Justice will prevail in the ring as Kate goes it alone

It can be difficult breaking out of the shadow of a well-known father and being accepted in your own right, but Kate’s success with the to-date unbeaten, all-conquering heifer KateM Jewel set her well on the way towards individual acclaim last year.

Her dad Ken Jackson is highly regarded as one of the pedigree world’s leading showmen and the show partnership between father and daughter has been one of Yorkshire’s most enduring teams, but that changed when Kate started her own herd and soon it’s set to change a little further as she, husband Andrew, their son Patrick, aged 20, and daughter Gemma, 14, are on the move.

“Since I was little I’ve always wanted my own farm. I love animals and in particular I love cattle and being around them. I’d worked in the NHS since I was 17 but gave that up three years ago somewhat ironically, given where I was employed, to improve my health.

“We’ve now bought a lovely 16-acre farm called Wrancarr Mill at Trumfleet just eight miles from where we’ve lived in Walden Stubbs for the past 18 years. It had been a stud farm until recently and still has the old windmill that gave the name. We’ve not moved in as yet but we’ve put together three large fields at the back. It’s all about creating the dream.

“Andrew is very business minded. He has been successful with his own companies and we’re aiming for the cattle to be a profitable concern, but as long as the animals get to the point where they are paying for themselves we will be happy because it’s about our lifestyle.”

What this all means is that when show season comes around in May it will be the first time that Kate won’t be setting off from her parents’ Forlorn Hope Farm in Walden Stubbs.

“We’ve always travelled together, supported each other in getting the show cattle ready, driven in convoy or, dependent on the number of animals, we might have travelled in the same vehicle. This time we’ll be meeting mum and dad when we’re at the shows.”

Kate started her herd by purchasing three heifers from Ken but it was the addition of a cow called Ark Dora that ignited the flame that now burns brightly in Kate’s show team. Dora has a special place in her heart as she was one of the cows in Alan and Carol Hall’s pedigree herd, both having sadly passed away in recent years.

“Alan and Carol were two very close friends of all of us, and great characters. When Alan passed away myself and Carol became even closer and we spent a lot of time together, but Carol sold the herd and Dora was sold separately to sealed bids. I’d fallen in love with her. Dora is a bit like Carol, feisty but lovable and since I didn’t want her going to somebody she didn’t mean anything to and because I really wanted her myself Andrew and I stretched ourselves to make what we hoped would be the winning bid and so it was. Tragically Carol then passed away a short time afterwards.”

Dora’s acquisition took Kate’s herd to four. She had a really successful season in 2014, but the icing on Kate’s cake was the coming together of her favourite cow with her all-time favourite bull, her dad’s prize-winning but much troubled bull Boxster. Although Ken owns Boxster it is Kate and the bull that have proved inseparable. The family’s lengthy, well-documented and ultimately triumphant battle to save Boxster’s life over a botched TB test saw them defeat Defra in the High Court and the Boxster and Dora breeding couplet has already proven a potent combination.

“We bulled Dora with Boxster and Justice was born. She has exceeded all the breed averages from being born and will be in the show team this year. They’ve since produced again and once more we have high hopes. Boxster will be 10 in October and Dora is eight so we’re taking semen from him and embryos from her so that the combination is available in the future. You can have a really good bull and a really good cow but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to produce something special, it just depends whether they click and clearly these two do.

“Boxster is technically in dad’s herd but when we move he will be coming with me and joining the KateM herd. Andrew and I came up with the herd prefix on the way to our first show three years ago. It’s the name of a haulage company, so you could say we nicked it off the back of a lorry.”

Last year saw Kate’s best season to date with KateM Jewel, the reigning champion at every show attended including breed champion at the Great Yorkshire Show.

“I want other breeders to come and say that’s the ten best pedigree Blondes I’ve ever seen. It’s not about money, it’s about being known for breeding quality, being accepted as a serious breeder and sitting out on a summer’s evening watching the herd grazing.”

Kate has since purchased Dora’s full sister Hermione from the man who bred Dora, Alan Keith of Newcastle, and another heifer Harmony. Both have had calves and Kate’s herd has expanded to 17 cows with followers. She has seven that are due to calve soon.