2012 — 2013 SEASON

Spring 2012, what a time to leave the farm. On July 19th Glennis and I travelled to LONDON for a 70 day OE. The Welsh A&P Show, two weeks at the London Olympics, travelling around the British Isles and Europe, and attending the World Simmental Congress in Germany were the main features of our journey.

Saw lots of Simmental cattle (totally polled herds in parts of
Germany) and a variety of farm management systems. A great Trip .

Poor Rhys Tidswell. He, with help from Susan Best, had to weather the rain that fell throughout August, turning paddocks to mud. How lucky are European cattle who are housed during these periods?
Strip grazing, hay feeding, calving, Rhys and Susan did a marvellous job.

By the time we got home at the end of September, Rhys had the AI programme underway and the bulls were out with their mating mobs. We are indebted to his work ethic and farming ability and to Sue for her enthusiasm.

On our return the rain stopped, the clouds cleared and sunny weather set in, leading to dry conditions that were to last for six months. No significant rain from early October 2012 until late April 2013.

Severely pugged and rutted paddocks dried as hard as concrete, green feed gradually disappeared and pressure was applied to stock water supplies. Thank goodness for the Farm Road District Water Scheme.

Just before Christmas we were lucky to be offered grazing for the cows and bull calves at Norm and daughter Sue Wylie’s property up under the ranges and later for the cows and heifer calves at brother Brian Thompson’s property inland from Wanganui. Sadly when these cattle arrived home in March the rains still had not arrived and so we entered the ‘Desert grazing mode.” Precious supplies of supplementary hay and baylage steadily disappeared as all stock remaining after selling surplus weaners and cull cows needed to be hand fed. We are used to feeding out each day during the Winter - feeding out each day, in the Summer and Autumn is something else.
Winter 2013 is going to be interesting. We have applied the RNS formula:

REGRASSING the worst pugged paddocks,
applying NITROGEN fertiliser to the main calving paddock and purchasing more SUPPLEMENTS at an inflated price.

Let’s hope we get through.-

2013 SIMMENTAL MARKET REPORT

The main problem this year was that drought conditions affected the whole of the North Island.

There was no region with enough grass to encourage the purchase of the store stock from the East Coast and the ‘Conservative’ beef schedule depressed by the high $NZ didn’t help. In spite of this, Simmental cross cattle sold well. Poko poko station topped the R2 steer sale in Wairoa beating stiff competition from an excellent yarding of angus steers and Graham Williamson again topped the Stortford Lodge weaner fair with slightly depressed prices around $900 for the earlier steer sale but excellent prices around $800 for a line of beautifully grown weaner heifers at the later heifer sale.

Graham and Denise Willamson offered a unique service to the purchaser of their weaner steers. After the sale the steers were returned to Whakamahi Station where they were adjusted until the farm was sold. Yes you have read correctly. Graham and Denise have sold their farm and moved to Havelock North. We wish them all the best in their retirement. They will be sorely missed at the weaner fairs and bull sales.

Sue and Bruce Wilson flew the Simmental cross flag for Glen Anthony at the Stratford weaner fairs.

Their top line of steers weighing 346kg made the top price of $980 per head, (2.83/kg) and their 2nd line of steers at 291kg made $840 per head (2.88/kg),

But wait there is more, their weaner heifers averaged a massive 325kg liveweight and made $830 or ($2.54/kg) and they were born in August.

The winning formula - Buy a Glen Anthony Simmental Bull + mate him to good Simmental crossbred cows + feed the calves well = excellent premium prices at sale time.
In contrast to last year, in calf cows coming through early Autumn sale yards all sold for $1.35/kg, matching the $2.70 schedule, and all going to the works. The gains made last year with many farmers increasing their breeding cow numbers, have been short lived.

SHOWING

Glen Anthony was out and about again this year with their large show team promoting the stud and the Simmental Breed at three A & P shows here in the North Island.

We would have to say that it has not been a stella season in terms of results because we have not won any Meat and Wool cup awards but it was successful in lots of other ways and still worth the effort.

