SECRETARY GENERAL'S NEWSLETTER

17th Edition April 2008

The weather is usually the opening topic of most conversations in the farming industry. The reason is simple. It dictates farmer’s lives and their livelihoods. Hereford breeders down under are now hoping the winter will hold off until some warm rains bring late autumn growth while those in the northern regions are eagerly awaiting the warmth of summer. The drought in some areas of New Zealand and Australia is extremely serious and will have repercussions for a number of years in the future. Adversity brings out the best in us or so they say and I have heard some very encouraging stories of how Herefords have held on well in the harsh conditions. It just would be better if we did not have to prove it all the time.

Hereford tours are a great way to catch up with fellow breeders and friends. The New Zealand Hereford Association has just held their National tour in the Waikato area which is probably one of the most intensive grassland farming regions in New Zealand. Those on tour however were saddened to see some farms under real drought pressure.

The scenery will be quite different on my next Hereford tour. I plan to attend the American Hereford Association’s National Hereford Tour which will be centered in Nashville on May 20-24. A fun-filled week in Dixie is planned including the opportunity to see some of the breed’s leading genetics and experience Southern hospitality and country music. I am looking forward to that experience and to meeting more Hereford breeders. I also noticed that “Gallaghers” will be a major sponsor of that tour. Those attending the World Hereford Conference will have an opportunity to meet the Chief Executive of the Gallagher group, Mr Bill Gallagher as he has agreed to speak on the topic of world trade at our conference. I intend to profile Bill Gallagher in the next newsletter.

Some of our more mature breeders will remember Neville Kirk who passed away in March. Neville was well known throughout the Hereford world but 20 years of retirement and the passing of so many of those of his era will have seriously reduced his recognition among today's breeders. Geoff Taylor, Herefords Australia’s commercial development and industry liason officer, was able to deliver a most fitting eulogy on behalf of many Hereford friends at Neville’s funeral in March.

Obituary – Neville Kirk BEM Neville Kirk, long serving General Manager (retired) of the Australian Hereford Society passed away on March 4 following a lengthy illness. He was 80 years of age. Neville was appointed to the AHS staff as records assistant on November 1, 1948 after discharge from the Royal Australian Navy. He was elevated to CEO on 1st January, 1955 and retired on November 1, 1988, the 40th anniversary of his appointment to staff. Neville’s circle of friends and associates in the Hereford world was global. He was an advisor to delegates at seven World Hereford Conferences. The high point of his career was the highly acclaimed 5th World Hereford Conference held in Sydney in 1968 in which he played a key organizing roll. Neville’s service to the Australian Beef Industry was recognized in the Queensland New Year’s Honours of 1989 where he was awarded the British Empire Medal.

Mr Soren Hansson , the President of the Danish Hereford Society, intends to send monthly newsletters to those interested in the World Hereford conference and tours. The March newsletter is printed below and if you wish to be placed on the email list to receive these newsletters please contact Soren at sha@hereford.dk

March Newsletter from Denmark

The conference will include six two hourly sessions. Each session will contain country reports and speakers covering different themes.
One session will be titled DNA- A Competitor or a Partner and the two speakers for this session will be Jonathon Beever from USA and John McEwan from New Zealand.

John McEwan John McEwan is a senior scientist who works for AgResearch’s Animal Genomics group based in New Zealand. During the past 30 years he has concentrated on the genetics and genomics of carcass quality and disease resistance. He works with cattle, sheep, and deer. John developed the first deer genetic evaluations in New Zealand with Dr Peter Amer and the current NZ sheep genetic evaluation system (SIL) with Dr Sheryl-Anne Newman. John’s background in quantitative genetics research, industry delivery of breeding values, commercial DNA performance marker development, and creation of the SNP resources for whole genome selection give him a broad perspective of the utility of DNA markers and their place in beef cattle genetic improvement.

One session will be devoted to Hereford Attributes.

Latest news re The World Hereford Show

World Hereford Show Party

Right after the conference in Copenhagen the post conference tour begins in Denmark. On Friday July 4 you’ll attend The World Hereford Show.
After a hopefully spectacular show The World Hereford Show Party commences at 7pm in a big party tent at the show grounds. The party is over at 1am the following morning. There will be a big buffet, music and dance for everybody – conference participants, other overseas visitors, members of the Danish Hereford Society and invited guests. We hope for 400 people at the party.

Judge at the World Hereford Show

John McMordie from Northern Ireland will judging The World Hereford Show. John McMordie owns and runs the well-known Solpoll herd and he is a most acknowledged judge and breeder in Great Britain.

New Trophy for the Supreme Champion

At the World Hereford Show a new challenge cup, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s Honorable Trophy, will be presented to the owner of the Supreme Champion. The trophy will be presented by no other than His Royal Highness. Also, Prince Joachim is the protector of the 15th WHC Conference.
Right after the grand finale all exhibitors, national and international guests – and His Royal Highness Prince Joachim – will meet at the Hereford barns. We’ll all congratulate the winners and a toast will be proposed (champagne) to honor the winners and their fine animals. It is a tradition that the champagne is sponsored by last year’s winners.

Five heifers in a silent sale

On Friday, July 4 the organizers of the World Hereford Show have prepared a silent sale. Five open or bred Hereford heifers of the highest possible quality will be sold in a silent sale. Anyone interested can place her/his bids from 8am in the morning. Overseas visitors can bid as well; but we recommend you to check with your country’s import regulations.
To sharpen everybody’s appetite the five maximum bids will be announced at 7 pm at the beginning of the World Hereford Show Party and again at 8 pm. Then you have another hour to negotiate with your wallet (and wife) and make your final bid on a Hereford Star. At 9 pm the new owners of the five Herefords will be announced. – The Hereford Stars will shine all night and make five happy Hereford breeders even happier.

Two Hereford heifers in a lottery

The silent sale will not be your only opportunity to become the owner of a Danish Hereford. The organizers have planned two lotteries. The prize of each lottery will be another top quality Hereford heifer. For each lottery there will be 500 tickets and each ticket will be DDK 100 or approx 14 Euros or approx 20 US dollars.
The winners will be drawn right after the silent sale winners have been announced. Dear Hereford enthusiast! This is an awesome winning opportunity!

Sale and lottery heifers on WHC web site

From mid May each sale and lottery heifer will be marketed at www.worldhereford.com – including picture, pedigree, and a specification.

Bilingual Danish Hereford Journal

In June 2008 we will publish a voluminous edition of the Herefordbladet – the Danish Hereford Journal. This special edition is published in English and Danish.

For more information see: www.worldhereford.com

Regards to all
Jan

16th Edition March 2008

2008 is going to be a very exciting year for Hereford breeders. The 15th World Hereford conference will be held in Copenhagen in June/July and members of the World Hereford Council will meet to discuss the latest technology in beef breeding and exchange marketing ideas. Four countries, Finland, Sweden Denmark and Norway have combined their resources to host the conference and visitors will be treated to pre and post tours which will complement the conference. A range of specialized speakers from all parts of the world have been invited to address the conference which promises to be both informative and enjoyable. The conference will be divided into six two hourly sessions, each with a different theme.

The President of the Danish Hereford Society, Mr Soren Hansson, plans to circulate monthly newsletters publishing conference and tour updates for all those who are interested . If you did not receive the February newsletter and would like to receive the newsletters please notify Soren at this address sha@hereford.dk

February Newsletter from Denmark

The first speaker in the opening session will be Dr Hans Graser from the Animal Genetics Breeding Unit in Armidale Australia. Hans grew up in Southern Germany in a semi rural community. After graduating with a Doctor degree from the University of Hohenhein (outside Stuttgart) Hans received a two year scholarship from the German Research Foundation to spend his post doctoral time in Australia at the Animal Genetics Breeding Unit. Upon completion of his post doctorate he returned for a short period to the University of Hohenheim before joining the New South Wales Department of Agriculture in 1984 as a livestock scientist stationed at AGBU. In 1992 he was appointed the technical director of AGBU and was responsible for the different research projects for the pig and beef industries, in particular those programs that delivered improved genetic evaluation systems. The World Hereford Council commissioned AGBU to undertake a feasibility study and research the possibility of a multi country evaluation which allows for genetic correlation between countries. Dr Hans Graser will present his findings on this study.

