Mission & History
What we stand for
Our mission
The Club aims to improve the breeding of livestock by promoting knowledge:
- By collecting, collating and distributing available information and data of practical and scientific interest
- By promoting the exchange of all such information and data amongst breeders of cattle at home and overseas
The Club is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, and its constitution is set out in its governing documents.
Memorandum & Articles of Association
A brief history
The British Cattle Breeders Club was founded by the late Sir John Hammond in 1946. Its aim then, as now, was to provide a forum for exchange between scientists and breeders of beef and dairy cattle.
Over the years this has developed into the annual British Cattle Breeders Conference, now re-titled the British Cattle Conference. Each year papers are given by leading scientists, breeders, industry specialists and veterinarians. With cutbacks in research spending the conference becomes ever more important as a forum for the discussion and presentation of new and developing ideas. On many occasions new ideas in agriculture have been discussed here first, originally in Cambridge and now in Telford, long before becoming common knowledge, and many technological advances have been launched at the Conference.
In its more recent history the conference has become a truly international occasion, providing delegates with a unique opportunity to meet other breeders and scientists, from the UK and overseas, in a warm and friendly environment. With the conference filling the hotel there are many opportunities for discussion in both formal and informal circumstances. Non-members are always welcome too.
A proceedings, called the Digest, is published after every conference and back copies are available too. The Digest is free to delegates and to members, and past editions can be read in our Digest library.
Officers, past and present
The Club has been served by a long line of distinguished officers since its foundation. The year shown is the year each officer took up the post.
Presidents
| From | President |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Mr Duncan Sinclair |
| 2017 | Professor Mike Coffey |
| 2011 | Dr Maurice Bichard OBE |
| 2005 | Mr W Henry E. Lewis |
| 1997 | Mr John E. Moffitt CBE |
| 1990 | Sir Richard Trehane |
| 1988 | Dr Tim Rowson OBE |
| 1965 | Professor Alan Robertson OBE |
| 1956 | Sir John Hammond CBE and Mr George Odlum |
Chairmen
| From | Chairman |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Matt Gue |
| 2025 | Dr Alex Brown |
| 2024 | Andrew King |
| 2023 | Ben Harman |
| 2022 | Amy Hughes |
| 2021 | Dr Karen Wonnacott |
| 2020 | Clive Brown |
| 2019 | Laurence Loxam |
| 2018 | Mrs Anya Westland |
| 2017 | Andrew Dodd |
| 2016 | Iain Kerr |
| 2015 | Roger Trewhella |
| 2014 | Philip Hadley |
| 2013 | Neil Darwent |
| 2012 | Philip Halhead |
| 2011 | Duncan Sinclair |
| 2010 | Lucy Andrews |
| 2009 | Rob Wills |
| 2008 | Paul Westaway |
| 2007 | Dr Mike Coffey |
| 2006 | Dr Duncan Pullar |
| 2005 | David Hewitt |
| 2004 | Philip Kirkham |
| 2003 | Mark Roberts |
| 2002 | Christopher Norton |
| 2001 | John Downing |
| 2000 | Henry Lewis |
| 1999 | Chris Watson |
| 1998 | Tony Blackburn |
| 1996 | Miss Sybil Edwards |
| 1995 | Tom Brooksbank |
| 1994 | Geoff Spiby |
| 1993 | Dr Geoff Simm |
| 1992 | Barrie Audis |
| 1991 | Chris Bourchier |
| 1990 | Mike Trevena |
| 1989 | Malcolm J. Peasnall |
| 1988 | Peter G. Padfield |
| 1987 | J. R. Mulholland |
| 1986 | B. P. Pringle |
| 1985 | Richard Linnell |
| 1984 | Sir Richard Trehane |
| 1983 | D. J. Bright |
| 1982 | J. E. Moffitt |
| 1981 | J. M. Johnston |
| 1980 | Dr J. W. B. King |
| 1979 | D. A. Nutting |
| 1978 | H. W. S. Teverson |
| 1977 | David Allen |
| 1976 | T. A. Varnham |
| 1975 | J. W. Parsons |
| 1974 | Mrs S. Thompson-Coon |
| 1973 | J. A. Moss |
| 1972 | N. J. D. Nickalls |
| 1971 | R. G. Galling |
| 1970 | Miss M. Macrae |
| 1969 | P. Dixon-Smith |
| 1968 | H. N. Haldin / P. Dixon-Smith |
| 1967 | H. N. Haldin |
| 1966 | Miss J. H. Barry |
| 1965 | E. J. Wynter |
| 1964 | F. J. Coney |
| 1963 | M. O. K. Day |
| 1962 | E. J. Boston |
| 1960 | Brevit-Colonel S. V. Misa |
| 1958 | Major C. Wheaton-Smith |
| 1957 | C. B. Cooper |
| 1954 | Peter Redfern |
| 1953 | Mrs D. M. Wainwright |
| 1952 | B. H. Theobald |
| 1949 | R. H. Howard |
Secretaries
| From | Secretary |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Heidi Bradbury |
| 2000 | Lesley Lewin |
| 1999 | Janet Padfield |
| 1994 | Malcolm Peasnall |
| 1962 | Colin R. Stains |
| 1960 | Rex Evans |
| 1957 | Miss H. Craig-Kelly |
| 1950 | Edward Rumens |
| 1949 | R H Holmes |
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Contact us
Club Secretary: Heidi Bradbury
Underhill Farm, Glutton Bridge, Earl Sterndale
Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 0RN