The herd, which is based on 80% natural calvings and is signet weight recorded, has been built up over the last 17 years on my 50-acre farm in Soulbury and I rent a further 120 acres in Bedfordshire to accommodate the stock.

Having been in the beef industry for a number of decades, we started with Belgian Blues in 1982, and founded the Ridge Dean Herd in 1985 with the birth of our first ever-purebreds. Having always bred from well grown beefy types, which had style and balance it was following the Smithfield show in 1987 that my determination, drive and fight set in to start breeding naturally born Belgian Blues. I was told by the Judge that women and Belgian Blues had no place in the beef industry and it was because of this statement and comments about naturally born Belgian Blues being no good that I decided to prove the critics wrong and show them that naturally born Belgian Blues do work, and I hope that by having this first ever production sale it will enable both established and new breeders the opportunity of purchasing some of my naturally born bloodlines, thus enabling me to carry on with my successful breeding programme and breed stock of similar genetics for future sales.

With no shows or sales last year it was nice to get back to the Border Club Show & Sale in May where I sold a string of bulls for 10,000gns (joint top price), 8,000gns, 7,200gns, 6,200gns, 5,200gns, 5,100gns, 3,500gns, 3,000gns etc to average £5,856.66. It was nearly better than winning the Royal Show!

The stock bulls used at Ridge Dean are namely: -

PARK DAIMLER who is by the noted Eclatant de la Sucrerie and out of Querelle de Biert. His sons include Ridge Dean Kenvick who sold for 3,600gns & Ridge Dean Krispin (reserve overall champion) who sold for 3,500gns Carlisle May '94; Ridge Dean Keltic (overall champion & Border Club special trophy winner) who sold for 4,000gns, Ridge Dean Liberty (1st prize junior bull RHAS 1995) and sold for 4,000gns & Ridge Dean Lasso who sold for 3,300gns Carlisle September '95; Ridge Dean Magnum (reserve overall champion & Border Club special trophy winner) who sold for 6,000gns & Ridge Dean Manhatton who sold for 5,000gns Carlisle May'96; Ridge Dean Murphy who sold for 3,900gns Carlisle May'97; Ridge Dean Nordic who was 1st prize junior bull RWAS, RHAS & Bucks County show 1997; Ridge Dean Neopoliton who sold for 4,200gns Carlisle May'98; Ridge Dean Offa who sold for 3,400gns & Welton Oakmont who sold for 3,300gns Carlisle May'99; Welton Pilot who sold for 4,600gns Carlisle May'00. His daughters include Ridge Dean Jessie who was champion female RASE, RHAS & RWAS 1994; champion female RHAS 1997; Ridge Dean Kosher who was champion female RHAS 1995; champion female RWAS & RASE 1996; champion female RWAS 1997; supreme champion RASE & reserve supreme champion RWAS 1999; supreme champion RASE & RWAS 2000.

RIDGE DEAN MAHOGANY is by the aforementioned Park Daimler and out of Oreillette de Groynne. He is almost all black and is a noted very easy calving sire. Mahogany was 1st prize junior bull & male champion RHAS, 1st prize junior bull, male & supreme champion RWAS and 1st prize junior bull RASE 1996. His sons include Ridge Dean Optimist 2 who sold for 3,600gns Carlisle May'99; Ridge Dean Perky who sold for 3,400gns Carlisle Sept'99; Ridge Dean Pointer who sold for 5,400gns, Ridge Dean Pegasus who sold for 4,500gns, Ballee Pluto who sold for 3,900gns, Dan Morland Paddy ET who sold for 3,800gns, Ridge Dean Riant who sold for 3,000gns and Leverhulme Powerhouse who sold for 3,000gns Carlisle May'00; Ridge Dean Spitfire who sold for 8,000gns, Ridge Dean Soulbury Star who sold for 6,200gns, Ridge Dean Supreme Muscles who sold for 5,200gns, Blue Chip Sabre who sold for 5,000gns, Hemingby Tim who sold for 4,000gns & Filkins True Blue who sold for 3,200gns Carlisle May 2002.

COWDEN PRINCE NAZIM ET is by Marquis du Molinia (IS) and out of Canvin Iden. I noticed his breeding qualities and purchased him for 4,000gns Carlisle May 1999. His sons include Ridge Dean Super Fighter who sold for 7,200gns Carlisle May 2002. He continues to breed cattle of exceptional conformation and is an upcoming young stock bull for the Ridge Dean herd.

I have been extremely privileged to win the overall Premier Breeders of the year award for five consecutive years, which has been a tremendous achievement and I couldn’t have done it without the help of my father or our stockman Pete Bodily.

Some of my noted female lines are Ridge Dean Jessie who is by my noted stock bull Park Daimler. She was Champion Female RASE, RHAS & RWAS 1994; Champion Female RHAS 1997. Her progeny also have excellent show records. Jessie has an EBV of 28, which is in the top 1% of the breed.

Ridge Dean Kosher who is also by Park Daimler. To her credit she was Champion Female RHAS 1995; Champion Female RWAS & RASE 1996; Champion Female RWAS 1997; Supreme Champion RASE & Reserve Supreme Champion RWAS 1999 and Supreme Champion RASE & RWAS 2000.

Ridge Dean Popsicle is by Visconti and out of the aforementioned Jessie. She has the second highest EBV of the breed (BB10), and has won many championships including Junior Champion RWAS and Reserve Female Champion RHAS.

All that is left for me to say is thank you to all my previous customers for all there support over the last couple of decades, and to all the prospective new ones I hope your stock goes on and breeds well. I would also like to thank the sponsors of this sale for all there support and to my family and stockman Pete, without his help none of this would have been possible.

I wish you all every success in the Belgian Blue Breed. The docile breed born to exceed!