	Valtra tractors stand out from the competition not only in terms of performance and features, but also due to the fact that each tractor is custom built to meet the requirements of the customer. Valtra´s operations are highly focused on individual customer requirements. The close and continuous interaction with tractor users has allowed the company to develop products and services to suit the four contrasting seasons of northern climates, as well as to the heat of the tropics. The extreme climate conditions combined with heavy use have made Valtras reliable and durable, but at the same time safe and ergonomic. A performance and functional advantages of Valtra tractors are based on active product development and technical innovations. By listening to and understanding customer’s requirements and how he wishes to use the tractor, the finished product will be the most efficient and appropriate tractor for the job. Valtra à la Carte offers up to half a million unique combinations of performance characteristics and equipment to create an individual tractor for individual owners. The roots of Valtra tractors are in Scandinavia representing the culmination of two traditions: Finland´s Valmet and Sweden´s Volvo BM. The roots of both Valtra and Volvo go back to Eskilstuna Mekaniska Werksad, founded 1832 by Theodor Munktell in Sweden. A hundred years later in 1932 Munktells merged with ship engine manufacturer Bolinders to form Bolinder-Munktell (BM). Munktell built the first agricultural tractor in Scandinavia in 1913. In 1950 Volvo acquired Bolinder-Munktell. Meanwhile, tractor production was also being developed in Finland. In 1951, the State Metal Works (Valmet) began manufacturing Valmet tractors. In 1960 Valmet expanded tractor production to South America, establishing a tractor plant in Brazil. In 1979 Valmet acquired the tractor operations of Volvo BM, thus combining the two largest and most advanced Nordic tractor manufacturers. Thanks to the combined model line-up, Valmet became the overwhelming market leader in the Nordic region in the 1980s. By 2001 Valmet had been manufacturing tractors in Finland for 50 years. At the same time, the company and brand were renamed Valtra. Today Valtra is a rapidly growing and international company. Valtra is one of the four key brands of the American AGCO Corporation, which is the third biggest manufacturer of agricultural machines in the world. Major investments have been made at the factory in Finland in recent years, including a new, modern R & D Centre that was inaugurated last year. Over 80 percent of the tractors manufactured in Finland are exported and sold in more than 70 countries worldwide. Valtra is the most popular tractor brand in the Nordic markets and second most popular tractor brand in South America. Valtra is also the fourth biggest tractor manufacturer in the Western world. Success builds on success, which is currently reflected in a very healthy order book.
Valtra Facts: • Valtra is the most popular tractor brand in the Nordic countries, the second most popular tractor brand in South America, and the fourth biggest tractor manufacturer in the Western world. • Established in 1951 in Finland. Valtra´s tractor plants are located in Suolahti, Finland and in Mogi das Cruzes in Brazil. Valtra tractors are also manufactured under licence in Turkey and India. • The factories in Finland and Brazil created a combined turnover of around 900 MEUR and employed 2100 persons in 2007. • Last year a total of 10,767 tractors were built in Finland and 10,990 tractors in Brazil. • Valtra is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation. • For more information see: www.valtra.com

Booking agency Hansen Conference & Event

Charlotte Bäckström
When you walk around in Copenhagen you can now see smiling faces, people are going out more and later.
It is because, soon it will be spring in the Northern countries. This we have noticed in our booking system for the World Hereford Conference. If you want to have the possibility to book your favourite hotel it is time now......first come first served.
For more information see: www.worldhereford.com

Regards to all
Jan

15th Edition - October 2007

The value of promotion, whether it be for the breed, an individual animal or ones stud or sale is very hard to assess. We all desire value for money but making an accurate evaluation of any chosen promotion is difficult to measure. Breed promotion tends to be either the Association or Society’s responsibility and gaining media attention for a breed related item is not always easy. Promotion for the breed is also listed in the objectives for the World Hereford Council so ideas which create media or breeder interest are always very welcome.

One of the latest terms used in promotion is experiential marketing. This type of marketing gives customers the opportunity to engage and interact with the brand, service or product. The term experiential marketing refers to actual customer experiences with the produce which increases brand or product awareness. It is the difference between telling people about a product and letting them experience the benefits of the product themselves. When done right it is the most powerful tool out there to win brand loyalty.

I was wondering how experiential marketing could be applied to selling bulls or females. One such promotion carried out by a group of Hereford breeders in Germany last September possibly comes as close as we can get to experiential marketing.
Registered pure bred heifers from a number of different breeders were gathered in one area and then depastured with an imported sire from Scotland. The group of Hereford breeders combined their resources to create real interest in their product and a real focal point for the breed. I would like to congratulate the group of German Hereford breeders on their initiative. It was a very successful marketing event.

This a report of the sale.

Early in May, thirty first class heifers were gathered together and grazed on grassland belonging to the Hergen Eickhorst farm in Sandhatten, Lower Saxony.

This heifer project was based on the idea of pooling top heifers to reflect today’s variety of Hereford genetics available in Germany. The option was either to auction the in calf heifers in autumn or to take them back to their original home in order to introduce new blood through the herd sire used. This was especially interesting for farmers with smaller herds.

The auction was held on the 29th of September 2007. It was the first nationwide heifer project for the German Hereford Society and it was deemed a great success. The heifers were in calf to Romany 1 Classic R5 C14 owned by Hergen Eickhorst and bred by JRB Wilson & Sons, of Kelso, Scotland. This bull combines new genetics from polled and horned backgrounds (Dorepoll 1 Royalist x Free Town Longfellow).

The auction at the Eickhorst farm attracted a diverse audience of breeders, keepers and interested new purchasers. After the introduction of the animals by the new breeding inspector of the German Hereford Society, Dr. Margret Roffeis, everybody sat down for an evening meal in expectation of the auction to follow. The heifers were presented in groups of two. They were in excellent condition and made an impressive sight.

Thanks to the professional handling by the auctioneer Mr. Torsten Kirstein of Masterrind Verden, all the animals offered were sold for an acceptable price.

The German Hereford breeders are very excited about the project and they are looking forward to seeing the progeny next year Altogether this year’s heifer project was a resounding success and therefore will be resumed next year.

Another very successful marketing project which was the Annual Tennessee Hereford Marketing Program Sale held on October 29th
One thousand and eight head of age, source and health verified Herefords and Hereford-crosses brought $55,000 in premiums for more than 75 consignors. The Certified Hereford Beef® (CHB) and Hereford Verified eligible calves from seven states – Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee – were sold at the Tennessee Livestock producers’ Barn in Columbia, TN.

A University of Tennessee analysis revealed that compared to the week’s Tennessee auction average, some consignors earned on average, an additional $69.15 per head by participating in organized marketing efforts, bringing together the numbers and verification that feeders demand.

Headed by the Tennessee Horned and Polled Hereford Associations, and backed by a strong team of representatives from this year’s seven consigning states, the sale has met and far exceeded its initial goal: to obtain the quoted average price of all cattle seeing in auctions across the state of Tennessee.

John Woolfolk, newly elected American Hereford Association (AHA) board member, Hereford breeder and Marketing Specialist for Tennessee Livestock Producers said that these Hereford cattle topped the Tennessee sales for the week because they were part of a program.

“These cattle were feedlot ready. Our producers listened to what the feeders demanded in a health program and weaned the calves and gave the proper shots weeks before the sale. We limited the number of problem cattle like late cuts, poor doers and sick cattle. We sorted the calves into feeding outcome groups and created invaluable uniformity.”

Woolfolk added that a key point to the sales success was a group effort by everybody involved. He said that the producers, Merial Animal Health, The Tennessee Department of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee and the American Hereford Association all exhibited a spirit of cooperation with their minds all focused on the feedlot customer. This year’s sale drew buyers from as far away as Iowa and Kansas.

The American Hereford Association has recently held its Annual Membership meeting. Hank DeShazer from Hearne, in Texas was announced as the new president of the Association and three new board members, Jerry Huth, James Milligan and John Woolfolk were elected to the board. Hank De Shaver owns the De Shaver Cattle Company where about 400 Hereford calves are born and approximately 150-200 bulls are sold by private treaty. Hank says his aims for the AHA include growing the Certified Hereford beef program, gaining more Hereford market share and general breed improvement.

Pictured left is the 2007-08 American Hereford Association (AHA) Board of Directors. Seated (l to r) are: Hank DeShazer, Hearne, Texas, President; Bill King, Stanley, N.M.; Bill Cox, Pomeroy, Wash.; Lee Haygood, Canadian, Texas; Craig Huffhines, Kansas City, Mo., Executive Vice President; and Paul Slayton, Bedford, Pa. Directors standing (l to r) are: James Milligan, Kings, Ill.; Marshall Ernst, Windsor, Colo.; Bob Harrell Jr., Baker City, Ore.; Jerry Huth, Oakfield, Wis.; Denny Hoffman, McArthur, Calif; and John Woolfolk, Jackson, Tenn. Not pictured is Director Wes Hudson, Harrison, Ark

Regards to all
Jan

14th Edition - June 2007

The South African Hereford Society recently celebrated its 90th Anniversary with a birthday dinner at Maselspoort Resort near Bloemfontein. A number of long service awards were presented to members who had bred and registered Herefords for many years.

The longest continuous registered Hereford stud award was presented to Lawrence Moorcroft of the Syferpan Hereford stud. The Moorcroft family first imported Herefords from England in 1901 and then imported and registered cattle as soon as the Society began registrations in 1917.

