Duke of Montrose recognised for contribution to NSA and UK Sheep Industry

Past NSA President, The 8th Duke of Montrose, welcomed NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker and NSA Chairman Pete Delbridge to his home in Scotland this week. 

Phil and Pete wanted to honour the Duke’s work both as a past president of NSA and also for the wider sheep industry. They were joined online by current NSA president Lord Inglewood - who also paid tribute to the Duke’s commitment to sheep farming and the countryside - and also by the Duke’s son, James. Phil and Pete presented the Duke with a handmade and inscribed shepherd’s crook.

Phil says: “It was a great opportunity to give the Duke of Montrose some recognition for all the work he did for NSA over his six years as president from 2011 to 2017, providing those connections into the House of Lords and Westminster. He came at that from a really practical perspective as a sheep farmer and landowner in Scotland. It was nice to spend time with the Duke and his family and to have a look around some of his sheep farming operations.”

Whilst in Scotland Phil and Pete also visited Neogen laboratories near Ayr to get an in depth look at the work they are doing and the services they are offering regarding genotyping and DNA mapping and technologies allowing DNA mapping to screen for, amongst other things, undesirable mutations allowing for good breeding decisions.