On the farm with former rugby league star Karl Fairbank - who has gone from Bradford Bulls to Limousin bulls

Since his dad Jack passed away Karl now farms in partnership with his mum Megan where he was born at Bank Top Farm, Greetland and where, highly appropriately, given his former club, he has his own bull on what is now a beef farm having come out of dairying six years ago.

Karl said he was straight on to the farm from leaving school. He is as no-nonsense now as he was when charging headlong at opposition defences and running hard at the try line.

“You get put in harness for farming and you never get out of it. There was no time for things like going to agricultural college, but I’ve always loved farming.

“You’ve got to love what you’re doing or else you can’t do it to the best of your ability.

“It’s not all about money, but you’ve got to pay the bills at the end of the day.

“It’s six years since we came out of milk and doorstep delivery. One of my brothers decided to give up his round, doorstep delivery had declined and then dad got poorly.

“We decided to have all the dairy cows having beef calves and gradually got rid of the milkers. When we packed in here my brother Richard carried on doing deliveries and bought another farm.

“We had milked 100 British Friesian dairy cows and used to process all our own milk.

“Three of my brothers – Richard, Mark and John – had all delivered milk with dad. It was a wrench giving it up, but you’ve got to let your head rule your heart. It’s a business.”

Karl said that the farm runs to 100 acres with some additional rented land and everything down to grass.

“Our beef suckler herd of 50 Limousin-cross cows using a Limousin bull on them doesn’t make us much financially but gives the enjoyment of having stock. Seeing new life when calving is on gives that special feeling inside.

“We start calving in April and if we’re lucky we get through it in about six weeks.

“The farm here at home takes as much as we want to put in. They’re all inside at the moment and so there is cleaning them out, bedding them up and feeding to be done.

“We try to rear them as cost effectively as we can and as well as silage give them brewers grains from Elland Brewery.

“We take the calves to Wharfedale Mart in Otley at about 11 months old in March each year. If you get yourself a name you do alright.

“All ours are genuine homebred cattle which is what people are looking for.

“Our latest Limmie bull has been like a piece of gold. He’s a pedigree French bred Limousin and has been 100 per cent for calving.

“The herd grazes from April to October. They’re not as demanding as dairy cows but I do watch for them and at the moment they are just getting a bit too Limousiny and I don’t want to lose the milkiness that I had when they were Friesians.”

Karl said his income now comes mainly from work as a relief milker for other dairy farms.

“I relief milk for a handful of dairy farmers around Huddersfield and Halifax. I do six nights a week for Southwells and I’ve done four mornings already this week as one-offs where people are ill or injured.”

Karl said that his playing career and that of his brothers Richard (Dick), David and Mark who all played professional rugby league had an effect on the family farm but that everyone always pulled their weight.

“It put a strain on mum and dad who were very supportive, but if they came to watch any of us play they’d still have to come home and milk. Many a time we would come home after a game and get straight into milking.

“If we were playing at home at Odsal, which is 20 minutes away, I’d have a quick shower, something to eat and get back.”

Karl said one of his favourite stories is about when his dad was playing professionally and farming.

“Dad played for Huddersfield and Leeds. He won the championship with Leeds in 1961 and worked on a farm before he came to Bank Top in 1963.

“He was once told by Leeds that he had to get to Headingley to then travel to Swinton with the team. Strong-minded as he was he told them they could pick him up on the way. It made sense.

“He waited outside the farm where he lived on the Saddleworth road, on the way to Lancashire, and before the M62 was built.

“The director who had told him to go into Leeds told the coach driver to leave him. One of the lads at the back of the coach shouted that he wouldn’t have said that if we’d been playing Wigan!

“Dad didn’t care. He grabbed his bag and went back on the farm and got on with his work.”

Karl said it wasn’t nailed on that he would follow his dad into rugby league.

“Me and my brothers all played football as young people and our school played rugby union. I could have signed professional from being 16 to 19 but it didn’t appeal to me that much.

“I loved playing for my home club Elland. I signed for Bradford after I’d achieved all I could with the amateur game and had 12 years with them. My biggest achievements were going on three tours to Australia with Great Britain.”

Karl’s still a high flyer today.

“I am a keen pigeon racing man. My brother Norman and I fly as the Fairbank Brothers.”