May 2015
Breed Support Grants 2015
 
Berkshire Pigs Leicester Longwool Sheep
The Berkshire Pig Breeders Club
The Club was seeking funding to cover the expenses for someone with the necessary skills to explain the Geneped (a genetic analysis of the current live population within the breed) and kinship programme to breeders at an upcoming meeting. The RBST has agreed to provide help and assistance in sending someone to explain the Geneped and the kinship programme. The British Pig Association
The BPA asked for assistance to produce pop-up banners, promotional flags and leaflets to promote the Large White pig. The breed does not have its own breed club, and the BPA felt it was important to raise its profile at agricultural shows and events around the country.
The Leicester Longwool Sheep Breeders Association
The LLSBA applied for funding for technical breed research. They were awarded funds for blood testing to be carried out by Cardiff University to identify the colour marker in the Leicester Longwool Sheep. It was agreed that this work could strengthen genetic diversity and reduce inbreeding which might prove to be very helpful to both new and experienced breeders.
  
Shetland Cattle Tamworth Pigs Teeswater Sheep
The Rare Poultry Society
The RPS looks after the Andalusian breed, a particlarly rare breed of poultry with black, blue and splash varieties. The funding was awarded under the strand for technical breed research, to carry out a survey of the national flock, together with follow-up phone calls and visits to check on replies. It also included publishing and sending out results of the survey.
The Shetland Cattle Herd Book Society
The SCHBS applied for funding for breed recording, to purchase the Grassroots software package, including Pedeweb installation on the breed society website. This will enable the Society to carry out genetic analyses of the breed, including group kinships. It will also enable members to manage their herds and view the herdbook on-line on the Society website.
The Tamworth Breeders Club
The breeders club at in the process of carrying out a kinship analysis of their breed. They applied under the Technical Breed Research strand to identify important boars within the breed that may be underused or concentrated in a particular geographical area. The funding would be used to contribute to transport costs to ensure that the boars can be used in the best way to minimise inbreeding.
The Teeswater Sheep Breeders Association
The TSBA applied for funding for breed recording, to purchase the Grassroots software package, including Pedeweb installation on the breed society website. This will enable the Society to carry out genetic analyses of the breed, including group kinships. It will also enable members to manage their herds and view the herdbook on-line on the Society website.
2015 Marsh Awards
Each year, The Marsh Christian Trust Awards recognises supporters of RBST's work. There are three awards:
- Conservation in Genetic Biodiversity
- Lifetime Achievement
- Support Group Volunteer
This year's winners are:
Conservation in Genetic Biodiversity- Libby Henson
Libby Henson has used her passion for rare breed conservation to develop software specifically designed to answer the most important questions about a breed’s genetic health. This software enables both RBST and breed societies to accurately advise and guide breeders on their choice of breeding stock and has enabled many seriously endangered breeds to develop strategies to make the best use of limited genetics.
Lifetime Achievement - Shared between David Bradley and Neville and Maureen Turner
David Bradley has been farm manager or Leeds City Council's Temple Newsam Home Farm, an RBST Approved Conservation Farm Park, since 1981. The largest centre of its kind in Europe, it is recognised as a flagship for rare and native livestock conservation and breeding. As well as being the driving force behind the farm park and a respected judge, he has also served as an RBST Trustee and is a past chairman of the charity's Conservation Committee.
Husband and wife team Neville and Maureen Turner keep a wide range of rare breed livestock including cattle, sheep, goats and ponies. On joining RBST in 1990, they immediately became active members of the charity’s Lincolnshire support group and both have been on its committee for over twenty years. Their commitment as ambassadors for rare breeds has even extended to the purchase and breeding of animals specifically to display and promote on RBST stands at agricultural and country shows.
Support Group Volunteer - Shared between David Walton and Bryan Hunter
David Walton from Preston in Lancashire and Brian Hunter from Lisburn in Northern Ireland are both described as practical and hard-working volunteers for RBST. David Walton breeds several rare breeds of sheep, is a renowned sheep judge and an enthusiastic supporter of RBST. Although from a farming background, Brian Hunter keeps no animals himself but has volunteered for RBST for 15 years, working as a show organiser, support group committee member, treasurer and recently chair.
Commenting on the Award Trustee’s choices, RBST CEO Tom Beeston said: “Every one of the winners contributes to our work in different ways but they are all people who represent the lifeblood of a charity like ours. They truly care about the current status and future role in farming of rare breeds and go more than the extra mile to support us. ”
Pig Update
  
British Lops Oxford Sandy and Black Boar Berkshire Boar
In April we appealed for your help funding our conservation work with pigs. All of the breeds of pig listed on our Watchlist are experiencing sustained and worrying declines in population. To ensure their safety from extinction, we need to collect from rare breed boars for our National Gene Bank. We have been overwhelmed with the generosity of our members and supporters. As of the 31st May, we have raised a total of £5242 Each collection costs £1,500-3,000 and combined with money raised from charitable trusts and grant making bodies we have been able to fund a total of 6 collections and we only need £758 to make it 7. If you can help us fund this work and help secure the future of our rarest pig breeds, please consider making a donation towards our work here.
Our Gene Bank
Meet Colhayne Magor, a Devon bull born on the 11th April 2015, he was bred using conservation semen from our National Gene Bank. His father Ham Mill Nimrod 3rd was born in 1962!
The Devon breed is not considered rare but is listed in Category 6 'Other Native Breeds' as there are more than 1,500 registered breeding females in the UK. Colhayne Magor is a traditional Devon cow. The third photo is of Bongalabi Berti (a modern type Devon) and as you can see he is deeper in the chest and shorter coupled and he has slightly shorter legs but only about as inch shorter in height.
Colhayne Magor is already proving popular as he is booked for 2017 to look after some Devons down the valley.
  
Colhayne Magor Colhayne Magor Bongalabi Berti
RBST Young Shepherd Qualifying Shows
| Nottingham County, Newark | 9th-10th May 2015 |
| Welsh Spring Smallholders | 16th-17th May 2015 |
| Devon County Show | 21st-23rd May 2015 |
| Hertfordshire County Show | 23rd-24th May 2015 |
| Staffordshire County Show | 27th-28th May 2015 |
| The Royal Bath & West Show | 27th-30th May 2015 |
| The Suffolk Show | 27th-28th May 2015 |
| Countryfest | 30th-31st May 2015 |
| Royal Cornwall | 4th-6th June 2015 |
| South of England Show | 11th-13th June 2015 |
| Royal Three Counties Show | 12th-14th June 2015 |
| Cheshire County Show | 23rd-24th June 2015 |
| Royal Norfolk Show | 1st-2nd June 2015 |
| Great Yorkshire Show | 14th-16th June 2015 |
| Garstang Show | 1st August 2015 |
| Aylsham Show | 31st August 2015 |
| Hope Show | 31st August 2015 |
| Royal County of Berkshire | 19th -20th September 2015 |
For more information about each show, see our events page.
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