Over the past few days I have had to go through the tiresome explanation of just exactly what British White cattle are, and even explain that the American British White Park cattle were not wild things. This afternoon this article popped up and it seemed well-timed. The "White Park" cow in the photo (click the article link above for the photo) is a horned beautiful white cow with black points, with a gentle look about her, and a fat and beefy look about her -- sound familiar? You can clearly see in her photo that she is halter broke, and she and the humans about her look quite agreeably comfortable at her side.
In no way is this cow some fearsome "wild" white park creature, not now, and not ever in her genetics. The cow is said to be 11 years old -- are we supposed to believe that in those 11 years she hasn't managed to knock someone over and have her halter privileges pulled forever -- if she's from "wild" stock, that surely should have happened along the way.
In England the horned White Park is considered the oldest native breed of Britain. Your polled British White cows are also the oldest native breed of Britain, and don't ever forget that. Don't let the pocket book politics of the likes of the British author Lawrence Alderson forever change history to suit his goals and the goals of a select few highbrows in England.
Yes, the polled breeders of the old Park cattle (that's what both horned and polled were called when the first registration was established for them, until about the 40's) implemented a breed up program to save the breed and increase their numbers. In no way does that justify the absurd notion of Alderson's that the two varieties are genetically distinct, it's not even scientifically supportable -- but he doesn't really care!
(Great efforts have been made, both in the early years of the breeds establishment to the present, to bring both full pedigree semen and live polled Park cattle from the UK to the USA, to both preserve and integrate the best genetics available. In England, they have curtailed their breed-up program and I applaud that, and hope to see that happen in the USA. But in the meantime, the BWCAA American Fullblood program has successfully encouraged the pursuit of Fullblood herds.)
The reality is that both horned and polled Park cattle were found on the same farms and on separate farms for hundreds of documented years. The reality is the White Park of today in England was mixed with English Longhorn and Welsh Black, among other breeds. The fact that they stopped this at some point 40 years or so ago, makes them in no way significantly purer in the grand scheme of things. The genetics of Park cattle are powerfully strong and heritable. These cattle have been treasured and bred in the lands of the British Isles for a millennia of time. We know this from their presence in the ancient oral tales that have come down to us from Ireland, Wales, and Scotland - not England.
If I had my way the polled Park cattle in my pastures would bear a breed name that reflects their fine heritage and place in history -- Park Cattle. And if I have to see or hear another person use the word "whites" in reference to my beloved breed, I sometimes think I'll break my computer screen or punch someone. The breed deserves a high degree of respect, and referring to them as "whites" is demeaning slang that curls my lips and it shouldn't be perpetuated.
I have no idea, and doubt anyone alive today does either, why the folks in England decided to call my polled Park cows, British White. I sometimes feel like simply saying they are Park cattle. England is across the ocean, we already know following their lead leads to societal ruin, or at least it looks that way right now. So I no longer see any need to label my cows anything but what they historically were called in Britain before modern pocket book politics and meddling intervened to create a new breed name.
EXCERPT from the UK Article: (Click title link above for full text and photo.)Published Date: 11 August 2009
THIS rare breed was among an impressive turnout at the cattle section of the Halifax Agricultural Show. More than 150 animals were shown by 43 exhibitors – including standout White Park cow Freiya.
David Graveston, who was showing her, said: "She's 11 and a half years old – but she looks good for her age. White Parks are the oldest native breed in the country, and they are an endangered species as well."
There are only about 450 breeding adults in the UK, he said – 35 of which are part of his herd at his family's Park House Farm in Lancashire.
Mr Graveston, who was at the show with 16-year-old daughter Catherine, said: "We've only had the herd three years, so we've never really shown any before."
David Hamer, cattle section secretary, said it was a first for the show, too.
He said: "We've never seen this breed here at Halifax before."
