The Houstons at Gretnahouse: Where the aim is always excellence

While probably best-known globally for owning the Famous Blacksmith Shop and its equally celebrated anvil to conduct thousands of marriages as part of what’s now a major Scottish visitor destination, on the farming side, his Gretnahouse prefix has become a byword for excellence in no fewer than three breeds – Simmental, Charolais and Aberdeen-Angus.

That latter breed is where the other Blacksmith comes in. Gretnahouse Blacksmith L500 has made an indelible mark on the breed, both in this herd and many others.

The Gretnahouse name has been on many of his sons which have gone into leading pedigree herds – and some noted commercial herds also – with a half share in the bull sold to Haymount pretty early on in his lifetime.

Offspring have made up to 15,000gns at auction, many have been sold privately and he has been highly successful as an AI sire. There are few pure Angus herds that will not have a touch of this pedigree somewhere in their background.

Breeding him was a game changer for the herd – which was started by the family after its highly regarded Simmental and Charolais herds were lost to foot-and-mouth in 2001. Blacksmith is by Blelack Duke and out of the Netherallan Peter Pershore daughter, Blelack Blackbird J13 – a foundation cow bought as part of the origins of a new herd.

Winding back ... foot-and-mouth proved a crushing blow for the family. At that time the Simmental herd was pretty much top of the tree and the Charolais herd, which his father, Adair, had been involved in since the second importation of it in 1970, was ‘just coming to my way of looking like a herd should look’ he said.

Alasdair Houston, of Gretna House Farms, Kirkpatrick Fleming, in Dumfries-shire Ref:RH200421299 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

The devastation of being left with no stock after decades of thoughtful breeding, left the Houstons, like many in the area, devastated and Alasdair freely admitted that he ‘went slightly mad’ in the aftermath.

However, this energy was channelled into seeking out bloodlines that he’d admired over the years, including some of his own that had been sold on – and the search was on to first replace the Charolais herd, starting with some of their own embryos which were safely in the freezer tank.

There were no Simmental embryos left and hence the reason to start back again with the Charolais first. “It was also the breed that I grew up with and the one constant in my farming life, and so when I came back home to farm in 1985, it was high on my list of priorities,” said Alasdair.

“I suppose, as we had a lot of other businesses on the go, I was then able to help dad and as I’d always been interested in cattle from an early age, that allowed us to give them the time and effort that they deserved.

“I remember my father telling me that when he imported the first of those heifers from France, in 1970 – there were four heifers – that they were worth just about half the value of the farm had we been allowed to sell them on, as the home demand and for further export to the likes of the United States was pretty strong.

“However, to stop that, the Charolais Cattle Society had put a ban on immediate re-sale and you had to keep the imports for some time, which deterred the profiteers, which was a good thing,” he recalled.

But Alasdair was determined to quickly get the Charolais herd back up and running after FMD. “I made spreadsheets that covered the floors and walls in a room and it was full of pedigrees of animals we’d liked and sold, or animals that I particularly admired in other herds.

Balmyle and Balthayock were the core herds from which the Charolais herd was stocked post FMD Ref:RH200421316 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

“That was our starting point and so began the tracking down and the purchasing of what I wanted.”

He said he was like a bloodhound, sniffing out pedigrees that he’d really liked, bloodlines that he’d always admired in other herds and tracked them down. “It wasn’t an easy task, but even after we started stocking up again, it was a case of being really rigorous with our culling policy,” he admitted.

“That’s the key, along with a lot of luck, to herd improvement. It’s important to be very honest with your own cattle.

“But, 20 years on, I’m pleased with the progress in the herd, but that’s never the same as satisfied because we can always improve,” he added ... “and will keep trying to do so.”

But after the big white breed came back to Gretnahouse, the search turned to a replacement for the famous Simmental herd. “Once I was happy with the way the Charolais were progressing in 2010, we turned to look at options for another herd.

“I’d always wanted a native breed and I swithered between the Beef Shorthorn and the Angus, but in the end the blacks won out. You couldn’t have given me an Angus 10 years earlier, as I thought they had lost their way, but they had changed their type and performance during that time and the brand strength is undeniable.

