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Cattle
Whitebred Shorthorn
2008 Watchlist; Category 2, Endangered.
The exact origin of the Whitebred Shorthorn is not known, but it aroused interest in the Border country between England and Scotland more than 100 years ago when the breed was referred to as the Cumberland White.
One of the early pioneers of the breed was Mr David Hall who sold blue-grey coloured suckled calves at Newcastleton Auction in the 19th Century. They became a recognised cross, known as Blue-Grey cattle, and were the product of hardy Galloway cows crossed with Whitebred Shorthorn bulls, many of which came from Cumberland and the adjacent areas of the Pennines and SW Scotland.
The breeding of the Whitebred Shorthorn continued to grow in popularity until 1961 when in order to preserve its identity and purity, a meeting of almost 200 interested breeders voted overwhelmingly to form the Whitebred Shorthorn Association.
After cattle had been inspected from 134 herds, 2310 males and 506 females were entered in the first herd book. Since the introduction of Continental cattle to the British Isles, the Whitebred Shorthorn and its offspring have declined in popularity, and in 2004 it was recognised as critical by the RBST.
The Whitebred Shorthorn and the Blue-Grey are widely regarded as being valuable animals for conservation grazing because of their ability to graze rough grassland. Their broader grazing preferences reduce the cover of rank grasses such as Purple Moor Grass and open up the sward to encourage greater species diversity. The females excel as hill suckler cows, being easy to maintain, with long productive lives.