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Llandinabo CattleThe Llandinabo Hereford Herd was founded in 1947 by the late Major Michael Symonds and is now owned by his cousin Peter Symonds who took over the farms in 1996. Foundation females were purchased from most of the famous herds in Herefordshire principally Free Town, The Vern, The Haven, and Tarrington and since then there has been a policy of purchasing females specifically to maintain genetic variation. The herd is made up of twelve distinct female families; they are Amorous (“T” family from Free Town), two lines of Curlys (one descending from Curly Vern 79 and the other from Curly Vern 114), Countess, Julia, Lively, Maria, Model, Pearl, Plum, Regina, Silk and Spotlight. Up to 1980 stud bulls had been purchased from Wenlock, The Vern, The Sarn, Hardwick and Freetown. The herd is based entirely on animals whose ancestors were registered in the British Studbook and the policy of using only known and proven British bloodlines has been maintained since the death of Major Symonds. We have been fortunate to have been able to purchase two British stud bulls in the last ten years namely Craig Farmer (YA/P3/110) and Albany Sir Oliver (KKF/R2/129) who have proved valuable sires but the need to maintain genetic diversity has meant that AI has become an important breeding tool for producing outcross bulls and females as well. In 1990 semen from twenty-two bulls was purchased and to date calves have been produced from Nuelands Juror, Aldersend Diamond, Haven Jurist and Llandinabo Onset. The last, calved in 1965, was sired by Llandinabo Mendel by Sarn Oykel out of a cow by Hardwick Republic and represents a gene pool going back to the early foundations of the herd. Stud bulls currently in use are Albany Sir Oliver by Summerpole Norseman(AI) out of Albany Oyster Girl and Llandinabo Zest by Llandinabo Usher out of Llandinabo Julia 47, a granddaughter of Craig Farmer. We have also been using Llandinabo Adrian by Aldersend Diamond, a grandson of the great Vern Logic.
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