DON’T HESITATE – VACCINATE!

Dear Members, The Draft Constitution that was put forward as a resolution at the Portland Sheep Breeders Group AGM on Friday 7th September 2007 has been accepted by the members and is available for viewing by using the link to ‘Constitution’ on the navigation bar.

RBST GENE BANK RAM SEMEN COLLECT 2008/2009

DO YOU HAVE A RARE BREED RAM? THEN THE RBST NEED YOUR HELP!

Despite semen collection from rams under the National Scrapie Plan (NSP) finishing in March 2008, RBST are still working to collect ram and male goat semen from breeds on the RBST Watchlist this season (2008/09). RBST started these collections in 2002, following the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in 2001 and collections are ongoing. Last year's FMD and Bluetongue outbreaks further highlighted the need to continue to work together to conserve our rare breeds by collecting semen as well as by breeding live animals.

The aim of the RBST semen collection project is to collect from 25 unrelated rams of each breed, to represent the widest genetic diversity available in the current population. The RBST welcomes nominations of registered rams for consideration, and would like your help to pass on our message to ram owners and breeders, that the RBST ram semen project is still ongoing, and needs more rams to be put forward.

Please download a copy of the updated information pack for the RBST ram semen collection project, and copies of postcards explaining about the project. For further information please email Claire Barber claire.barber@rbst.org.uk or telephone the RBST on 0247669 6551

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The first Wiltshire Festival of Native and Traditional Breeds is being held at Brinkworth House on 30th August 2008

Down in deepest Wiltshire, the brainchild of three members of the Wiltshire Support Group and Council Members – Tony Chambers, Pat Holloway, and newly co-opted, Ken Cooper, is taking off at a rate which has exceeded even their most optimistic expectations.!

Led by Chairman, Ken Cooper, the idea of a Festival of Native and Traditional Breeds originated from the Group’s collective recognition of the need to increase awareness of the RBST, Breed Societies, and the Wiltshire Support Group whilst, simultaneously, raising the profile of those animals and poultry identified on the ‘watch list’.

Whilst the event is the first Wiltshire have held, it will be associated with an established event – Brinkworth Show. For over 10 years Ken has chaired the Committee of the Brinkworth Show and during this time the Show has grown into a well established one day agricultural event with over 10,000 people in attendance on the same weekend last year.

On stepping down from the Chairmanship, Ken recognised the opportunities, which existed to utilise the infrastructure (marquees, arenas, etc) already in place for the Brinkworth Show on the following day. The Festival – which has the full support of the RBST – will run entirely separately from the Sunday Show and will primarily be seen as an opportunity to display our animals, hoping to build on the RBST success at the Blenheim Horse Trials where 22 of the 24 native breed equines were displayed. In addition to the display it is intended to hold a parade, arrange demonstrations and technical presentations on the uses of native and traditional breeds, including having butchers and chefs in attendance – demonstrating the benefit to the commercial farmer, the environment and the health of the nation as a whole. It is anticipated that the Festival will link with the Year of Farming and Food and increase the involvement of the younger generation by participation and education.

Ken’s tenacity has resulted in extensive media interest from such nationally recognised outlets as BBC’s Country file and The Smallholder magazine. An astounding 85% of stands exhibiting at the Brinkworth Show on the Sunday have agreed to be present at the Festival. Ken enthuses ‘This is a much more positive response that we could have possibly anticipated and certainly does much to ‘beef’ up the Show framework. It seems everyone wants to make this event a success – success breeds success and we are confident that we will receive enthusiastic support from all Breed Societies’.

Currently sponsors still remain elusive, but in order to acquaint potential partners with developments, a more detailed programme and further opportunities, the Group have arranged a Sponsors Event to be held at Brinkworth House on Friday 30th May at 12.30. It is hoped that senior members from the RBST Team, the press and a celebrity will be in attendance at the lunch to truly ‘launch’ the Festival. If anyone knows of anyone anxious to sponsor such an event please contact the Festival Chairman, Ken Cooper on 07715 496789 or the Festival Secretary, Wendy Chambers on 01225 859543 immediately.

Whilst the organising committee are extremely enthusiastic and positive, they recognise that success relies totally on the support, which they receive from the Breed Societies, commercial sponsors and the RBST Headquarters. Anything you can do will certainly ensure the success of what we hope will be an annual event to raise the profile of rare breeds and increase educational awareness amongst the young and potential owners.