The Riggit Galloway

The ‘Riggit’ Galloway is an ancient strain of Galloway. They are easily identifiable by the distinctive white stripe, running down their spine. (The term ‘riggit’ is a Scottish vernacular reference to this stripe, and seems to be Scandanavian in origin).

The main body colour can be black, blue and black, red, brown or dun. The white stripe may widen to cover much of the back, particularly on the hind quarters. There may be white under the keel of the animal, as well as white flashes amongst the solid colour. The same breed features that apply to the Galloway also apply to the Riggit Galloway.
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Harmut Kindel, of Germany, states in his 2013 book entitled ‘Galloways’ (wording has been translated from German) “Riggit Galloways existed in the United Kingdom hundreds of years ago, probably even in considerable numbers”.

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Why Choose The Galloway Breed?

• Galloways have great adaptability to the varying conditions of altitude, topography, climate, nutrition and management.
• Galloways have the resilience to cope with feed shortages and to recover quickly from drought and harsh winter conditions.
• They are easy calving cattle.
• The Galloway calves grow rapidly and efficiently on pasture.
• The Galloway dams are well known for their fertility, hardiness and proven ability to get in calf quickly and consistently.
• The Galloway dams are good foragers, with a long life span and constant production. 
• The beef consistently achieves more desirable results in carcass quality determinants such as fat depth, meat colour and pH assuring a tastier and more tender product.

George Garrard's engraving of "A Fat Galloway Heifer" dated between 1799 and 1814

​It was through the efforts of the late long standing President of the Belted Galloway Society of United Kingdom, Flora Stuart, as well as some other passionate breeders that a separate society for the Riggit Galloway was formed. Despite the ample historic reference, indicating numerous animals, Riggit Galloways have recently only been seen as sporadic throwbacks amongst other Galloway types (principally the White Galloways).

As with any animal breeding, those breeders who comprise the various breed societies have preferences for certain colours, size of animal frame, conformation and colour points (as in the case of the White Galloway). Rather like fashion!
The early Galloway Cattle Societies only allowed for animals that had solid coloured coats that were Black, later incorporating Dun, and Red. The Belted Galloway was also accepted with its various colours. The White Galloway is a new addition to the Galloway Family and has been recognised worldwide by numerous Societies. The

Riggit cattle were never incorporated into these Societies, and subsequently fell into obscurity. It is probable that the trade in blue grey heifers in the United Kingdom may have caused a preference for plain black Galloway females, which worked against the Riggit. There is no shortage of documented reference to the Riggit, both as an established colouration, and identified type, of ‘Scottish’, or ‘Galloway’ cattle. Sources include various literary references (Robert Wallace, Lord Stuart, George Garrard et al), and Garrard's painting of a Red Riggit female, identified as ‘A fat Galloway heifer’, dated 1804 (see above). They were well known and recognised prior to the specialisation of the current Galloway types, and were amongst the accepted types that eventually divided into the ‘Galloway’, and the ‘Angus’.

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​Thank you - The New Zealand Galloway Society

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