The sudden death of Judy McGowan, Incheoch, Alyth, has seen the Scottish cattle sector lose one of its strongest and most knowledgeable supporters.
Judy, who was 79, was a first-class organiser and, with this ability, she helped establish and promote pedigree cattle.
Events which she organised were often accompanied by clipboards and specific instructions and those who were given clipboards had to abide by Judy’s well thought through instructions.
She was widely respected by the farming industry who recognised her practical knowledge and her ability to get things done.
Early years
Born into the Biggar family, she was brought up at Chapelton, Castle Douglas, among some of the oldest and most famous pedigree herds of Beef Shorthorn and Galloway cattle.
On her marriage to Finlay, the couple started with the Simmental breed where they had considerable success in the show and sale ring.
But it was when the couple moved to Dirnanean, taking over the resident herd of Luing cattle that proved to be a turning point in their farming.
The hardy Luing breed which had been bred to suit the harsher climate and terrain in this country were ideally suited to large areas of poorer quality grassland.
Cross breed
The Sim-Luing females that resulted from the cross of the two breeds became a highly sought after suckler cow and Judy had a great deal to do with their promotion and development.
Throughout her life Judy was well organised, and with her background knowledge of the pedigree sector, combined with knowing a lot of the people, placed her well for breed society involvement.
She was secretary of the Scottish Simmental Club for 14 years, and then breed secretary of the Luing Cattle Society for the best part of a decade.
During her time with the Luings, Judy dealt with memberships, accounts, and organising events which added to her own farm paperwork.
She not only had to deal with the development and expansion of the breed but also to face major challenges to the cattle industry brought about by the BSE scare and then in 2001, the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
That she managed to deal with these major hurdles was down to Judy’s knowledge of the industry and those who worked in it.
Her views were respected and in a sector where there can often be splits and schisms she helped drive the Luing breed forward to its present position where it is valued particularly in the less hospitable parts of the country.
She started her education at Hardgate Primary School, Haugh-of-Urr. In 1952 she went to Fairfield School in Ambleside.
She then went to The Mount School, York until 1961.
University days
Judy enrolled at University of Edinburgh where she attained an MA degree in physical geography and political economy. She graduated in arts and had an ordinary degree in moral philosophy and psychology.
But her proudest achievement of this time was receiving the Queen’s Guide Award in 1959, which is the movement’s highest award.
After a spell in Canada, she attended Catherine Judson Secretarial Training College in London where she achievied 50 words per minute in typing and 120 words per minute at shorthand.
This is where she achieved her journalism and book-keeping skills which served her in later life.
In 1966 she moved to the Borders to help set up a business that became Farm Business Records (FBR).
This helped farmers with their costings and the running of their offices, which soon spread all over Scotland and Northumberland.
Young farmers
Her interests with the Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Club then took her back to Edinburgh to work at head office.
Judy met Finlay at a Shorthorn dinner dance at the Station Hotel in Perth during the February Bull sales. They married in June 1973 and went onto bigger challenges.
Setting up a new farm business together was augmented with part-time work running office management courses with the Agricultural Training Board.
The couple’s first home was in a cottage at Brunton Barns while the entry became available to the newly purchased Hangingmyre – a small hill farm in the Lomond Hills of Fife.
After three years, a chance came up to buy Dirnanean a hill farm with over 5000 acres in Strathardle, moving there with son Neil, Clare on the way and Meise, one Swiss Simmental Cow.
This cow became the start of the Dirnanean Simmental herd. The main challenge at that time was paying bank interest of 22.5% but with good bull and sheep sales it eventually became more manageable.
Welcoming
One of Judy’s proudest achievements was organising the Dirnanean Open Day in 1984 where the Sim-Luing was launched as a branded breeding female.
Although the day included a wealth of speakers, a trailered farm tour around the hill, lunch and a bar, her best memories were of the people that came and the fun they had.
A few years at Stuartslaw near Duns was a steppingstone to the more extensive stock farm they were looking for and the family were soon on the move again to Incheoch, Alyth in 1994 where they finally settled. In just short of 50 years of marriage they moved house 10 times.
Settling down at Incheoch Judy became involved in community life. She was a joint fabric convener for the Isla Parishes Church across the field from their home
It was a busy and difficult time when it was decided to close five churches with the proceeds going to refurbishing the last of the Isla Parishes buildings at Kilry.
There were many local events that she became more involved in including the Skene Tryst Lunch Club for the elderly people in the district and organising the Blythwood Shoebox appeals.
Judy continued to be actively involved in the farm, often with clipboard to hand, and took great pleasure in the challenge of the annual on-farm ram and bull sale.
She is survived by her husband Finlay and the farm is now run by son Neil and daughter-in-law Debbie, with the help of Judy’s daughter Clare. Judy also has two grandchildren.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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