“They are now dear to my heart – and Blacksmith L500’s success, as well as our many other good sales, have really cemented their future here.”

At the moment, the herds are two:one in favour of the Charolais, with about 60 of the former and 35 of the latter plus followers. They are all under the day-to-day care of long time employee, John Morton, who has been with Alasdair throughout this time and has shared in the herds’ successes.

Alasdair and John Morton, John under takes the day-to-day running of the herd Ref:RH200421302 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

Balmyle and Balthayock were the core herds from which the Charolais herd was stocked post FMD and Blelack provided the bulk of the Angus foundation stock.

If the Charolais took his initial interest on return from uni, it was probably the Simmental herd that put the Gretnahouse prefix really on the map. “The Simmentals were newly here by then, but after 1985, we really cranked it up. I’ve always said, ‘we’re either in something properly, or not at all.’

“So the first task was to identify the bloodlines that were working in both the Charolais and Simmental, and cull very hard. I guess that took about 10 years really to make some proper progress via culling and carefully planned mating decisions," he admitted.

But the big game changer for the herd and indeed the breed in general, was a bull called Gretnahouse Supersonic. He was that rare thing ... a show bull that was also a pre-potent sire that bred really well too.

More than 2000 head have been registered off him – the second-highest figure between when the Simmentals came into the UK in 1970 and 2019. Many, many herds have him in their background somewhere.

The way he was bred was a bit of a story in itself. A ‘keen, with an eye, but wet behind the ears’ Alasdair had taken a shine to a young heifer, Cheston Katie, at that herd’s dispersal sale.

“I think we paid just 290 or 300gns for her at the sale, but there was just something about her. She had a toughness, a robustness that just caught my eye,” he said.

When later mated to Heywood Esquire, a noted sire of the day, she produced the spectacularly successful Supersonic, which was sold at Perth to Denis Finney, father-in-law of keen showman, Roger Birch, in Staffordshire, who promoted him widely, winning the Royals in 1990.

“Supersonic gave me a great lift, encouragement and improved the herd no end, as well as great recognition for us. In the 10 years after we started using him, a high proportion of the cows in the herd were related to him and we had sold sons into some very high ranking herds.

“AI users had huge success with him and a remarkable proportion of Perth champions being by him over the next decade and more.”

Another great success was Gretnahouse Excelsior, which set a centre record at the ‘new Perth’ at the time when selling for 14,000gns to a distillery herd after being junior and supreme champion at Stirling in 1996.

Alasdair remembered that well: “I missed getting to Perth for the start of the show after being stuck in snow overnight on the M74 but after some ‘manoeuvring’ managed to get on a train to Perth.

"I got some funny looks from other passengers to the varying shows of excitement while learning via early mobile phone as he first won his class, then the juniors and then supreme,” he recalled.

But what’s the favoured breed? “Honestly, it is whichever breed I’m working with at the time. I’d have to say I admire the way in which the Charolais breed has adapted so strongly to modern market needs over last 10 years,” said Alasdair, a past chairman of the British Charolais Cattle Society.

“In our herd, we’ve really pursued ease of calving mainly via shorter gestation, but without losing performance. Going by the number of auction successes we’ve had in recent years, and privately during lockdown, commercial and breeders see that as the way forward for them too,” said Alasdair.

“In the Angus world, a well grown, well balanced fleshy Angus with breed character is hard to beat for eye candy!” he added.

Gretnahouse Kold Play V168 out in the wood chip pen enjoying the morning sun Ref:RH200421307 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

The first two Gretnahouse Angus bulls sold at Stirling both made 10,000gns, to Idvies and to Rosemead. Subsequent trips there produced sales at 15,000gns for Exocet, to Schivas; 13,000gns to Glympton: 10,000gns to Belhaven plus many other five figure prices privately and sales to other notable herds like Galcantray. The herd has twice set the centre record at Carlisle for A-A, first at 8000gns and then at 12,000gns, both to pedigree herds.

