals could be produced.

One of the initial three cows bought on Tiree was a Blue-Grey Shorthorn cross cow and I put her in calf to Shatton Pedro. The resultant heifer was show champion at Tiree, and I sold her over the phone to the late Ewan MacPherson from Benderloch. I was happy with the price, and he was happy with the heifer! He named her Ginger Snap and she went on to be the reserve overall champion at the Winter Fair in 1988. I then went on to breed Lord of the Isles, a grandson of the initial Blue-grey cow, again by Shatton Pedro. He again sold to Ewan and took reserve overall at Smithfield in 1993.

Why the Salers?

In November 1986, when I saw that Bryan Walling was selling a selection of Salers females in Cumbria, I decided I had to make a trip and see what was on offer. This was a new breed to me and when I saw them I was very impressed – big wide sappy in-calf heifers that made you think ‘that will calve to any bull!’

At that time Belgian Blue cattle were coming into the country with all their calving problems, Limousin crosses were also causing issues and calving problems invariably lead to decreased fertility. So, I decided to buy the Salers heifer, Vendee.

I have never regretted this first purchase. The Salers breed is unparalleled in calving ability and having tried crossing the Salers cow with most of the continental breeds, the Charolais is the No. 1 crossing sire for the Salers. The most consistent Charolais cross Salers calves that I have had were by the AI sire Garner Editor.

How do you select the best for sale?

Bulls are selected between six to nine months of age although you’ve a fair idea at four to six weeks as to which ones will have enough width, a good top line and good locomotion. It is best to be fairly ruthless at this stage.

Has the breed changed for the better?

The breed in France has changed since my first visit to the Salers National Show in 1990. At that time, the breed was rangier than today and harder to finish. Suckled calf producers are now looking for a smaller cow with plenty of milk. This helps the carbon audit as does the fact that many of the Salers cross heifers are now calving at two-years-old.

However, I personally think breeders have to keep size in the breed as well. If the breed loses size and ends up with a big backside and sloping pelvis then that will result in a decrease in calving ability as well as reduced milk yields. These are two of the unique attributes that have ensured that the Salers breed has endured for hundreds and hundreds of years.

What other breed would you go into?

None. I love to work with these cattle; they are very intelligent and easy to work with. If I really had to pick another breed it would be Charolais as they complement the Salers.

I was one of the first to import Rouge sheep and was the first breeder in the ring with three shearlings at Borderway Mart. I felt that at the time the main use of the Rouge was as a ewe breed – Rouge cross Blackface.

Sheepmen were buying them as a terminal sire and with Charollais, Texels and others already doing the job, compounded by the introduction of Beltex, the Rouge lost favour and I crossed my 50 Rouge with a Beltex.

I had a fling with the Piedmontese breed, light boned and well-muscled, but feeders said they were too hard to finish. The cross calves I had were good but not heavy enough, and so a home-bred Piedmontese bull was used for two or three years and then sold.

Best Highland Show achievements?

In 1990 Vendee was champion cow and female champion.

In 1991 she was again champion cow, and settled for reserve female.

In 1994 Vendee was flushed along with Veritable – also purchased from Bryan Walling – from which she produced a good string of males and females including Drumaglea Kingpin that went on to stand champion at the breed show and sale at Castle Douglas in 1997.

I showed Rouge sheep for three or four years at Ingliston.

My best year was when I got second with a ewe, second in the gimmer class, and fourth for a tup lamb.

Biggest showing achievement?

I think this would be either taking an Allanfauld Vagabond-sired heifer, Maiden Tiree, to the Aberdeen Christmas Classic in 2004, where she was reserve overall champion, or the sale of Drumaglea Kingpin which made 12,000gns at Stirling, in 2017.

Best sale day?

At the Salers sale at Castle Douglas in 2020, Drumaglea Nuggett was top priced bull at 10,000gns and Drumaglea Nymph was top priced female at 7000gns, equalling the female record set in 2011 by Drumlegagh Corissa. Both were sold to Jonny Wright of Traboyack Salers. That day, my nine heifers averaged £3780.

Which was the best animal you have ever shown?

I think that would be Drumaglea Kes, which topped Stirling Bull Sales in May 2017 at 12,000gns. He was second in his class, which just goes to show that if you’re second, you’re not far away!

But what is the best animal you have ever seen?

Almost certainly the Charolais cow, Kilkenny Celia, a great block of a cow with a leg at every corner.

Abiding memory?

Being invited to dinner by Bryan Walling in Mauriac after the National Salers Show in the early ‘90’s. I was seated next to a French farmer who produced foie gras. He went into great detail about how he force fed the geese, complete with the sound effect of the little augur. I came away feeling sorry for the geese and glad I was dealing with cattle that decide for themselves how much they want to eat! Bryan was a gentleman, generous and great company. That evening was the best of craic!

Biggest disappointment?

While at one of the National Shows in Mauriac in the ‘90’s, I saw a Salers heifer that I was very keen to buy. She was only 10 months old, and I thought she was perfection.

I spoke with Bryan and the late Jean (John) Beaurenaut, and Jean, who was a cattle broker, negotiated a price with the French farmer. It was to be £3500 by the time it arrived in the UK.

I asked if I could see the heifer’s dam and it was agreed that Judith and I would follow Bryan and Jean in our own car to the farm the following morning.

As we were putting our boots on, Jean returned from the farmhouse with a glum face. He said he thought the deal was off as the farmer’s wife had changed her mind.

There was nothing I could do. The end result was never buying a Salers from France despite attending many Sommets and shows.

You see, I thought it was a done deal, but you can’t lose what you never had.

Most influential person in your career?

Without a doubt, the late Ewan MacPherson was my mentor from the time I sold him Ginger Snap, but most of all he was a very good friend.

When we met on many occasions, we had a good laugh and in fact Ewan would laugh until the tears were running down his face!

Best stockman?

Again, I would say the late Ewan MacPherson. He was good at picking out a potential show winner and he had many of them. He bought a few others from me and some of them went on to be cows in his herd, and I always felt he knew what was going to be the correct article.

If I arrived at Benderloch, we first of all had to go and see his show team. Then came the question ‘So which is the best one Pat?’. Yes, I was always put on the spot by the maestro!

Best advice?

Buy the best that you can afford, and something you really like. Source the best genes that you can, and hopefully you will improve what you have over the years. It also requires a lot of hard work, and a fair amount of luck.

Best investment?

Vendee, my first Salers, was the best investment. I liked her because of her docility, her depth and good top line. She was as much as I could afford in 1986 and cost 3800gns.

Problems in the industry?

The main problem is falling profit margins coupled with escalating input costs.

I think bulls are undervalued; half of your calf’s genetics comes from the bull, and when buyers haggle over the price of a bull equating to three or four weaned calves, then it is irritating.

The cost of getting to pedigree sales is massive, living as we do, on an island. We are dependant on weather, ferry timetables, etc.

We (and our cattle) were away from home last November for six full days to sell at Castle Douglas.