Page 19 - NZ Hereford Magazine 2023

Grassmere’s Gallant genetics

Grassmere Poll Hereford Stud’s best buy to date is no doubt adds. “He was good across the board and his numbers
Te Anau-bred Monymusk Gallant. improved as he got older as his offspring came into the
The wisdom of buying this bull in 2013 has been repaid system. There’s a lot of his genetics all around the country at
many times. But they almost didn’t win the auction. a lot of the top studs.”
Chris had been impressed by Monymusk Gallant’s figures Each year the Jeffries would use Monymusk Gallant first
and was even more impressed when he went down to Te and then send him down to the Kanes in West Otago.
Anau to see him first hand. Because he couldn’t get to the Sons of Monymusk Gallant bred by the Jeffries were highly
auction, he arranged for a friend, Bruce Robertson, to bid up sought after and were top priced Hereford bulls three years
to $35,000. in a row (2016-18), with Grassmere Gallant 244 topping the
Chris listened to the auction via his phone but as Amanda table at $60,000.
recalls, it soon became clear their bid wasn’t going to be enough. “There’s a bit of luck involved I’m sure, but it did work very
“I was hanging out washing and Chris was on the phone well,” Chris says. Amanda adds, “It wouldn’t have worked if he
and I went and stood next to him and it got to about $42,000 hadn’t clicked with our cow herd, but he just did.”
and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, what are you doing, you’ve
got to stop’, and I thought, ‘I can’t cope with this’, so I carried
on hanging out the washing.”
The phone reception was dodgy and Chris wasn’t sure
what was happening at the auction as the price climbed to
$71,000. He thought they’d missed out and wondered who
bought him.
But it turned out they had just become half-owners of
the bull, thanks to their friend and fellow Hereford breeder
Robert Kane, who arrived at the sale just as it started. He and
the Jeffries had co-owned other bulls previously and when he
heard they were keen on Monymusk Gallant, Robert sensed
an opportunity.
“Bruce told him Chris was interested in this bull and he
goes, ‘Whatever Chris puts in, I’ll do the same’, but we didn’t
know any of that at the time,” Amanda says with a laugh.
“And the good thing is, he bred a big-priced bull that
actually bred on, because it doesn’t always happen,” Chris Monymusk Gallant 110089.

Grassmere Gallant 244 sold to the Beechwood and Richon studs for $60,000.

Year 2023 HEREFORD MAGAZINE 17