After the Club AGM at the start of the year, Club Chairman, Gerald Godfrey, organised a very popular and successful quiz night at Flixton Buck where. Over 100 members and friends tested their grey matter with a fun quiz; rumour has it that members are already swotting up in preparation for the next one!

 

On 27th March, the Club hosted their annual dinner and prize giving evening at the Waveney House Hotel in Beccles. As always, Members, friends and invited guests enjoyed an excellent meal and brilliant company.  Trophies were awarded to the winners of the herd competition held in the summer of 2013 –well done to everyone who collected silverware. We are indebted to all of the supporters of the club who enthusiastically support our dinner each year, so much so that we always have a full house.

 

Our club visit this year was to Cambridge Farms to the Vet School dairy and again we had a really good turnout to a very interesting visit to see the system in place, robotic milking and how the vet students learn alongside the commercial side of the farm.

 

HYB members have also been keeping busy with a training day kindly hosted by the Vale family at Oaklands Farm, Aldeby where members, young and old, learnt new skills (and refreshed old skills!) in washing, clipping and handling. The day was a great success and really helped to get our HYB members in ‘the zone’ ahead of the show season. Thank you to everyone who helped out on the day – it really is much appreciated. 

 

The Suffolk Show saw an excellent display of the best Holsteins that our area has to offer; huge congratulations must go the John Cawston for scooping the Holstein Championship and Interbreed with Poringland Ruby 7th. Reserve Interbreed went to the Wigboro herd with Acton CBC Punch, whilst in the jersey classes, champion went to HYB member Andrea Vale with Saxown Fantom Heidi 13.

 

Poringland Ruby 7 has since gone on to achieve a hat-trick of interbreeds at Newark and the Royal Norfolk Shows which is a tremendous achievement and thoroughly deserved for the Cawston family who have been lifelong supporters of the Club. Well done!

 

Also held at the Suffolk Show is our HYB calf show to qualify for the All Breeds All Britain. Champion handler went to Andrea Vale, ES Burroughs and Son and champion calf went to Designer Holsteins, Designer Debonair Molli Red. Following on from the show our HYB members are looking forward to the next stage at the ABAB calf show later on in the year and will definitely fly the flag with pride for ‘team Suffolk’.

 

Our annual stockjudging evening was held at CR Cawston‘s Poringland herd where master judge Barry Daw presided over three excellent classes of Holsteins – and a few Jerseys as well! – And with over 60 people judging, there was some strong competition to win the trophies. The winner of the HYB trophy was James Bolderston whilst there was a three-way tie in the seniors with John and Phillip Smith and Ben Etheridge. Many thanks much go to John, Zoe and all of the team at Poringland for hosting the night, Barry Daw for judging, our scorers -Club Secretary - Lindsay Burroughs, Jane Rushmer and Jo Burroughs – and to Protein Feeds for providing the refreshments. 

The Burroughs family, who promote their Oakalby herd of British Friesians, have enjoyed great success at the Livestock Event at Birmingham NEC, which is a fantastic achievement on a national scale.

 

It is fairly clear to see that Suffolk Holstein Club have had a busy year so far and it is far from over! Plans are currently taking shape for a club visit to Ireland in December and there are still places available. We are always keen to welcome new members into the club to attend our events, so for more information please contact Club Chairman, Gerald Godfrey on 07880 556714.   

 

Helen Reeve – Suffolk Holstein Club