Other long service awards included presentations to Brian Griffin, Dirk Louw and Hans Koster who were pictured enjoying the judging at the Bloemfontein Show which was also held that day.

The show attracted a good display of Herefords for the judge Piet Rossouw and he had no hesitation in awarding an outstanding three year old bull Sanniesguns Bassis 3065 the Supreme Champion ribbon. Bassis was expertly exhibited by Hendrik Joubert and his team. The younger bull classes were very keenly contested with Zuikerkop Candy Mixer taking out the Junior Champion award. Next day this bull went on to win the coveted All Breeds Junior Champion prize. Click here for pictures in Success Stories

After I attended the Bloemfontein Show and dinner, the South African Hereford Society President George Nefdt arranged an amazing tour of farms and Hereford herds for me to visit. I enjoyed the wonderful hospitality from all the breeders and marveled at how well the Hereford herds were looking in spite of adverse drought conditions in some areas. I also marveled at the ability of Hereford breeders to excel in a diverse range of other farming enterprises.

My first visit was to the Clocolan area where the Zuikerkop stud is situated. The Hereford stud is farmed in conjunction with Dr Carl Scholtz ‘s busy veterinarian practice and his wife Elmein’s Bio Sculpture business. Elmein and Carl developed a beautician product which strengthens fingernails. The popularity of the product is growing very rapidly world–wide and the Scholtz’s business management so impressed judges that Elmein was named the business person of the year.

I then traveled to the Cape to see the Crest Herefords grazing very contentedly on the veld. The Barry family have a fascinating history having farmed and provided a number of services, including a shipping service to and from Cape Town, to early settlers in the area. The storeroom built at Wiltsand in 1849 is still in good condition and stands as a reminder of yesteryear.

Around the other side of the Cape I visited the Locheim Hereford stud where Herefords are run in conjunction with a most successful grain growing operation. William de Waal and his son Philip recently won the Grain Farmer of the Year award and their farming practices are most impressive. The interaction between cultivated crops and pastoral grazing systems compliment each other and reduce the need for fertilizers and chemical control.

I then flew to East London where I began my tour of the Natal Hereford breeders. Lawrence and Heather Moorcroft were my next hosts and I was fascinated by their meticulous preservation of many historic Hereford journals, documents, trophies and photographs. Fertility and productivity are paramount for the Syferpan Hereford herd so it was not surprising to learn that they had won the South African Cow Group of the Year award having an average calving interval of 360 days. The herd has averaged 365 days calving interval for ten years which is a marvelous achievement on the veld and a tribute both to Lawrence and to the Hereford breed.

A trip to South Africa would not be complete without seeing some of their famous wild animals and I was fortunate to see many varieties of bucks and some rhinos, giraffes and zebras in my travels. They are all so magnificent to see but not quite so easy to photograph unless one has endless time and patience and I was not blessed with either attribute.

I was able to visit Peter Budler and his family at Tarkastad and it was great to catch up with Peter again as I had met Peter at the National Western Stock Show in Denver in January. I was particularly interested in seeing how some of the American genetics had merged with genetics bred on the veld.

My next hosts were Russell and Ellen Clark at Dordrecht. The KMR Herefords graze high up in the mountains and the views they get of the Drakensberg mountain range is most spectacular. The KMR herd won the Eastern Cape Regional ABC/ABSA Herd of the Year award for the 10th consecutive year and won the National Award in 2006. The prize includes a trip to the recently held Beef Improvement Federation congress in Denver. There seemed little hope of the drought breaking as winter was approaching but the Merinos and Herefords were coping very well with the extremely dry conditions. A small daily ration of a protein mix and plenty of nice clean water had kept all the stock in reasonable condition.

I traveled the famous tourist route through the Barcly Pass to my next hosts Gerard and Verna Botha. The Nagenoeg herd is small but the young females I saw were very impressive. I was fascinated by the natural sandstone covered yards built under a huge hanging rock which gives wonderful shelter to the ewes in the most severe weather conditions. A ledge on the rock holds an emergency supply of small hay bales for cattle that also use the rock for shelter.

My next hosts were situated on the other side of the Transkai at Kokstad. Piet and Anne Louwrens, with their sons Peter and David, farm Herefords, Angus and a large herd of cross bred Brahmans. As there had been a fire in the maize crop the morning, I arrived the Malina Herefords had been yarded for safety so it was very easy to see the whole herd. The Louwrens have found many advantages in cross breeding and in their situation the best attributes of both breeds have enabled them to increase their overall economic value by approximately R800 per head.

Next morning I visited the Arbor Hereford stud where Pat Eustace and his son John farm at Himeville. The views from the top of the farm are quite amazing. What a shame farmers have to share this magnificent place with so many predators. I was very impressed by the Hereford herd and the sire, the polo ponies and the new Merino rams.

The Hereford breed is very adaptable and so it seems are their breeders for I found my next hosts have successfully diversified into chicken farming. The Griffin family has managed that so well that they were recently presented with the Golden Comb Award for the most successful chicken farmer of the year. Jane, Brian and Graham have had a long association with Herefords but have managed to compliment Hereford breeding with the exacting science of their new enterprise. I inspected the show team and then drove to see the herd which was grazing on the veld. Again with a small amount of protein lick the cows were able to sustain themselves very well on natural vegetation.

Howard Long‘s Craigdarrock farm was my next visit in Dargle. The attractive layout of the farm was perfectly complimented by the cows grazing on stubble and the bulls on lovely green pasture. Howard has also diversified into chicken farming and plans to extend that enterprise which complements his agricultural activities.

My last farm visit was near Hermannsberg where I met Ewald and Ruth Köhne. Once again I found an enthusiastic multi-skilled Hereford breeder who was the Tree Farmer of the Year. Ewald won the NTC award in 2006 and this award recognizes members who display excellence in sustainable forestry practice, including social, environmental and economic aspects. I inspected the show team and heifers behind an electric fence - a practice I did not find that common in South Africa. That evening I met President George Nefdt and his wife Corné at the Montello restaurant and game park and then next day I spent time at the Nampo Agricultural show before flying back to New Zealand.

The natural attributes of our breed adapt easily to whatever conditions they are exposed to and whether they are required as a straight breed or needed to enhance qualities in cross breeding programs, the Hereford breed in South Africa is fulfilling a role.

I returned to New Zealand with some wonderful memories of the people I met and the cattle I saw. I am also confident that the Hereford breed is playing, and will continue to play, an important part in the beef industry in South Africa.

Other News

Dubbo

Blaine and Sharon Brost dropped into New Zealand on their way to Dubbo and are pictured here with Chris Chesterman at the Koanui Sale in Havelock North. A few days later a massive crowd of onlookers were present at the Dubbo National Poll Hereford Show in Australia to enjoy watching judge Blaine Brost and his wife Shannon, of Brost Cattle Co in Irvine, Canada, assess the high-performing line-up of whiteface cattle.

The Day family's Allendale stud yet again took out a swag of ribbons, also scooping the pool to take home the coveted President's Shield Trophy - awarded for the best of three bulls.

The high-performing, well presented bulls were amongst the biggest sellers at this year's Dubbo National Poll Hereford Show and Sale.

Breeders from around the country again presented another stellar whiteface offering, with Lot 136, Allendale Vengeance A49, offered by the Day family's Allendale stud at Bordertown in South Australia, selling for the top price of $37,500.

Sired by Allendale National W168, the 2006 Sire of the Year, Vengeance weighed in at 980 kilograms with an eye muscle area of 128cm/sq. He was sashed third in his class in the previous day's show. The 25-month-old bull was purchased jointly between by the Hain family's Gunyah stud, Cooma, and the Pearce family's Yavenvale stud, Adelong.

Grand Champion Bull, Lot 135 Allendale Vagabond A74, sold for the sale's second top price of $35,000. Sired by Allendale Rosemount and out of Suzelle Marline U54, Vagabond placed first in his class and took out the Senior Champion Bull title. Vagabond was purchased by the Laucke Merrina Poll Hereford stud at Bordertown, SA.

The Allendale stud also took out the event's Most Successful Exhibitor award for the best overall performance in the show and sale ring. There will be some photos under the Success tab as soon as they become available.

New Zealand Beef Expo

Chris and Melissa Gibbs of the Big River Stud near Hamilton were awarded the title by judge Jack Woodburn for the sire Big River Xavier 05 501 – catalogued as Lot 26. By sire Kairuru Xavier 02 0011P and out of dam Harbour Hills Bella U674 (SBM) the bull was one of two offered by the Gibbs.

Visitors to New Zealand Beef Expo included Urpu Tanner from Finland and BartJan Koopmans of The Netherlands, both traveled to New Zealand recently on holiday and to view Hereford genetics at work. They are both involved with Herefords in different ways. BartJan: "I have a small herd of Herefords and Texel sheep. I am also member of the Dutch and Danish Hereford Society. On our farm we also have a farmstay and children stay for holidays on our farm." Urpu: "I am living on the Hereford and dairy farm of my brother and I work here also. I am a member of the Finnish Hereford Society and write for our magazine sometimes." They are both taking Herefords to their local shows. The pair met each other at the European Hereford Conference in Ireland at 2005. "Herefords are really bringing people together!" they say.

