Hereford Expo 2007

Marc Robertson exhibits Duncraigen Xtend, the Hereford Reserve
Champion at the 2007 Meat & Wool New Zealand Beef Expo.

 

Guest judge Jack Woodburn and Hereford
associate judge Sam Hain of Beanbah
Herefords, Gisborne carry out due
diligence on the Hereford line up.

Another Hereford Expo honour, the title of Reserve Champion Hereford, went to the Duncraigen Stud of Bruce and Carolynn Robertson in Wyndham with Lot 21, Duncraigen Xtend 766.

Out of sire Platform Xavier 02 0541 P and dam Duncraigen Cynthia 40 (SBM) P the sire was one of a pair entered by the Duncraigen stable. They also won the points competition with the two sires. The points competition is awarded to the breeder with the best two animals exhibited at Expo. The second sire Duncraigen Xcellent 759 was cataloged as Lot 10 and was bred from sire Platform Xavier 02 0541 P and dam Duncraigen Milly 00496 P.

The four other top two-year-old sires were Lot 20, 3, 6, and 10.

The top price of $12,000 was made by the Duncraigen sire Lot 10, its stablemate Lot 21 and Reserve Champion Hereford commanded the next best price tag of $11,000 – making for a successful outing for the Southland based Robertsons.

The sale average was ahead of last year at $5306. Last year’s average was $5180. A number of passings were noted.

Heifer, Anric Mae 502 (Lot 31) was awarded the title Champion female, bred by Anne and Rick Middleton, principals of the Anric Stud at Warkworth. The heifer is by sire Waitaporiri Quester 03 0305 (ET) P and dam Anric Mae X202 P and sold for $3000 to the Hain Partnership, Gisborne.

Lorraine Peters of the Willowspring Stud near Otorohanga took out the Hereford Herdsperson of the Year title.

She says it was a great feeling being presented the award, which takes into account presentation of handler and animal, neatness of the stall and an overall affinity with the animal and other exhibitors.

At the 2007 Beef Expo a large crowd gathered to watch the judging in Arena Manawatu with Jack Woodburn working with associate judge Sam Hain of Beanbah Herefords in Gisborne. The crowd stayed for the sale, but the support wasn’t evident in prices or buying power.

 

Consistency comes up Trumps for
HEREFORD PRIME – AGAIN!

Chairman of Hereford Prime Laurie Paterson, left, President of NZ Herefords Bruce Robertson, Hereford Prime Marketing Manager Jane Allan and Councillor David Morrow with the prizes collected at the 2007 Steak of Origin challenge.  David entered his steak in partnership with Tony Marrett.

New Zealand’s most consistent branded beef – Hereford Prime – was yet again among finalists in the 2007 Steak of Origin Challenge.

Hereford Prime has been in the finals of the ever growing competition from its inception, five years ago says Hereford Prime Marketing Manager Jane Allan.

Hereford steaks were finalists in two of the four classes with David Morrow and Tony Marett of Ashburton, being placed third in the Best of Breed – British and Magills Meats of Te Awamutu placed second in the Best of Brand – Retailers, Wholesale and Foodservice category.

Guests at the awards evening, held in conjunction with the Meat & Wool Beef Expo in Palmerston North, were told when the competition began there were just 40 entries – this year a record of 240 were received.

Meat & Wool New Zealand chef, Greg Heffernan said taste and tenderness is what gets people coming back to the best steaks and where the most points are awarded by judges in the competition.

The other areas are; aroma, texture and juiciness.

Heffernan said when the competition began, the variance between the top 16 steaks was a lot wider than this year.

“After five years of Steak of Origin the variance has diminished.

“There was a level of tenderness that the steaks didn’t drop below, and farmers are producing what consumers want,” he says.

The judges this year were: TV’s ‘Game of Two Halves’ Martin Devlin, Commonwealth Bronze Medallist high jumper and New Zealand Beef and Lamb Sports Ambassador, Angela McKee, chef Greg Heffernan and Jason Strong of Catapult Genetics.

The overall supreme steak was entered by Chris and Karren Biddles, Angus breeders from Te Kopuru and the sirloin steak was chosen from 16 finalists.

Big River Takes Top Honours

Chris & Melissa Gibbs of Big River Herefords, Hamilton, took
top honours at the Meat & Wool Beef Expo, 2007, with sire
Big River Xavier 05 501.

Chris and Melissa Gibbs, both with farming backgrounds, began their Hereford stud in 2002 on a small property with 11 cows and a couple of bulls.

They then decided to undertake what was supposed to be a small expansion project and buy 50acres. Instead they ended up buying 1000acres and haven’t looked back.

“It grew into a passion,” says Chris.

Now after 27 years in the motoring industry, Chris says he and Melissa are in the process of scaling back the car aspect of their business so they can concentrate on farming and breeding Herefords.

“Farming is in the blood,” he says.

They now farm a total of 526ha (1300acres) and have a registered Hereford herd of just under 600 cows, including heifers to be mated and the integrated herds of Big River and Graymar, which this calving season will all come under the Big River prefix.

Chris says they farm in the heart of dairy country in Waikato and they breed cattle to meet that market while also focusing on growing a following of commercial beef farmers and establishing themselves as a seedstock producer.

The Gibbs took both their sires home from Expo and plan to use them in their own herd – a decision they made after spending close to $1m on Hereford genetics themselves in the past few years, and feeling the bulls would be best put to use over their own cows.

“They were our only two bulls left from the 2005 calf drop.”

It was the first time Chris and Melissa have attended the Expo in their own right. Last year they attended with a lot of help and support from other breeders, namely John and Bernice Loveridge of Keelryn and their daughter Keely Wisnewski (Wisbaridge) and achieved a fifth placing overall.

“They made it possible for us to be there. Their input, passion and enthusiasm has been a big help in the past few years,” says Chris.

Looking ahead for the Big River Stud, Chris says they are already planning for next year’s Expo and are ecstatic to have won the Champion Hereford title.

The couple plan to host their first private sale of two-year-old sires next year and are likely to offer a selection of in-calf heifers also.

Click here for the 2007 Beef Expo photo gallery