The Park herd was established in 1981 when the dairy herd was sold due to the arrival of quotas. A decision was made to move to beef, and by sheer chance the first lot in the beef ring was 16 Belted Galloway heifers, unregistered but out of registered stock. The next year they produced 15 heifer calves and 1 bull calf Over the next few years I was able to build up the herd to over 160 cows.
With the help of Billy Cloy as Stockman the Park Herd became renowned for its quality and health status, firstly winning the open shows in the South West of Scotland, and culminating in the late 1980's and early 1990's with the team, consisting of the senior bull Park That's Life, and 2 cows- Park Picnic and Park Petunia, winning all the major shows.
At the same time my wife, Sandra, developed a small herd of White Galloways., and for a number of years the Open Day was held at Park of Tongland.
In 1988 a heifer Rigget calf was born in my Park Herd, and at the same time a bull calf was born at Mochrum, with a cow from the Kyle herd. The heifer came from a White Galloway, and a bull calf at Mochrum from a Belted Galloway dam and a White Galloway bull.
Over the next few years the Hon Miss Flora Stuart and I successfully bred these two animals which formed the basis of breeding Rigget cattle, and there is now a thriving Rigget Society with HRH Prince Charles as the President.