Meet Yorkshire's most competitive showman - whose love for Aberdeen Angus cattle and classic cars won't dim

“All those showmen and women who see this and the catalogue for the sale and think I’m disappearing can think again.”

Adrian smiled as he delivered the next line. “I’m not going away. Showing is very much a part of my retirement plan and there are a lot of people that need their backsides kicking on the show circuit and I get a pleasure out of doing it.”

While everyone in the Angus world will know that Adrian enjoys the craic that comes from a competitive nature he also adds his next salvo much more seriously.

“I don’t go to make the numbers up. If that red ticket isn’t in my grasp I’m not satisfied.

This year has been another success story for Adrian and Penny with their bull McCornick Pathfinder. Adrian said he’d bought him for what he regarded as a steal at 7500 guineas after he’d been champion at Stirling but others had backed off him because he’d shown bad calving figures.

“I’ve had 50 calves off him and have never seen or had to see a single one born. I bought him from Martin McCornick whose herd I’ve been watching for years. They’re quality. Pathfinder won three Interbreed titles this year at Ryedale, Malton and Pateley (Nidderdale). He’s a big bull. He should have won at the Great Yorkshire Show too, but he was a bit of a handful for the handler on the day. I sold him to John Jessop at Carthorpe recently.

Adrian said he fell in love with Angus breed while he was studying at Bishop Burton College in 1973.

“I went to Bishop Burton College and got absolutely obsessed with pigs and for 25 years I managed pig units and pigs of my own, but I always also loved the Angus and took up with them in 1988.

“We have 27 acres of grass at Clarence House and that meant we were restricted on the numbers of cattle we could have, but when we were fortunate to get around 100 acres more rented acreage at Ampleforth twelve years ago it gave us the opportunity to expand. We went from keeping 10 Angus purely as a hobby to having a herd of over 100.

“That’s when I decided that, since I saw it then as the back end of my showing career, I would buy the best cows I could. I bought eight and paid some silly money for them, but it was what I wanted to do. I bought four Rawburn cows. In my opinion John Elliott’s Rawburn herd has the best cows.

“Funnily enough Wall Royal Lady, the one that I gave the top price of 11,000 guineas for ended up being the cheapest cow, because of the calves she bore for me.

“The sale at Skipton will include at least eight of her offspring and not one of those ever came about through embryo transfer. She bred so many lovely cows.

While Adrian has judged many other breeds of cattle including rare breeds, he remains loyal to the breed he took to his heart in the 70s and he’s loving the latest figures from the BCMS.

“Angus registrations have never been higher and as far as the BCMS is concerned the Angus has overtaken the Limousin as the most populous breed in the country. Angus Beef is a global brand that others cannot beat and if handled rightly it creates great eating beef. I had 62-day aged Angus beef in a restaurant while in Australia and I’ve never eaten beef like it.

Adrian and Penny knew the land at Ampleforth would not be theirs forever and Adrian is grateful for the good times in showing that it brought about. The sale at Skipton has been brought about because of their tenure ending.

“We had two more years than the ten years we’d originally anticipated but we’re now going back to purely our home acreage.

“That’s why we will have 48 animals for sale by auctioneer Ted Ogden on Wednesday 9 November as part of the annual Beef Shorthorn & Aberdeen Angus Sale.

“We always put a number of heifers in and I like to support Skipton. They put themselves out. There will be a couple of this year’s show heifers that will have reserves on and my 3-year old stock bull McCornick Capaldi. I’ve never had a modern Angus bull who calves as easily as he does. I bought him from Carlisle. He ticks all the right boxes.

Adrian has been known for his AI work for the past 25 years under the banner North Yorkshire AI Services.

“I was hoping to wind it down but I’m still going and I’m actually getting more calls than ever because of the way the market has changed. I enjoy it when I get an Angus breeder. The majority of my work is now with pedigree beef cattle. I collect semen straws like other people collect wine.

If anyone at the sale sees Adrian driving around in a sports car later, he said they’re not to think he’s suddenly changed his mind about showing in 2023. He has two sports cars. An MG Sports in British racing green he has restored with a friend Geoff Bradley of Coxwold; and a Mercedes SLK which he bought for his birthday.

“The MGS is a fun car and the Merc is something Penny and I go out in. It’s a toss-up between whether the sale money goes back into the herd or it goes to Bangers & Cash.

“I’ve also some old tractors. I’m toying with the idea of pigs again and getting two Large White gilts. I think my optimism in doing all of these will far outweigh what I’m capable of doing.

Adrian said his competitive spirit is matched by brother Steve who has pedigree Beef Shorthorns.

“At Malton Show this year we came up against each other for the first time in the Interbreed championship. He said if mine won it would be the end of a wonderful relationship. We do still talk, but I won. He’d done really well and as he said, our dad would have been really proud to see us both there.