HAWKES BAY A & P SHOW HASTINGS, OCTOBER 2012

Waterford joined us again this year and we showed him on behalf of Bruce and Michelle Tomlinson of Papakiri Station. With Westerley sold, we were still able to present a great spectacle in the senior bull ring with Waterford, Y-arta and Yogi Bear (AY21) probably better known as
Glen Anthony Yale.

Grant Crawshaw agreed to judge the beef cattle section and we greatly appreciate him giving of his time to critically assess our cattle

We entered four yearling bulls with Zanadou (AZ08) out performing Zodiac, Zanzibar and Zin Zan. The females comprised three senior cows, two 2yr heifers and four yearling heifers, making a show team of fifteen plus five calves.

Waterford went on to win the Meat and Wool Cup for the second year running and our two year old heifer Ratalea Yale (bought from Sue Wylie at the Queen of Hearts Sale 2011) gave notice that she could be a rising star.
Thanks to Sue Wylie, Nancy Crawshaw, Susan Best, Kimberley and Mark for their support and hard work caring for and presenting the show team.

Welcome to Susan, the newcomer to our team. Her experience, stockmanship and enthusiasm are greatly appreciated.

NEW ZEALAND ROYAL SHOW - HAMILTON, OCTOBER 2012

The same show team including Waterford, plus Kimberley’s three Dexter cattle headed once again for the Royal in Hamilton. At the Claudelands Show grounds we had a well appointed renovated barn as our stable, ample outdoors washing facilities, and outdoor judging on lawns beside picturesque parklands.

Max Tweedie travelled all the way from Lincoln to assist us and compete in the stock judging competitions featuring both dairy and beef cattle judging as well as sheep and wool judging.

Nancy Crawshaw was also heavily involved in the stock judging which had to be fitted in with the preparation and presentation of our show team.

These two were joined by Amy Hoogenboom, Susan Best, Mark and Kimberley and their family to complete the Glen Anthony Show Team.

Peter McWilliam was the Simmental Judge.

He favoured the two year old heifer Ratalea Yale as the Supreme Champion of the breed—Congratulations to Amy and Susan for showing her off so expertly. These girls went on to win the award of Champion cow and calf of the show, Very well done. Waterford did not do as well as he has, failing in the Simmental section and coming Second to the Awhea Hereford bull in the All breeds Senior Bull class. Zanadou won the All breeds Yearling Bull class but our yearling heifers were judged to be too fat and were headed off by Yule’s calf in the Junior Female Championship and failed in the Interbreed Classes.

The beautiful moving Hereford Bull Awhea Immense bred by Mike Langtry and now owned and shown by Steve Morgan from Huntly unanimously won the Meat and Wool Cup with our girls coming second with Ratalea Yule.

Congratulations to Max Tweedie who, after some last minute study, won the Dairy Cattle judging and went on to win the Beef Cattle judging and be announced as the overall Champion. A great end to the show.

STOP PRESS!

2012 CANTERBURY A & P SHOW RESULTS

Senior Simmental Bull

1st Glen Anthony Westerley
2nd Glen Anthony Warwick

All Breeds Yearling Heifer—30+ Entries

1st Opawa Simmental Stud with a Glen Anthony Warwick daughter.

All Breeds Yearling Bull - 20+ Entries

1st Opawa Simmental Stud with a Glen Anthony Warwick son.

What a thrill, South Island Breeders performing well with Glen Anthony bred cattle. Where were they at this year’s Beef Expo?

FEILDING BEST OF BEEF MARCH 2013

Sue Wyie does it at last. In the face of strong competition from the Glen Anthony show team, Sue Wylie wins her first Meat and Wool Cup with a really feminine two year old Simmental Heifer with an enormous bull calf at foot by Glen Anthony Y-arta.

What a thrill for all of us. Sue absolutely deserves this award for all the hard work she has put in over the years preparing and supporting the Glen Anthony Show Team.

Glen Anthony had a good show with seconds in the heifer calf, bull calf and 2yr old heifer sections and first placings in the Senior bull (Yale AY21), Yearling bull (Zodiac AZ22) and Yearling heifer (Zephyr AZ19) competitions

Yale was second to Sue Wylie’s heifer in the Meat and Wool Cup with Zodiac third.
The New Zealand Royal Show comes to Feilding in December 2013.

