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Stubbs Walden singing farmer Ken is no bully
SINGING: Singing farmer Ken Jackson of Forlorn Hope Farm with his bull ' Boxter'. (L5208TS) Picture: Tony Saxton
KEN Jackson has had little to sing about in the past 18 months.
But the owner of Boxster the Bull, who hit the headlines in a Defra debacle between 2010 and 2011 that nearly saw the prized beast put to the knife, is raising his voice – in song – as part of a fund-raising venture.
The Stubbs Walden farmer and his family – wife Anita, daughter Kate and son Paul – were locked in a legal battle over their prize bull Hallmark Boxster’s future after the Department Of Environment, Food And Rural Affairs incorrectly diagnosed him with TB and ordered him to be destroyed.
The Jacksons weren’t convinced the animal had been tested correctly following the diagnoses in April 2010 and challenged the order.
The dispute led them to London’s High Court, where a judge ruled Defra had broken its own rules by mixing two blood samples, and its diagnosis was invalid.
While Defra was ordered to pay costs, Ken says his family was left out of pocket to the tune of £36,000. They’ve now written a book, entitled Boxster’s Story – the Truth Behind the Bull – which will be released next week, priced £10, to try and recoup some of the costs.
Ken said: “The family went through a lot in the fight to save Boxster.
“The farm took a bit of a knock so we need to try and make the money back.”
After months in a quarantine pen, Boxster was finally released back home to Forlorn Hope Farm last August. But his future looks far from forlorn, and he expects his first offspring since his release in May or June.
Known among friends as The Crooner, Ken will be packing up his troubles in his old kit bag to join five others for a Singing Farmers concert at the Riley Smith Hall in Tadcaster on April 1. It’s in aid of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution charity that helps farmers in times of real need and once they’ve retired.
Of his concert appearance, Ken said: “I like all the classics, from the 1930s right through to today, but my favourite era is the rock and roll of the 1960s.”
Tickets are priced £12. Call 07855 992834 to book.
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