Hatherland Herd

The Hatherland Riggit herd was founded in 2009 when Alison and Harriet Bunning acquired a pair of foundation females from the Sherberton herd on Dartmoor. Hatherland is situated in the gentle meadows of the Exe valley, just north of Tiverton in Devon. The land has been managed with an ecological focus over the last 17 years, within a Higher Level Stewardship scheme and recently designated as a County Wildlife Site, in recognition of the wide biological diversity of its flora and fauna.

The Bunnings already had a small herd of Belties and had been enjoying a good level of success on the show circuit in the south west. Having fallen for the Riggits, and realising their relative obscurity, the two heifers were acquired with a plan in mind to get them out to the agricultural shows, to help raise awareness of this unique and beautiful breed.

This has been achieved, with both the foundation females, their descendants and other Riggits becoming regulars at shows as wide afield as Bath and West, Royal Berkshire and in particular the Royal Three Counties Show, where they also do well in the National Rare and Minority Breeds Show.

In 2014 The Bunnings bred the renowned bull Hatherland Finlay, who went on to be breed champion at the first National Show for Riggits at the World Galloway Congress in Dumfries in 2016. Finlay has been an important stock bull for the Stonehouse herd over the last 3 years.

Hatherland's current stock bull is Craig Dougal, bred by Richard Cunningham and acquired from Anne Bell in 2016. He too has enjoyed a notable level of success on the show circuit and has some cracking offspring on the ground.

The Riggits and Belties are all bred with a view to producing excellent quality pedigree breeding stock with accredited high health status, which is available for sale, together with steers for finishing. One steer a year is kept for the family's own consumption.

Please contact us if you would like to visit or discuss any stock for sale.

alison.bunning@btinternet.com

01398 351165