First Beef Shorthorn Sire Selected for YBPS
2011-03-14

Dunsyre Cavalier is the first Beef Shorthorn bull to be selected for the EBLEX’s Young Bull Promotion Scheme following nomination by the Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society’s council.

Dunsyre Cavalier

The bull meets the scheme’s criteria with a Terminal Index (TI) +21 and Self Replacing Index (SRI) +20, both of which are within the breed’s top 10%. Semen has been collected by BSS and five straws are available free of charge to at least 20 different herds. To be eligible, they must be Beef Shorthorn Breedplan recording members.

EBLEX’s Carol Davis comments: “The scheme’s aim is to improve the accuracy of Estimated Breeding Values by increasing the connectedness across herds and with the use of top genetics the scheme aims to promote rapid genetic improvement by reducing generation intervals. We are very pleased that the Beef Shorthorn Society has taken this opportunity by participating in the scheme.”

Dunsyre Cavalier ranks within the breed’s top 10% for key EBV traits with 400 day weight at +39, eye muscle area +1.9 and calving ease direct +3.9. See Figure 1.

Figure 1: Dunsyre Cavalier v Beef Shorthorn breed ave

Bred by Carey Coombs, Carnwarth, Lanark, Dunsyre Cavalier is by Dunsyre Wolfstone whose 400day weight EBV +36 is within the breed’s top 5%, and out of Dunsyre Meadowsweet from his 100 cow herd.

“We are delighted our first ever Beef Shorthorn bull has been selected for the latest YBPS which is designed to promote rapid genetic improvement by making semen freely available to Beef Shorthorn herds,” says BSS’s Frank Milnes. “Cavalier was selected for the scheme for above average EBVs and conformation, and in his selection for the scheme provides us with the opportunity to use one bull over a large number of herds which will in turn improve the accuracy of the EBVs across the breed.”

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