The American Hereford Association has recently been studying how New Zealand Performance Beef Breeders works with the hope of implementing some of the successful strategies in the States. The visit by Stacy Sanders AHA Director of records (pictured left) was made as they begin to provide services and recording for five other breeds. NZPBB provides services and administration for nine breeds He was confident of taking home ideas to implement.

Last week I attended the New Zealand Society of Animal production conference in Wanaka.
The papers of particular interest to me and I am sure to most pedigree and performance breeders of all animals were the papers presented by Ben Hayes of Australia, John McEwan and Chris Morris of New Zealand, on Genetic Technologies for Livestock breeding. As soon as the papers are available I will put them on the web site under research.

While attending the conference it snowed and completely disrupted all travel arrangements for those attending the conference however I could not resist snapping some Hereford bull calves that were not at all frustrated by the weather conditions.

Australia - Herefords Australia launch July 2

Herefords Australia Limited (HAL) is set to take the breed forging forward in both the Australian
market and abroad with new commercially-focused initiatives and significant cost savings for members.
Inaugural HAL President, Andy Mackay said the combined resources of the Australian Hereford
Society (AHS) and Australian Poll Hereford Society (APHS) made the joint venture a formidable
force among Australian breed societies.

"This joint venture involving both horned and poll Hereford breed societies marks a new frontier for
Australian Herefords and the HAL Board and members are thrilled with the opportunities we are creating," Mr Mackay said.

The joint venture kicks off on July 1 from the current APHS head office at Armidale, NSW under the
management of APHS General Manager Warren Clark who becomes HAL General Manager.

"This joint venture has been the result of a tremendous amount of effort from the boards and management of both breed societies and it has been done to increase the level of resources available," Mr Mackay said.

"We now have added resources to do effective industry extension and breed development work."

The combined registrations of both horned and poll Herefords propels HAL to the second largest
breed society with about 40,000 animals.

Current long-standing AHS General Manager, Geoff Taylor will take on a new role as HAL
Commercial Development and Industry Liaison Manager.

"This new role is an example of how the combined human and capital resources of both societies have
propelled the breed in a new direction," Mr Mackay said.

"We have now got Geoff Taylor - a well-connected and experienced breed administrator who understands the industry - working directly with feedlots and researchers."

"Geoff is working closely with industry and bringing direction and advice back to seedstock producers."

Mr Mackay says HAL is set to dramatically boost the profile of Whiteface cattle and promote excellent
marketplace results such as this year's Victorian High Country and Western District weaner sales
where Hereford calves lead the charge in cents per kilogram returns.

New initiatives will be launched as HAL forges forward with largescale breed development plans.

The first initiative is the HAL Hereford Feedlot Ready program which gives producers a three-step
animal health program aimed at preparing cattle that will do well under lotfeeding conditions.

A comprehensive survey of eastern Australian feedlots and engaging feedlot veterinary consultant
Kevin Sullivan have given the program a strong footing for further development.

Other HAL priorities include helping producers supply the burgeoning Russian export market which is
demanding quality Hereford heifers and has presented excellent opportunities for Australian producers.

Further north work will begin shortly to develop a Hereford-based influencer animal for northern
Australian herds chasing the excellent meat quality of Hereford cattle.

"This is an exciting time for the breed and we have already begun working with stock agents to drive
new marketing initiatives to complement HAL's industry extension work."

Amy McGregor
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Phone: 02 6772 1399 - Fax: 02 6772 1615
Locked Bag 7, ARMIDALE NSW 2350 - 16 Uralla Road, ARMIDALE NSW 2350
amcgregor@herefordsaustralia.com.au - www.herefordsaustralia.com.au

Details as of July 2
Herefords Australia Limited
Website: www.herefordsaustralia.com.au
Email: info@herefordsaustralia.com.au
Phone: 02 6772 1399

Regards to all
Jan

13th Edition - April 2007

The New Zealand Annual Hereford Journal has just been released and the cover photo and lead article features the McKenzie family and the Maungahina Stud which is situated in Masterton, lower North Island , New Zealand. Donald McKenzie established the Maungahina Hereford Stud in 1907 and in June 2007 the McKenzie family will celebrate 100 years of continuous Hereford breeding. The celebration will take place in conjunction with their 62nd annual bull sale in June.

Bruce (right) is the fourth generation of McKenzies to farm at Maungahina and although he is now living off the farm he is still actively involved in the day to day activities of the stud. Fifth generation son Mark (left) has inherited the McKenzie stock sense and will continue Hereford breeding at Maungahina. On behalf of all Hereford breeders around the world, I congratulate the family on a wonderful achievement and thank them for their contribution to the Hereford breed.

Another person to have a huge influence on the Hereford breed was American, Orville Sweet. Orville died in Springfield, on April 19th, at the age of 83 years. Orville will be fondly remembered as a leader and friend to the Hereford breed and livestock industry. He served as president/executive secretary of the American Polled Hereford Association (APHA) from 1963-79 and authored Birth of a Breed: The History of Polled Herefords – America’s First Beef Breed. This book is a wonderful reference of the first major cattle breed developed in America. Birth of a Breed traces the heritage of Herefords without horns. It is a well written, informative and a fascinating book and one which I thoroughly recommend any pedigree breeder to read.
“Mr. Sweet was truly one of the fine gentlemen to serve the beef industry,” says Craig Huffhines, American Hereford Association (AHA) executive vice president. “And he had a wide sweeping influence in the livestock industry. He was active and influential in many livestock industry associations and well-known for his speeches, averaging more than 100 speeches a year in 49 states and 63 countries during his career. His influence in the Hereford breed will not be forgotten."

Other news from America is the announcement that Vita Ferm a product line of BioZyme Inc is to be a sponsor of the 2007 Junior National Hereford Expo on July 7-14, in Denver. This $35,000 sponsorship is absolutely amazing and one I am sure will be greatly appreciated by all those associated in this event. The president of BioZyme, Mr Bob Norton explains that Vita Ferm gives financial support to the JNHE because it encourages young people interested in the future of production agriculture. The Junior National Hereford Expo is an event of great magnitude and importance to Hereford families all over the country. Last year’s event featured more than 600 exhibitors from 38 states, making it one of the largest junior breed shows in the U.S. The experiences, opportunities and friendships gained are so great that many families choose the JNHE as their annual vacation destination.

Young Hereford breeders are the future of our breed and it is quite heart warming to see and hear of so many young people who are interested or have an interest in our breed. New Zealand is often the destination for young travellers.

Scott Harvie from Harvie Farms in Calgary in Canada recently visited a number of Hereford Studs in New Zealand. Pictured with Scott is Hereford breeder Charles Lee from Hawkes Bay.

Maria Gonzalo from the Rio Pico, the Hereford and Merino Stud in Argentina, has spent some time in Australia and is now travelling around New Zealand.

And in Europe, Lennart (President of the Swedish Hereford Cattle Society) & Britta Andersson’s son is currently touring Ireland, learning English and the tricks of the trade from the Farrell family

Severe drought in many parts of Australia is putting a lot of pressure on our Hereford breeders at the moment and sadly there has been no real rain in some parts of the country for years. A great deal of credit must be given to the exhibitors who overcame the difficulties and prepared cattle for the Sydney Royal Show. These exhibitors promoted our breed with style and I thank them for their efforts.
One of the most pleasing results came when Red Hill Blue Boy, sired by Mawara Nostalgia, was awarded the Best Hereford Exhibit. Nostalgia was a Sydney champion in 2004 and it is very pleasing to hear he has bred so well for the Victorian-based Fraser family’s Red Hill Hereford stud, who paid $60,000 for the sire.

Full results from the Sydney Show can be seen on the "Success Stories" page.

Click here to go to the Success Stories page.

In May the South African Hereford Society will celebrate their 90th birthday and I am delighted to be able to attend the celebrations. A full report of the event will be in my next newsletter.

Regards to all
Jan

12th Edition - February 2007

A number of our Hereford member Associations or Societies release their breed journals at this time of the year. It is so exciting to receive copies and see reviews of the year’s Hereford activities and even more exciting to read of the successes our breed is enjoying at the moment.

I was particularly interested in an article in the 2007 United Kingdom Hereford Breed Journal written by Kenneth Bowe featuring Shraden Herefords and the change in their marketing strategy.
When I visited the U.K. in 2005 I noticed a number of farm-gate businesses and under the ‘Hereford Prime’ tab, on this web site, I wrote an article about two farms I visited which were selling Hereford meat from their properties. The Bowe article explains how the Timmins family have maximised the margin of the produce from their farm.

