The first stock bull, Loch Awe Lucky Jim, was purchased in partnership with the Tugby herd.  Progeny from this bull gave our first success at February Perth Bull Sales in 2002. Pode Hole Rambo (Pedigree) (dam - Tugby Phantasy 2nd) took the supreme and Junior Bull Championships and went on to make 8,000gns in the sale ring, a record price for a Shorthorn bull for 40 years. A Lucky Jim daughter, Pode Hole Rhapsody (Pedigree) (dam - Moncrieffe Irania 3rd), took the Female Championship and realised another record sale price of 4,200 gns.  A son of Lucky Jim – Pode Hole Yeti (Pedigree) – who was Junior champion at Yorkshire Show in 2006 is set to be our next stock bull.

In 2000 it was decided to increase the numbers to utilise the grassland that was being returned from the quarry. Cows from Tofts, Derryage and Tugby enhanced the herd. Nathan of Quoiggs was purchased at Perth in February 2000. Stock bull for three seasons, he has left some quality females many of which have been retained. His 2003 calves look a very promising bunch.

Chapelton Promoter (Pedigree) caught our eye as a yearling at the Royal Show in July 2000. By Tofts Romany and out of Chapelton Princess F11 he duly joined the Pode Hole herd. In 2002 Promoter went on the show circuit being unbeaten in his own classification and being Native Breed Champion at Suffolk County and East of England Shows and Interbreed Beef Champion at Newark and Notts. He was Breed Champion at the Royal Show in July to top a very successful season. He returned to the Show ring in 2004 again unbeaten and topping the season with the Royal Show Championship a second time. His sons have made a good trade at Perth (upto 6500gns) and his daughters have performed successfully in the Show Ring.

At the 2004 Royal Show a very young yearling bull looked like he might have potential and Nevada Warrior (Pedigree) made his way to Pode Hole. By Uppermill Lochalsh and out of the well known show cow Trunley Opal Koomoo he is proving a consistent stock getter and his offspring look exciting.

We have now decided to close the Pode Hole Shorthorn herd. The herd is tested under the SAC Health scheme and the herd is BVD accredited. It is herd policy not to vaccinate cattle. Bull replacements will be carefully health screened before joining the herd.

The herd is recorded under Breedplan with ABRI (link to all Breedplan recorded animals). Our bull X-cellency (Pedigree) being the top scored bull at the Perth sale in February 2006. It is our aim to breed a particular type of shorthorn at Pode Hole and the scheme will be used to build figures on top of that.

It was interesting to note that in 2006 three of the five animals in our show team actually traced back to our original foundation cows!