Judging at Northern Ireland Hereford Breeders Association

Di was asked to judge at the Northern Ireland Hereford Breeders Association where her introduction was as follows. This is a lovely history of the origins of Moralee Herefords and their journey so far.

With the calf show fast approaching here is our Calf Classes Judge, Di Harrison’s background in the Hereford world, we look forward to having her expertise on Saturday!

Di and her husband Tom established Moralee Herefords, pedigree Hereford cattle herd in 2011.

They are based on 250 acre Eltringham Farm which is located in the Tyne Valley, Stocksfield, Northumberland. The name "Moralee" comes from Di’s maiden name and the name of the farm High Moralee where her parents farmed a well respected beef and sheep herd until the late 1990s.

The Harrisons started the herd as a hobby, looking for an easily managed breed that would fit with their busy work lives. They began with a small number of foundation females purchased from the Romany, Mallowburn, Richmount and Coley herds. Now they are running the herd with around 30 breeding females and have recently introduced horned genetics into the herd following the purchase of Auckvale Curly 1831S in 2020.

Over the years, Moralee Herefords has gained a reputation for breeding high-quality cattle, which has led to numerous successes in the show ring and at sales. Their herd has been named the National Hereford Show Herd of the Year 3 times (2019, 2023 and 2024), and they have won various championships and awards with individual cattle, including their prominent bull, Moralee 1 Rebel Kicks sired by Danish bull SMH Kingsize.

Other home bred cattle that have won major awards or performed well in the marketplace include -

Moralee 1 Kylie KS S11 - Champion of Europe 2024

Moralee 1 RHS Prince - Sire of the Year 2024

Moralee Curly CI288 - Horned Female of the Year 2023 & 2024

Moralee 1 Katy Perry PR301 - Sold for 11,000 guineas. 2023 Designer Genes Sale at 7 months old.

Tom and Di are passionate about the breed and are constantly looking to improve quality so that Herefords can compete against other breeds in the market and the show ring. Flushing the best of their female lines (Kylie, Pippa and Curly) has been key to this as well as being selective about the bulls that make the grade. They welcome visitors to view and purchase cattle at home on the farm, but regularly sell bulls and females in the marketplace including Stirling, Shrewsbury and Carlisle.

In addition to their show and sale success, the Harrisons also sell prime Hereford beef directly to customers through a "Beef Box" scheme, which has become a significant part of their business.