Mike and Hazel Timmins’s Moor Farm is in Baschurch near Shrewsbury. They were encouraged to open a farm shop by their two daughters, Melisa and Elaine, who are also very actively involved in the Hereford Young Members Association. Pctured: Hazel Timmins and her daughters Melisa and Elaine at the Moor Farm shop.

Quoting from the article, Mrs Timmins said “The shop has altered the running of the whole farm and although it is very early days, the way it is going it may be that the farm shop will eventually bring in more than the farm. For about three years we have been selling beef in boxes, so we had about one hundred customers doing that, which was all built up by word of mouth. The last year we sold beef in boxes, we processed sixteen cattle which almost doubled the profit on each beast.
It is the quality of the Hereford beef which is bringing many customers back to the shop on a regular basis, with many of them making the point that they had forgotten just how tender and succulent beef can be.”

We are fortunate that our breed gives our breeders a number of options to maximize their profits and as Mrs Timmins stated in the article “There seems to be an insatiable demand for traceable local food.”

More and more people are demanding quality beef and our breed is well positioned to make the most of this demand.

Another innovative marketing idea, which I had not seen before, was displayed at the “Mile High” Sale in Denver during the National Western Stock Show in January. Females were paraded and expected future flushes were offered to the lucky purchaser. This certainly is the next step from embryo sales and gives the purchaser the opportunity to select the desired sire for the embryos. A report of the Show is under the Success Stories tab. Click here to go to Success Stories.

During the Show and Sale visitors were welcomed to the Hereford Suite where sponsors offered hospitality and camaraderie. This was a great meeting place and the sponsorship given by breeders was much appreciated. Pictured at the Hereford suite were Canadian Hereford breeders Leslie & Don Richardson.

Also pictured, one of the sponsors of the suite Prairie Topp from the Topp Hereford Stud in Grace City N.D. Prairie is pictured with myself and Peter Budler from the Bonhaven Pedigree Livestock Company in Tarkastad, South Africa at the Hereford Suite.

The Stockman’s restaurant is also a great place to meet friends and former Hereford breeder Glenn Klippenstein (seated left) was seen with friends Jim Herman from Edgeton Ohio and Randy Christy (seated right) from Union City Michigan.

The two day show created a great deal of interest and the standard of cattle paraded was very high. — Don Yoesel, Falls City, Neb., was selected the 2007 Hereford Herdsman of the Year at the Show and the selection for the award was made by his peers — other Hereford herdsmen. A great honor indeed!
Yoesel grew up showing Herefords in Nebraska. He now farms with his family in south east Nebraska and north east Kansas. Although his family operation, which includes a herd of Herefords, raising corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa keeps him busy, he has always made time through the years to share his talents as a herdsman and fitter with Hereford breeders.
Yoesel’s love for Herefords and his talent as a fitter has taken him from the East to the West Coast and from Canada to Florida helping Hereford breeders prepare their cattle for exhibition and sale. A client and friend for many years, Russ Tegtmeier, Tegtmeier Polled Herefords, Burchard, Neb., says, “Don is very conscientious; he tends to his business and does his job extremely well. He always says the first impression is the most important. And you’ll recognise this in his work habits and how he presents cattle.”

Other visitors to Denver spotted watching the judging were Francisco and Horacio Guttierrez of Tres Marias in Benito Juarez City in the state of Buenos Aires Agentina. Horacio was the President of the Angus Society in Argentina for ten years however he and his son Fransisco are also interested in Herefords.

Other interested spectators pictured at the ringside were Horacio La Valle from Las Tranqueras Herefords in Buenos Aires and Rodrigo and Luis Fernandez from Montevideo in Uruguay.

While the Northern Hemisphere is looking forward to spring and summer we from down under have finished summer harvests and are already thinking about autumn which for us is the period when we have time for herd walks and beef seminars. At present we have Dr Larry Cundiff visiting New Zealand from the Clay Centre in Nebraska . It is always interesting to hear what research projects are being carried out around the world and I will have more on that subject at a later date.

Pictured at Kahurangi, Laura & Dr Cundiff with Dr Chris Morris from New Zealand Agresearch.

Regards to all
Jan Wills

11th Edition - December 2006

As the 2006 year is drawing to a close, it is time to reflect upon the past twelve months. I feel it has been a good year for the Hereford breed. Many countries have reported increases in Hereford registrations and increases in the general Hereford population. Craig Huffhines, the Executive Vice President of the American Hereford Association, reported a 3.6% increase in registrations this year and a most pleasing increase in the prices fetched for bulls. As with the Hereford Cattle Breeders Society in England, they also reported very strong demands for Hereford females and increases in membership numbers within their Societies. The demand for Hereford cattle in Europe has also been extremely encouraging with interest in the breed from countries which have not paid attention to Herefords in the past. Denmark recently reported sales of 140 head to Russia. A full report of that sale can be found under the Success Stories tab. Click here.

The Global Evaluation Research is progressing well and we are still on track to launch the performance based programme at the 2008 Conference in Scandinavia. This should attract a great deal of media coverage and good press for Herefords as we will be the first beef breed to go global. It is also the first time the World Hereford Council has combined their resources for a research project which should ultimately benefit the breed.

Kath Donoghue (pictured) from AGBU, was able to update progress of the project to members of the technical committee at a scientist’s conference in Brazil in September.

The effectiveness of a Global Hereford Genetic Evaluation will depend upon the genetic linkage between countries (or numbers of common animals). It is vital that these animals are able to be identified. Imported and/or exported animals often change numbers to comply with Government or Society regulations and this has been a bit of a problem. Valuable data is sometimes lost when identification numbers are altered to suit local regulations. Common identification numbers for all registered Hereford animals has been one of the aims of the World Hereford Council but it has been a very difficult goal to achieve. However the success and effectiveness of the programme will need diligence in this area as sires and their recorded performances in different countries and environments is the key to genetic linkages.

Breed societies around the world are all under pressure to keep costs to a minimum. Combining resources is becoming more and more popular and practical. Five American Breed associations including the American Brahman Breeders Association, Santa Gertrudis Breeders International, Beefmaster Breeders United, the American Red Brangus Association and United Braford Breeders have entered into a service agreement with the American Beef Records Association (ABRA), a wholly subsidiary of the AHA, (American Hereford Association.) ABRA will provide registry and performance recording services to the five associations’ respective memberships. There will be mutual benefits for all associations.

The New Zealand Hereford Association combined resources with a number of other beef breeds over 10 years ago and the company, New Zealand Performance Beef Breeders, (NZPBB) now provides all the service requirements for more than 90% of the registered beef breeders in New Zealand. The cost saving benefits and the expertise of the staff is very beneficial for all members. Donna Abbiss, New Zealand Hereford’s General Manager and Editor of the New Zealand Hereford journal for the past seven years, will be retiring early in the New Year.

Miss Natalie Campbell (pictured) has been appointed as the new General Manager for NZHA and will begin her new role mid February. While much of Natalie’s career has been in journalism, Natalie took time out to work on a sheep, beef and poultry farm in England (in Herefordshire no less) and is now looking forward to working with Hereford breeders again.

It’s always good to hear heart warming stories and one such story was reported from The American Hereford newsletter recently….
Chris Cummings’ wish came true on Dec. 2 as he stood in the livestock arena at the 2006 Hoosier Beef Congress in Indianapolis. This 15 year old from Union Mills, Ind., who is battling cancer, was able to show a Hereford steer at the Congress because of a wish granted by the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund.
When Chris was in Indianapolis for chemotherapy earlier in the year, Clarian North’s Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Diseases staff presented him with the paperwork to apply for a wish, any wish. Most folks wouldn’t understand why of all the gifts he could’ve requested, Chris chose to receive and show a steer.
He explains, “I thought it’d be neat to get a steer instead of a video game or something like that. You get a real-life experience out of raising an animal.” Chris chose Hereford because he likes the look of the breed and has shown a Hereford steer before at the La Porte County Fair.
Chris tells that the Congress was a whole new experience because of its caliber, with more than 1,400 cattle exhibited. He enjoyed the event with his dad and mom, Tom and Carol, as well as his brother, Tom.
“We had a lot of fun showing,” Chris says. “I’d never shown at anything bigger than the county fair.” His brother adds, “It definitely helped Chris, and we all enjoyed it too. It took our minds off things.” The Cummings family hadn’t been able to enjoy a fun weekend together in more than a year.
In addition to the steer, the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund gave Chris an aluminum grooming chute, combs, halters and other fitting supplies to make the day complete.
Members of Chris’ community also played a large role in the success of his wish. Les Craft, a family friend and rancher in La Porte County helped acquire the Hereford steer from Larry Vukonich of Joliet, Mont. Les then broke the steer to lead. Neighbor and 4-H leader Dan Youngreen helped with clipping and grooming. More friends — Joy Griffin, Rob Fisher and Dave Ambers — helped with items like transportation and show entries. Joy also gifted a crossbred steer to Chris to add to his 4-H project, and helped him and his brother in preparation for the Congress. The family tells that Joy’s guidance helped make this first experience a memorable one for the whole crew.
When all was said and done, Chris’ steer stood sixth in its class of 11 at the Congress, and Chris stood by his side, proud of his accomplishment and grateful for those who helped him along the way. “We really appreciate the help and support,” he says.
The Hereford steer, Bob, remains at the Cummings farm, and Chris plans to show him at the county fair this summer, and possibly even at the Michigan Beef Expo.

