About Cowbog and Romany Poll Herefords

Romany Poll Hereford cows at Cowbog Farm

Cowbog is situated at the bottom of an alluvial valley half in the Scottish Borders sixty kilometres south of Edinburgh. It has been a family run unit since the late J R B Wilson took over the farm in 1938. The farm extends to 190 ha with the soil being variable in type but predominantly sandy loam. Therefore it has always suited livestock as opposed to cereals. In 1955 JRB Wilson started breeding pedigree Herefords after officiating at a Hereford Society Sale, placing a calved heifer Champion and then buying the heifer and calf. Hence in April 1955 Bowmont Herefords were founded.

Since then the herd has gradually grown and Robert, grandson of JRB, now runs the farm with help from his father, Ronald. There are now two hundred head of pedigree cattle on the farm. 60 ha of cereals are grown for winter feed and straw for bedding and six hundred tonnes of grass silage is made. The farm is currently in three environmental Rural Stewardship Schemes. Because of this conservation work the Wilson’s have this year won the First Steps Silver Lapwing Competition for Scotland and now compete with entries from England, Northern Ireland and Wales in the UK final. The results are announced in the near future ! There is also a small pedigree Texel sheep flock on the farm.

Over the years the cattle have enjoyed much success and in the halcyon years for the Hereford breed in the sixties and seventies no fewer than 12 Female Championships and 15 Reserve Championships were won at the Hereford Sales in Edinburgh including selling the first four figure female at auction in Scotland in 1968. Not to be outdone several Supreme Male Championships were won with one of them, Bowmont Onedin, selling in 1975 for £5,250, which is still a record for a horned bull. In 1976 the poll factor was introduced and Romany Herefords were born.

No other breed of bull has been used at Cowbog in over fifty years. As the number of people on farms declines and the margins in real terms are tighter, docile and therefore easily handled, economic converters of the cheapest forage – grass, and good mothering abilities makes the modern Hereford a complete package.

In recent times the Wilsons have had much success. In the Showring : Supreme Champion at the Royal Highland Show in 2002, 2003, Reserve Supreme in 2004, three Class wins and four Reserve Championships in 2005 and again three class wins, Female Champion and Reserve Junior Female in 2006. At the English Royal we have also had success with Supreme Champion in 2003, in 2005 showing in five classes we gained three firsts, two seconds, Junior Male Champion and three Reserve Championships and this year we had success by gaining two class firsts. Also at the recent Hereford Society Sales: Autumn Sales: Supreme Champion Female in 2004, 2005 and recently in 2006, the three selling for £2,730, £3,510 and £3,460 to average £3,233. Also Supreme Champion Male in 2005 selling for £3,150. Spring Sales: Reserve Junior Champion Bull in 2004 and Supreme Champion Female in 2005.

We are quietly proud of what has been achieved since 1955 and fifty one years is a milestone never reached in Scotland with a Hereford herd. It is a pleasure, at any time, to welcome people to our home at Cowbog and to show them what we are trying to achieve. We always welcome other opinions and learn from them.

The History Behind Romany Herefords

The strength of any herd lies in its cow families and we have consistently over the years used the best sires that we could find to maintain the strength of breeding in each family. As we all know some of it works and some does not. It takes one to be critical of one’s own stock to try to minimise any breeding or management problems. Often a greater emphasis is put on the sire, when at a show or sale people ask “who’s this by?” rather than asking who the mother of the animal is when both sire and dam are fifty percent responsible. In recent years we have had much success with progeny from Glenlees Storm and Crickley 1 Figurehead, but these cattle are only fifty percent of their sire and are from many different families!

Romany 1 Ishbel 41H A22 and her bull calf

Romany 1 Angus 41H A14
Champion Hereford, Autumn 2005

Sold for £3,150