The Australian National Highland Show 2018
Champion Junior Female
– Piegi of Sea Crest
Reserve Champion Junior Female
– Cailleach of Sea Crest
Champion Senior Female
– Solta Lass of Sea Crest
About Sea Crest
Fully imported bloodlines. Excellent quality, quiet temperament, easy to handle cattle for sale.
The Scottish Highland cattle are the oldest known breed of cattle. They have not been tampered with and their history dates back centuries. Because of this strong heritage I was attracted to their true character of being robust, healthy, ease of calving, good mothers and quiet temperament.
I was attracted to the breed as early as a six-year-old. I grew on a property in NSW where we had Hereford cattle and I knew from an early age that I would love to breed Highlands in a more suitable climate one day. They do have a summer and winter coat so are suitable for many areas of Australia.
We had Angus cattle at one stage, but they subject to rain scald in the severe winters and ran as a herd, not nearly as interesting as the highland character.
My cattle are all trained to halter lead and tie up, they are quiet and can easily be handled in the paddock.
Highlands are slow developers, but will calve into their twenties still breeding good stock. They offer not only succulent boutique beef, but hair, hides, horns and milk. I have milked mine in the paddock. Beef is not a big interest for me, I concentrate on breeding excellent cattle for blood stock, showing, selling to small farm owners who need mowers for environmental management or moving sculptures. These cattle are immensely valuable as they have so much to offer and are extremely adaptable. I don’t believe they are a competitive breed in the commercial world of beef and should not be critized for that, they offer much more on a different level.
I am also using them for animal therapy as they are so effective in grounding people who feel extremely stressed by modern life. It is surprising how many calls a week I receive for people to make an appointment to come to the farm for just that.
I have only been showing for 8 years and have won many prizes at National Shows, Melbourne, Adelaide, Victorian State and country Shows, but never the Supreme Grand Champion. In the Australian National Highland Show which this year was at Mt. Pleasant in SA. My cow SONA POLLACH OF SEA CREST and calf were up against my bull DOUGAL BROGARTH OF SEA CREST for this award so either one could have won.
Bronwyn Stewart – Sea Crest
WHY BREED HIGHLAND CATTLE
For centuries, the Highland breed of cattle have lived in the rugged Scottish Highlands. In these harsh climatic conditions only the fittest adapted to the conditions and survived. Highland cattle seem to enjoy conditions which other cattle really suffer getting rain scald on their hides. They do have a summer coat so can with stand the Australian summers in temperate zones. Their long forelocks and long eye lashes screen their eyes from annoying flies in summer.
There were two types the smaller usually black that lived off the West Coast of Northern Scotland and the reddish slightly larger animals that lived in the Highlands. Today they are all considered to be the same breed. There are officially six colours red, black, yellow, white, dun and brindle.
The Highland Cattle are the oldest registered breed with the first herd book being established in 1884. They are a very attractive breed not only to look at but to work with. They are easy to train to halter lead and are always ready for a pat or brush. They are a perfect breed for small farms.
The calves are easily small at birth and are therefore seldom cause any problems. Whenever, calves are taken to shows with their mothers they are real crowd attractions.