The most significant piece of research favouring our breed was obviously the revelation that Herefords are the number one British beef breed for net feed intake efficiency. The data given by the Beef Cooperative Research Centre gave us some very good material to promote our breed and it was pleasing to see a number of our members making good use of that research.
I look forward to 2007 and feel confident that our breed can continue to make a significant contribution to the beef industry as feed efficiency, temperament and other environmentally friendly attributes needed in today’s beef industry certainly favour the Hereford breed.

I wish you all a very happy festive season and of course a very bright New Year.
Regards to all
Jan

10th Edition - August 2006

Estonia is the newest member of the World Hereford Council and as it is situated very close geographically to Scandinavia, I took the opportunity to visit this small country on my way to the 2008 conference planning meeting. Estonia is a Republic and is one of the Baltic countries. It is bounded by the Gulf of Finland in the North and the Gulf of Riga in the West. The closest neighbours are Russia, Finland and Latvia. The country covers 45,000 square kilometers and has a total population of 1.4 million. There are only 17,000 beef cattle in Estonia and over 40% of the country is covered in woodlands.

The imported Hungarian herd sire in Kalev Raudsepp's herd

Hereford board member Mr Aigar Suurmaa and General Manager Mr Tanel Bulitko

The Animal Breeders Association of Estonia is responsible for the administration and registration of the Hereford cattle. I visited the offices which are situated in the Rapla County between the capital city Tallin and the next biggest city Tartu. The General Manager, Mr Tanel Bulitko made me very welcome and I was impressed with the premises and their business structure. Mr Aigar Suurmaa is the Hereford representative on the Association’s board and he arranged the itinerary for my visit. Hereford cattle breeding is relatively new in Estonia and while the numbers are small, the enthusiasm for the breed is not. Summer pasture is plentiful and all the cattle I saw were in magnificent condition. The most important aim for breeders at this point in time, is to increase numbers as apart from local demand there is also a demand for Herefords from neighbouring countries.

I enjoyed a most unusual mode of transport while visiting one herd. Kalev Raudsepp farms near the Latvia border and as his Herefords were grazing in a rather inaccessible spot, Kalev decided to paddle me in a kayak down the Mustjogi River to inspect his herd. The journey was just over 5 kilometers and it was an extremely hot day. My interpreter, Ilmar Karlos and Kalev paddled the distance without complaint. It was very pleasant for me as I just sat in the kayak and enjoyed the scenery. We found the cattle in the shade of some trees and they were certainly enjoying the summer and I certainly enjoyed my visit to Estonia.

Kalev Raudsepp and Ilmar Karlos paddled me 5 kilometers to see the herd

The 15th World Hereford Conference will be in Denmark in 2008 and all four Nordic countries will participate in the pre and post tours at that time. The planning committee which consisted of representatives from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Finland, Norway, Ireland, New Zealand and Uruguay travelled and inspected the proposed tour routes in June this year.
Our first evening was spent in Helsinki. After the farm visit and inspection of the Thorsvik Herefords, we were hosted by the Herlin family for the evening meal. It was the shortest night of the year and it is traditional for Finns to celebrate the occasion by partying all night. We soon discovered we did not have the stamina to enjoy the short period of darkness and returned to our hotel for a quick nap before heading off on the next day’s visits.

One of the lovely buildings at Miriana and Franz von Limburg-Stirum's Koski Hereford Stud

The country-side was green and lush. The Hereford cows were enjoying their summer grazing. For me the historic barns were fascinating as nothing in New Zealand is much more than 100 years old. We inspected the cattle, checked out the buildings and enjoyed wonderful hospitality. We certainly crammed in as much as possible during our most enjoyable visit to Finland. That evening we boarded the ferry and sailed to Sweden.

The trip across the bay was quite beautiful. Hundreds of little islands were silhouetted in the setting sun and the sea mirrored the seascapes in the half light of the Nordic night.
Our cabins were very comfortable and as my cabin did not have a porthole I slept soundly in the darkness. We were up bright and early to watch our berthing at Stockholm. We started a city tour at 7 am on a Sunday morning and needless to say we more or less had the city to ourselves. Our most informative guide escorted us around the waterways, bridges, parks and historic buildings which all looked wonderful in the sunshine that morning. We were sorry to leave Stockholm but we had to push on as that afternoon we were to be treated to a cattle display at Andersson’s Torp Vanga Hereford Stud.

The Swedish Junior Hereford members prepared a mini Hereford show for our entertainment. They had been practising and training the cattle all weekend and Sweden’s Senior Hereford members came that afternoon to join the party. Don Robbie from New Zealand judged the cattle and Maximo Ayerza from Argentina judged the herdsperson. A BBQ and evening meal in the marquee topped off another lovely day.

The herdsperson competition with Torp Vanga Herefords at Lennart and Britta Andersson's place

Kronborg or Hamlet's Castle

As we travelled south towards Denmark, we visited the Kosta Glass blowing factory, Danielson’s Risinge Herefords and the World Heritage site on Oland Island. Watchmeister’ Knutsorp Hereford farm was our last visit in Sweden and then we sailed across the bay to Denmark. The Hellsinore Harbour is guarded by Kronborg castle. This castle occupies a very strategic position on the point of the harbour and in the 16th century King Frederick imposed a toll on all vessels passing through the Ore Sound, the gateway to the Baltic nations. This castle was made famous as Elsinor Castle in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet.

Next day we visited Copenhagen city. We saw the famous ‘Fisherwoman’ statue and of course Hans Christian Anderson’s ‘Mermaid’. We then travelled north to the Danish National Show in Herning. The facilities at this centre are enviable. Huge barns and arenas display and house all the animals and I was not surprised to learn that it was one of the biggest agricultural shows in Europe. There was an outstanding display of Herefords judged by the Canadian President Duncan Lees. Duncan was assisted by Canada’s General Manager Gordon Stephenson and they awarded both Female and Male Grand Champions to the Petz family. A wonderful achievement for the Roost Hereford Stud as they had plenty of competition for the awards.
Click here for show pictures on the Success Stories page.
A BBQ that evening in one of the barns, especially decorated for the occasion, rounded off a most enjoyable day at the Herning Show.

Next morning we visited Knud & Nanny Erichsen’s Skibstedgaard Herefords. We checked out a solar and wind powered plant situated at a historical burial ground. In days gone by nobleman were buried above ground and the higher the mound of dirt the more noble you were. The mounds now make great vantage points in the set aside area. The gardens and buildings at Erichsen’s property were just fabulous. They are situated on a slight rise overlooking the water. A cannon is at the ready on the front lawn in case of an invasion! Knud brought his Herefords to the bottom of the garden for our perusal and this completed a wonderful scene. After a sit - down morning tea of salmon, Danish apple cake wine, tea and coffee we reluctantly departed.

Skibstedgaard Herefords viewed at Knud and Nanny Erichsen's house and gardens

The trip on the Colorline ferry from Hirtshals in Denmark to Larvik in Norway took just over 5 hours. Although it was quite late in the evening when we arrive, many people were still sunbathing on the rocks at the harbour entrance. Next morning we left Larvik and travelled towards Oslo. On the way we visited Kjell Bredholt’s Hereford Stud. Kjell uses a lot of different A.I. sires so it was interesting to compare their progeny within the one herd. Two very smart heifers attracted a great deal of attention from the photographers.

Vigeland Park

Our first visit in Oslo was to the Bogstadgard Park and museum. This area is kept as natural as possible for people to enjoy horse riding, walking and cycling. Hereford cattle graze the land and city folk are encouraged to come and view the animals. We enjoyed a picnic lunch in the shade of the trees beside the river. Billy tea and coffee added to the atmosphere. Our next visit was to the Vigeland Park. I had no idea that this place existed. The sculptures and fountains are really amazing. It was very hot and hundreds of people were picnicking and sunbathing in the grounds. The Sculpture Park in Oslo is certainly one of the artistic highlights of Norway. The park contains 192 sculptures with more than 600 figures, all modeled in full size by Gustav Vigeland.

When we arrived at Halstein and Ingrid Flesland’s Hereford stud, we were greeted by a big group of Norwegian Hereford breeders who had travelled some distance to be with us for the evening. They joined us on the bus and we drove around the farm.
The Herefords were grazing in a big open field. As we left the bus we pulled on plastic boots. These had to be worn to protect the hygienic status of the property. The plastic boots made a rustling noise on the grass and this disturbed the cattle so it took a little while for them to settle down enough for us to view them. I liked the herd sire very much and I thought that overall the cows looked very attractive.