The Charolais progress at Gretnahouse has also been appreciated by fellow pedigree breeders. For example, bulls such as Gretnahouse Heman, has done immensely well in the Goldies herd; Gretnahouse Lunar, worked well at Balthayock; Gretnahouse Ivory, at Bonnykelly; and Gretnahouse Jugular, in the Montgomery herd.

Charolais sales since 2001 include the 25,000gns Ubeauty, at Carlisle; the 25,000gns Lord; 20,000gns Primate and Heman at 15,000gns, all at Stirling. “It gives me a great buzz to see Gretnahouse bulls breeding as predicted in their new herds,” said Alasdair.

But is it figures, or the stockman’s eye? “Evaluation by eye is still so important. Charisma is something that doesn’t have a figure, but does it have a value? Yes it really does. An animal that carries itself well is a better animal than one that doesn't.

“An animal that has that special spark, more often than not also has some other commercially important traits. But, it’s essential to use this expertise alongside figures – data-driven knowledge is an important third leg on the stool alongside pedigree and eye.

“Yes, figures are important, but the analogy I’d use is don’t follow the sat-nav over the cliff! What you can see and what you know, remains so important,” argued Alasdair.

In his choice of best breeder ever, he threw a bit of a curve ball: “I admire very much a friend, Sir Humphrey Wakefield, of Chillingham Castle. He took on the famous Chillingham wild cattle and had the courage to do the same as for several hundred years …absolutely nothing. The natural selection process is left alone.

“The fact that this breed has had no human intervention for hundreds of years has allowed me to think differently about line breeding and inbreeding, how to fix genetic traits. It’s a fascinating subject.

“That said, I love speaking to and more especially listening to, and learning from breeders from previous generations. I love to hear their thoughts and those of the younger generation.

“It is a thing that I’ve always tried to do ... give something back to the following generation of breeders and stockpeople in return for the inspiration that has been afforded to me,” he said.

Citing his father, Adair, as the most influential business person in his life, he gave this advice: “Listen to everyone who you value, but also have the courage to go with your own convictions. Make your own mistakes ... but be very honest with yourself.”

Gretnahouse has thirty five pedigree Aberdeen Angus plus followers, calving in the Spring and the Autumn Ref:RH200421314 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

His choice of individual animals from his favourite breeds are many and varied, but he cited Lakeland Sagesse as one of great influencers of early Charolais cows.

“She has direct line to my herd, but with Charolais I’d also add Balmyle Paradise, which has been an outstanding foundation cow for me post-FMD.

“In the Simmental world, Heywood Esquire, back in the day, bred superb cattle of both genders and was the sire of Supersonic, which improved the breed immensely.

“My history in A-A is shorter and I feel less ‘qualified’ but a lot of influential cattle appear to me to have come from the Ellen Erica and Evora families and I’ve had great success with the Blackbird family and particularly the dam of Blacksmith, to which I’ll always be grateful!”

Given the re-stocking experience, what would do differently? “That’s a hard one, but I’d have the courage to follow my own instinct earlier in life ... and definitely got on and bought stock bulls sooner, rather than persevering with AI only for so long. The right bull pays for himself in no time!”

Farm Facts:

The farm: Gretna Estate as it was known was purchased in 1885. Around 800 acres of good quality low ground, based on a largely grass and cereal system.

Livestock: Pedigree herds of Charolais and Aberdeen-Angus – about 60 of the white breed and 35 of the black breed, plus followers, to about 300 head in total.

The family: Alasdair and Lucy Houston, with their daughter, Tara and son, Rafe. Alasdair came back to farm and assist his father with the diverse business in 1985 after education at Glenalmond and then a degree in languages from Cambridge University, followed by a one year agriculture qualification attained at Edinburgh School of Agriculture.

On The Spot questions:

Best purchase? A good stock bull is always the best purchase.

Favourite holiday?: Any with my wife Lucy …and some with the children, I suppose!!

Favourite restaurant?: Restaurant La Cambusa, Positano.

Best animal ever bred?: The next one!