2023 has been a year of change for the White Park Cattle Society. We started the year with a new Chair of Council, following Alistair Black’s retirement from the role in December 2022 after 18 years in post. New Chair, Henry Rusch, hit the ground running and organised our AGM and Open Day at Chartley Estate in Staffordshire.
During the Open Day it was announced that our President, Lawrence Alderson CBE, would be retiring from the role after 35 years. Lawrence’s contribution to the Society and the White Park breed is inestimable – he is a fount of knowledge on the genetics of the White Park and has been analysing DNA results for many years. His company – Countrywide Livestock – arranged for the revival of registrations for White Park cattle in 1974 and produced the first herd book later that year.
Lawrence is an author of several books on the White Park breed and is also the subject of a biography entitled “Anarchy or Establishment” – the story of the journey of a shy boy from a remote Pennine hill farm to a man who is now a renowned international consultant on conservation genetics with a CBE for services to rare breeds.
To show our gratitude to Lawrence, the Society presented him with a menu voucher for a Michelin starred restaurant in Henley in Arden, which Lawrence and his partner Polly enjoyed in September, accompanied by Henry Rusch.
Lawrence remains a member of the Society and we look forward to seeing him and Polly at future Open Days.
Below: Lawrence (left) shakes hands with Alistair Black at the Open Day 2023.