Halstein Flesland has been the manager at Skjatved for over 25 years. The property is immaculate. The lawns and gardens around the two houses and farm buildings cover at least two or three acres and were all mown to perfection. We were invited to stay for a barbecue dinner and all the Norwegians were in party mode. Unfortunately our hotel was some distance away so we reluctantly left the party a little earlier than we would have liked. We had only travelled a couple of kilometers when we came across a female moose with a calf grazing on the side of the road. We all screamed at Lennart at once “Stop the bus!.” He came to a stop and reversed slowly backward down the highway so we could all get a good picture. Lennart Andersson was our wonderful patient bus driver. He never seemed to get flustered by the idiosyncrasies of the bus or our demands. He often did commentaries as we drove along and of course he is also the President of the Swedish Hereford group so he was their delegate at our meetings. He was a great asset to the group and his multi task skills along with his invaluable interpretations were much appreciated by us all.

One of the herd sires at Skjatved Hereford

Our last day on tour was another big day commencing at 8.15 am with the first farm visit. Mo Farm has a fascinating history and we all enjoyed Beate Brorphy’s narration outlining the Mo Farm story. From there we drove through the Fiords to Bergen. It was a long trip but the scenery made the journey worthwhile. When we arrived in Bergen we were greeted by Bjorg Swarbo who was to be our guide for the rest of the afternoon. She is a Hereford breeder and gave up her time to be with us and to show us the city. The fish market in the heart of the city is very famous and now at odd times farmers are encouraged to also bring produce to the city. Bjorg brings Hereford meat to the farmers market to sell and says it is very popular. She has her own label. Bergen has a population of 240,000 and is Norway’s second largest city.

The old merchant buildings on the quay in Bergen

The old merchant buildings along the quay are now on Unesco’s heritage list as a cultural treasure. The tour ended at the Bergen Airport Hotel. Everyone flew off in different directions. It was a wonderful tour and I am looking forward to seeing more of Scandinavia in 2008.

Back row left to right: Val Lees (Canada), Ole Sorensen (Agro Tours Denmark), Maria Ayerza (Argentina), Gordon Stephenson (Canada), Phyllis Lusher (England), Lennart Andersson (Sweden), Eric Humphries (Ireland), Marlene Robbie (New Zealand), Larry Feeney (Ireland), Jan Wills (New Zealand), Willie Branagan (Ireland) Front row left to right: Don Robbie (New Zealand), Maximo Ayerza (Argentina), Duncan Lees (Canada), Warren Clark (Australia), Nils Valle (Norway), Jose Bonica (Urugua), Geoff Taylor (Australia)

Regards to all
Jan Wills

9th Edition - June 2006

Hustler does it again.
Doonbiddie Hustler sired another champion at the New Zealand Beef Expo in May. Although sons of JSF Nibbs and FCC Maddux filled the minor placings, Keelryn Hustler 65 took the top Hereford honors and later went on to win the coveted Wrightson Champion of Champion All Breeds award. Hustler must surely be one of the most successful Hereford sires of the decade as he has certainly produced champions all around the world.

Keelryn Hustler 65 pictured at the outdoor parade with his owner and handler John Loveridge

Interested spectators at the Show and Sale included Canadian General Manager Mr Gordon Stephenson and several Australian breeders including Greg Ebbeck (the original owner of Doonbiddie Hustler.)

Australian Youth Ambassador, Renae Robertson (groom for Kairuru) and Greg Ebbeck at Expo

The sale which followed the show was a lack-lustre affair. The Champion bull Keelryn Hustler made the top price of $17,000 and was sold in the joint stud partnership of Koanui and Beanbah. 30% of the bulls failed to reach their reserves and prices were generally much lower than they had been for a few years. A full Show and Sale report can be viewed on the New Zealand Hereford site at www.herefords.co.nz
As Expo is the first of the New Zealand bull sales our Hereford breeders all wondered if the downturn would follow throughout the season but fortunately it did not and there have been some very strong sales since. The Koanui sale is the biggest of our private vendor sales and it was very strong. A report on that sale can be found on this site (click Success Stories on the menu at left).
This has been followed since by some extremely buoyant sales in both Islands. The Kiwi sale averaged $6950, Nithdale averaged $5300, Okawa averaged $5791, Otapawa averaged $5300,Limehills $5300, Stanfields Bushy Park $5780 and Monymusk $5800.

Across the Tasman there was strong support for Poll Herefords at their National Show and Sale at Dubbo and the National Hereford sale at Wodonga. Charnock Haymaker topped the sale at Wodonga fetching $46,000 for his owner/ breeder Hugh Morgan of Rockford in Victoria. A full report of the Wodonga sale is found on this site (click Success Stories on the menu at left).
At Dubbo the bulls averaged over $8,000 and there was an 83% clearance.

Tycola Dead Ringer, exhibited by SR & TA Crowley of Cobbadah in NSW, was sashed Senior Champion Bull by judge Chris Knox. Mr Knox believes Dead Ringer is a trouble-free bull with plenty of weight for age, a lovely frame and head-carriage. Pic of Tycolah Dead Ringer.

This bull went on to top the sale at $46,000. Other notable prices included Lymford Prince at $36,000 and the Sydney Champion Cascade Zircon at $22,000. A full report of the sale can be found under completed catalogues on the Australian Poll Hereford web site www.pollhereford.com.au

The American Hereford Association has just entered into an agreement with five other breed societies to provide registry and performance services for those breeds. The breeds now serviced by AHA will be, Brahman, Santa Gertrudis, Beefmaster, Red Brangus and the United Braford Breeders.
The AHA Board of Directors saw an arrangement with the American Breeds group as a long-range opportunity to bring more economies of scale and organizational synergies to each of the businesses involved, according to Jack Holden, AHA president. “We welcome the opportunity to provide service to these American Breeds and look forward to future opportunities together.”
Craig Huffhines, AHA executive vice president, adds that ABRA is able to provide service to these American Breeds as well as other associations due to it's talented technical staff and experience using the international livestock registry system (ILR) of the Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI) in Armidale, Australia.

The New Zealand Performance Beef Breeders is a company which provides a similar service for registry and administration to stud breeders of 99% of the registered beef cattle in N.Z. I am wondering if other companies such as NZPBP and ABRA (American Beef Records Association) will be formed in the future to keep the cost of the pure breed industry at a reasonable level. I hope to initiate some informal discussion on this idea with some of our members at the planning meeting this month in Scandinavia. at the planning meeting.

Pictured (l to r): Craig Huffhines, American Hereford Association; Ervin Kaatz, Santa Gertrudis Breeders International; Chris Shivers, American Brahman Breeders Association; Rodney Roberson, United Braford Breeders; Wendell Schronk, Beefmaster Breeders United; Jim Monaghan, American Red Brangus Association; and Arthur Rickards, Agricultural Business Research Institute.

Regards to all
Jan Wills

8th Edition - May 2006

Hereford Breeders from around the globe converged on Denver, U.S.A. to join the centennial celebrations and participate in the Hereford activities during the 100th National Western Stock Show in January. Kevin and Sheila Jensen from Courtland Kan. judged over 400 head of Herefords all competing for national honours.

Click here to view a pdf file of results and pictures from the National Western Stock Show.

The National Western Stock Show was a wonderful Hereford event which included a Certified Hereford Beef lunch and a Junior Heifer Show. Congratulations go to 33 breeders who have exhibited Herefords for 25 years at the stock show and were recognized for their “dedication”. Five Hereford operations were recognized for exhibiting cattle for more than 50 years. A wonderful effort indeed!

The Grand Champion Carload was won by Star Lake Cattle Ranch from Skiatook, Okla. and this was the seventh consecutive year that Star Lake had won this award. I am sure you will agree that this is a remarkable and enviable achievement. Both Champion and Reserve Champion carloads were sired by Remitall Online 122L.

The celebrations continued with a night to remember ‘Mile High’ Hereford sale. Confidence in the Hereford breed was very evident as Lot 13, SHF Radar M326 R125 offered by Star Lake, Red Hills and Sandhill Farms sold for $105,000 for a one third interest and no possession. I wondered if this was a world record and would be interested in hearing from anyone who can confirm that fact.

Craig Huffhines, the AHA executive vice president said in his annual report that Herefords had had a banner year and enthusiasm for the breed had grown across the country. AHA had experienced a 3.6% increase in registrations which was a very pleasing trend. I am sure as the National Western Stock Show drew to a close everyone would have agreed that Craig was right on track with his reported enthusiasm for the Hereford breed.

