Dorset farmer supplies British Whites to Highgrove

Dorset cattle breeders, Sheila and Ron Clarke have received a tremendous boost to their belief in saving British Whites by being asked to supply The Prince of Wales with a starter herd of the breed, known otherwise as Old English cattle. "We were contacted byPeter Fowler who farms in North Somerset and has a herd of British Whites. In company with Lord Illiffe, who also farms British Whites on his estate near Newbury in Berkshire, he decided that it was time Prince Charles had a herd of British Whites on his farm at Highgrove," says Mrs Clarke.

Peter Fowler and Lord Illiffe, who are both close friends of the Prince, had persuaded him that he should include the British Whites amongst the stock on his Highgrove farm. The Prince already has Irish Moiled, Ayrshires from Scotland and Welsh Blacks. Mr Fowler had been planning to supply the stock to help establish Prince Charles' new herd at Highgrove until he discovered that an Aberdeen Angus had inadvertently visited his British Whites. Sheila and Ron Clarke came to the rescue with a quota of British Whites that have been bred on the couple's Gillingham farm. "We made a family trip to Highgrove from North Dorset taking two cows in calf and three heifers in calf. We also loaned the Prince of Wales a British White bull and Peter Fowler has sent five British White yearlings," says Mrs

Clarke.

Once the Gillingham-bred British Whites settle in at Highgrove, they will be promoted to the front park on the Prince's estate. The farm manager has already recognised their value and believes they will be worthy representatives of the British farming scene in the new millennium.

"Other farmers have thought we were slightly mad to stick to the old breeds and we were being docked on price when we came to sell British Whites because they were not a mainstream breed. I think we have turned the corner now and we hope to gain a premium when it comes to selling our British Whites in future," says Mr Clarke.