282 ( ATTLK 



"We all look up to him as the first great improver, and no one 

 will question his title to this distinction. There is no herd in the 

 country which is not indebted to the Keillor blood." The first 

 great show of black polled cattle was made in 1829 at Perth, 

 and all the animals but one were shown by Watson, who con- 

 tinued a most successful exhibitor at various Scotch shows until 

 1852, when he discontinued exhibiting. 



William McCombie was born at Tillyfour, Aberdeen, in 1805 

 and died in 1880, a few months before the dispersal of his herd. 

 In 1830 he began a polled herd purchased from the best breeders 

 of the time, consisting of "Aberdeens" from St. John's Wells 

 and Wester Fintray, and "Angus" from Keillor, Balwyllo, Dal- 

 gairns, and elsewhere. He was a great believer in the importance 

 of individual merit coupled with superior pedigree, and empha- 

 sized the value of the sire. At William Fullerton's sale he bought 

 Queen Mother (348), from which he developed the famous Queen 

 tribe. McCombie bred Pride of Aberdeen (581), the founder of 

 the Pride family and one of the most famous show cows of the 

 breed. McCombie improved on the work of Watson and became 

 his worthy successor. His success in the show ring was mar- 

 velous. He not only exhibited at the leading Scotch shows but 

 also in France on four different occasions, always with eminent 

 success. In 1878 his herd at the Paris International Exposition 

 won the grand championship against all breeds and attracted 

 international attention. Many regard McCombie as the most dis- 

 tinguished improver and promoter of the breed. 



William Fullerton was born in 1810, founded a herd at 

 Ardovie in 1833, and died in 1880. McDonald and Sinclair 

 state 1 that when he secured possession of the home farm in 1833 

 there were three black cows on the place, and intending to estab- 

 lish a herd of " doddies " he went to Brechin market and made 

 his first purchase, this being the cow Black Meg (766), later to 

 become one of the famous animals of the breed. In 1841 Mr. 

 Fullerton bought the bull Panmure (51) at Lord Panmure's sale, 

 which he bred to a daughter of Black Meg known as Queen of 

 Ardovie (29), from which union resulted Queen Mother (348), 

 that was sold as a yearling to McCombie. The Ardovie herd was 



1 History of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle. London, 1910. 



