Last year, showing double act Christopher Hopley and Holly Latham joined forces from their Cheshire base to show Kit’s British Blondes across the country.
Christopher, who goes by Kit, has been showing cattle since 1988 and the 67-year-old is now on the British Blonde Cattle Council. He has recently taken Holly, 24, under his wing and is enjoying showing her the ropes.
“It’s been a learning curve for both of us,” he says. “But we each learn something new every day. You never know it all. It’s all about being patient and listening.”
“The majority of people never get close to livestock but at county shows, people can do just that and during that time they’re finding out what we do as farmers.”
Kit Hopley, farm worker
Holly concurs, adding: “Kit gives me the space to make my own mistakes and learn from them. When I did my first show, I didn’t want to use the cow nose clips. That was a big mistake! I got in the ring and the heifer pulled me all over the place. I won’t do that again.”
Having a go at cattle showing
Working in the industry all his life, Kit says showing is his great passion and brings a bit of light relief to what can sometimes, particularly in the recent climate, be a tough day job.
“I’ve always been involved in cattle and had a love for them, and I just thought, one day, I have to make a hobby of this. I didn’t win anything initially, but it brought me joy.
“I was a rugby player as a younger man and sport was my life but after my accident I had to find another hobby,” he says.
As a 17-year-old farm worker, Kit was involved in an accident where tassels on the clothing he was wearing were blown into an unguarded and damaged power take-off shaft (PTO). As a result of the incident, Kit lost an arm and endured five years of skin grafts.
“We’ve had some ups and downs through farming, but the showing has never stopped. We’ve got better and better. It’s a love, a passion, and you cry. You cry with joy, and you cry with pain. When you breed all these cows and you sit up all night with them calving and the calf dies and the mother is breaking her heart, you do too. It doesn’t matter how often it happens; it still hurts you.
Holly has known Kit since she was a child and is learning all there is to know about showing from him.
“The calves are with their mothers for six to nine months then you wean them off and the following year you turn them out. That’s when you see the grandmother, the daughter, and the grandchild all in the field together and it comes full circle. There is something beautiful about that.”
A perfect partnership
Holly, who has known Kit since she was a child, says: “I agree, it’s definitely a passion. I’d been so lucky to help Kit and I’m so grateful for him letting me get involved. I knew nothing when I started two years ago, not even how to put a halter on. He’s had a lot of patience with me.”
“That’s all part of it though,” says Kit. “I’m not going to be able to do it forever so it’s important to pass my knowledge on, plus I can’t show properly with one arm. I’m not great at showing but my cattle are good, so working with Holly is a perfect partnership. She is now able to pass on her knowledge so we’re coming full circle too, which is what it’s all about.
“Farming is hard enough but the community that comes with showing and the county shows in general is fantastic. There are people who show who aren’t from farming too, it’s all about meeting people and getting out and having some light relief. It gets you away from your job – be that farming or not.”
Kit and Holly’s show season usually starts in January by selecting the ‘show team’. These cattle will then be washed regularly and clipped and fed a diet which includes Muscle Master paste, Kit says.
“For the ten minutes you get in the ring, it is hard work, but I love it,” Holly adds. “For anyone thinking about it, definitely give it a go.”
Following a passion
Holly, who has also been involved with cattle from a very early age, says she could not imagine doing anything else: “I have been extremely lucky as I was brought up on my grandparents’ dairy farm in Cheshire. My whole family is from farming. My grandad, who unfortunately is no longer with us, is my biggest inspiration and the thought of making him proud keeps me going.
“From leaving school I went on to study agriculture, which I enjoyed and came out with the qualifications I wanted. Working at a few places learning different systems allowed me to gain the knowledge and experience I have to work with cattle today.
Kit Hopley says showing is his great passion that brings a bit of light relief to a (sometimes) demanding day job.
“I was like a fish out of water when I first started working with Kit, but I have come a long way and showing has made me the person I am today.”
Chance to socialise
A few years ago, Kit was fortunate enough to win several Interbreed Championships for the first time in his career and says showing doesn’t need to be expensive, with some products available in supermarkets or online.
Attending county shows is about more than just taking part in the show ring though.
“The majority of people never get close to livestock but at county shows, people can do just that and during that time they’re finding out what we do as farmers. They learn that butter and milk doesn’t just appear on the supermarket shelves,” Kit says.
“For farmers, it can sometimes be a very lonely job; so going to the shows can be a relief beneficial to their health. It could be the only time they’re getting off the farm and have a chance to talk to somebody and forget about what’s going on at home.
“I feel very fortunate to have met and made so many friends around the country showing the Mosscroft herd and also having the privilege of being on the National Judging panel travelling throughout the country.”