AUCKLAND COCA COLA EASTER SHOW 2013

We all rolled up to Auckland this Easter with Kimberley and Mark and family arriving early to prepare the stalls followed by Nancy Crawshaw and her mother Sue who this year joined the Glen Anthony crew - really great to have her positive approach and cheerful smiling presence.

She did a great job behind the scenes softening up the judges, and an even better job at the Motel mothering Nancy and Ella.

Sue Wylie and Ella Tweedie arrived next with the Nissan ute pulling Kimberley and Mark’s trailer laden with baylage and hay. Then Kevin rolled in with a truck and trailer load of cattle and Amy and I brought up the rear in the good old Isusu. Susan Best was busy attending to family matters and so we missed her cheerful positiveness.

John Scott officiated as the Simmental Judge.

Xena (AXII) won the Senior Cow Class ahead of Toffee Pop, Sue Wylie’s heifer and her
Y-arta bull calf won the two year heifer class over Ratalea Yule and her Y-Arta heifer calf, Zephyr won the yearling heifer class and AA21 Praise’s heifer calf by Warwick won the heifer calf class from six
Glen Anthony entries.

Sue took out the Champion Simmental Female with her 2 yr old heifer with calf at foot.

John Scott judged Y-arta to be Superior to Yale (AYII) in the Senior Bull Class, Zodiac (AZ22) to win over Zanzibar (AZ26) in the Yearling Bull Class and Sue’s Bull Calf to prevail over Glen Anthony’s five entries in the Bull Calf Class.

Glen Anthony Zodiac was judged Champion Male Simmental and in the final Breed Competition, lost to Sue’s Heifer who was judged Supreme Champion.

In the All Breed Classes Simmentals performed very well winning nine out of thirteen on the last day:

Cow and Heifer Performance Class - Toffee Pop First, Sue’s Heifer Third
Special Progeny Class- Toffee Pop First, Y-arta Second
Interbreed Heifer Calf- Glen Anthony AA21 First, Glen Anthony AA07 Second
Interbreed Bull Calf- Sue Wylie’s Bull Calf First, Glen Anthony AA33 Second
Interbreed Yearling Heifer- Glen Anthony Zephyr Second
Interbreed Yearling Bull- Glen Anthony Zodiac First, Glen Anthony Zanzibar Third
Interbreed 2yr Heifer- Sue Wylie First, Glen Anthony Second
Interbreed Senior Female- Toffee Pop Third
Interbreed Senior Bull- Glen Anthony Yale First, Glen Anthony Y-arta Second
Interbreed Group of Three- Glen Anthony Second Glen Anthony Third
Interbreed Group of Two- Glen Anthony First, Glen Anthony Third, Glen Anthony Fourth
Interbreed Team of Five- Glen Anthony Simmental First
Meat and Wool Cup - Hereford Senior Cow First, Sue Wylie Simmental Heifer Second

Another win for the Hereford Breed. They really have to be congratulated. The Peters family from Otorohanga performed very well. Their Senior Cow and Yearling Heifer were unbeatable.

FUTURE BEEFNZ HOOF AND HOOKS:

Our heavy weight steers failed to compete with the excellent entry of Herefords and it was left up to Tom Dever from Poko poko Station with his Glen Anthony bred steer and Jon Knauf from Kerrah Simmentals to win the Crosbred Steer Competitions.

Our heavyweight Simmental Purebred Steer was a victim of inconsistent scanning results. His eye muscle scanned 96 sq.cm on farm on 11/4, but only 89 at Feilding on 10/5. He could not compete on the hoof with the Hereford who scanned 104. On the hooks our steer’s carcass actually measured 106 sq.cm and the Hereford 97. This turn around came too late to score enough points to save the day. Not to worry, 342kg at 20 months, while being penilised for being over the optimum carcass weight, still made $1400.

Thanks must go to Amy Hoogenboom for preparing the steers on the day and congratulations for facing up to and overcoming a personally difficult weekend.

Congratulations also to Ella Tweedie. I was really proud of the way she presented herself, the way she presented and paraded her big Simmental crossbred steer ‘Horse’ and the way she spoke. Her speech over the public address system was great.

Ella has really come of age.

2012 — 2013 SEASON

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