The result of the Feed Efficiency Research which was carried out by the Cooperative Research Centre in Armidale, Australia has been a great promotion for Herefords around the world. I have been very encouraged by the number of countries who have used the information for promotion from this web site.
CRC held a two day conference in Armidale in March and I was able to attend the conference. I have placed a reasonably full report of the conference under the Research tab, or you can click here for that report.

While reading the latest Breedplan News, I noted at least two items which may be of particular interest to Hereford breeders. Ian Locke has been elected to the position of NBRS Chairman. Ian plays a key role in the Wirruna Poll Hereford Stud at Holbrook N.S.W. Australia and brings youth, vision and energy to the Chairmanship. He is an active user of the ABRI technology package of Herdmaster, Breedplan, Breed Object and sale cataloguing on Internet Solutions and can therefore bring a very practical perspective to the company’s endeavours. Wirruna has a long history of performance recording and in 1995 was winner of the State National “Seedstock Producer of the Year”. Congratulations Ian!

The other Breedplan snip I noted was that in January 2006 the American Hereford Association had posted a record 357,459 Internet Solution enquiries in a month. This was up 40% on the usage from January 2005. Well done AHA!

The New Zealand Hereford Association held their annual herd tour in March in the Nelson area. I was both surprised and delighted to see the World Hereford European Conference flag at the first farm we visited. The flag had been purchased in the Netherlands by a Dutch-New Zealand Hereford breeder for the occasion. Bart and his wife Reit Lintsen visited New Zealand for a holiday and gradually spent more and more time away from their bicycle business in Lobith in the Netherlands. They purchased a farm in New Zealand as a holiday retreat and then established the Onze Droom (Our Dream) Hereford stud on their property. They have become very popular members of the New Zealand Hereford Association and their story has been featured in the latest New Zealand Hereford journal.

The World Hereford European Conference flag at Onze Droom. Pictured: Jan Wills, Donna Abbiss (NZHA General Manager) and David Dodge (Merial Executive).

David Morrow, the chairman of the NZHA Youth Group organized a very informative 2006 technical tour for young Hereford breeders in New Zealand. The tour combined farm visits with visits to a feedlot, a research centre and our Hereford prime meat processors. Sam Hain, a past Youth Ambassador, wrote a report of the tour and it is published on this web site under the Research tab. Click here for that report.

Herefords seem to be on a roll in the Beef Breed classes and our latest success came at the Sydney Royal Easter Show where the Poll Hereford Supreme Champion Cascade Zed Z104 won the Best Beef Exhibit at the Show. Congratulations go to Karen Arnott and her team for this great success. Click here for the pic under the Success Stories tab.

The planning meeting for the 15th World Hereford Conference will be held on the 28th of June in Denmark. Please email me if you have any matters which should be discussed or suggestions for the program. I look forward to spreading more good news in a few weeks time when the Australasian bull sales will be in full swing.

Regards to all
Jan Wills

7th Edition - February 2006

2005 was a good year for Herefords and Hereford breeders in general. My first year as Secretary General has been very exciting. It has been extremely pleasing and encouraging to find a number of countries have increased their Hereford numbers and generally members around the world have enjoyed higher averages at annual sales. I feel our industry is in good heart and I am looking forward to another great year in 2006.

One of the highlights of the 2005 year was the 12th European Conference which was hosted by Ireland. This was well attended and a full report was given in my last newsletter. The camaraderie which exists within our breed makes gatherings such as conferences so worthwhile and such fun events. In June delegates from our member countries will meet in Scandinavia and finalize plans for the next World Conference. Please feel free to email me with suggestions if you have some ideas which may be worth considering.

During the year a number of inter breed competitions were won by Herefords. The show ring is a great place to gain publicity when this happens and I love to put such results on our web site to tell the world.
On the second day of judging at the Canadian Agribition held in November at Regina, the prestigious All Breeds Champion of Champions event was held. Entries must have been a champion at one of the main shows on the 2005 show circuit. This is the ultimate all breeds class to win and carries prize money of $10,000. The Hereford bull BCD 140L Dom Lad 326N exhibited by Adams Hirsch Herefords, which was not the Grand Champion at the Agribition but was the Supreme at Calgary was judged the winner. It was great for the Hereford breed as this was the third consecutive year that the award has gone to a Hereford and this is unprecedented in the history of the show. This was a wonderful achievement and a credit to the Hereford breed and the breeder. When BCD 140L Dom Lad 326N won at Calgary, I published the story titled ‘Hereford Bull Bursts Through’ under the Success Stories tab.

All Breeds Champion of Champions BCD 140L Dom Lad 326N at the Canadian Agribition.

The knockers often dismiss these achievements as subjective but now we have some really good research results from the Certified Research Centre in Australia. They have identified Herefords as the most efficient British breed for food intake conversion to meat. This is fantastic news and a really good piece of objective publicity which can be used in many advantageous ways to promote our breed. As technical consultant for the Australian Hereford Society, Bob Freer said “given that the sires were representatives of their breeds and net feed intake results obtained under feedlot conditions carried through on pasture, then pure Angus would consume 1.2kg feed/day more than pure Herefords of the same body weight and daily gain. That is an 61 tonnes of feed per year for a 100 cow unit. The paper also shows that Herefords had an 8.4 per cent better adjusted feed conversion ratio ands 6 per cent lower actual daily feed intake than Angus - that is, you could run 106 Herefords on the same ground / feed supply as 100 Angus or in a feedlot Herefords would eat 6 per cent less feed than Angus for the same weight gain.”
The article is available under the Research tab.

Herefords eat 6 per cent less feed than Angus for the same weight gain.

While I was in Canada I was interviewed by a reporter from the Western Producer and he wrote an article about the value of Global Evaluation to the Hereford Breed. Michael Raine wrote that Herefords would be the first of the major breeds to have an international database of genetics that will allow a worldwide exchange of semen and genetics with full interchangeability with predictability for progeny development. Eleven countries have agreed to take part in the initial research and will contribute data to test the feasibility and creditability of the project. The plan is to launch the full program at the 2008 conference.
Early in March, Australia will play host to the world’s leading livestock experts. The CRC conference will bring together some of the world’s best meat scientists, geneticists and reproductive biologists from the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. The conference will reflect on the impact science has had on the beef industry and the world-wide quest for meat tenderness. I will be attending this conference and I hope to give a full report in my next newsletter.

It has been pleasing and encouraging for me to receive some show and research results from our member countries. I hope that as time goes by every country will send in contributions for the web and our web site will be really global. There are lots of things happening so I will try to keep you informed with a newsletter every two months.

Regards to all
Jan Wills


6th Edition - October 2005

The 12th European Conference in Ireland was a wonderful Hereford occasion. 172 visitors put a bit of a strain on the accommodation resources at various venues but most of us were blissfully unaware of any of the problems we were causing and just thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of the Irish. The program was designed to give us a taste of Irish culture, Hereford cattle, seminars and tourist attractions.
All these things culminated in making a very enjoyable few days with friends from all over Europe, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
The first day was spent at the Tullamore Show. It is the biggest one day country show in Ireland attracting over 50,000 visitors. The Irish Hereford breeders had made a special effort to put on a good display of cattle for the conference visitors and they certainly succeeded.

The President, Secretary and Chairman of the Irish Hereford Society, Eric Humphreys, Larry Feeney and Martin Murphy with the Secretary General of the World Hereford Council, Mrs Jan Wills.

All the classes were keenly contested with big numbers of entries. The ring side was packed with all vantage points taken and there was an air of excitement amongst the crowd when the first female class got underway.

A number of very big cows with equally big calves at foot paraded in the ring but the cow which caught the judge’s eye was Woodview Tilly exhibited by Mr. David Abbott, and she was exhibited without a calf at foot. The Champion Female was awarded to Imokilly Sara exhibited by Mr. Albert De Cogan.	The most successful exhibitor in the junior classes was Mr. John Holloway who managed to pull off the double taking both junior female and junior male championships.

The most outstanding exhibit of the day was the Champion male and Supreme Champion Udel 1 R51 Veteran exhibited by David & Daithi Carroll. The judge Mr. Bill Quan from Herefordshire was full of praise for this bull. Veteran is by Doonbiddie Hustler and was also the Supreme Champion at the Tullamore Show last year.

The next morning most of the group spent time browsing through the gardens of the Belvedere Castle and then we had a choice of visiting the A.I. centre or departing for Nenagh to visit the Anglo Irish Meat Packers plant where Hereford Prime was killed. I chose to go through the meat plant which I found very interesting and was impressed with their traceability systems. I was particularly interested in a machine which scanned the carcasses and printed out the yield in % of cuts for each carcass.

Our group then went on to Conor Meade’s farm at Templemore in Tipperary. Conor is a Hereford prime producer breeding and rearing a number of his Hereford cross animals from his Friesian herd. He explained his wintering system which was to minimize time animals spent in the barn in an effort to reduce costs and maximize pasture use.

The conference was at an excellent venue in the Woodlands Hotel at Adare. The meeting was capably chaired by Mr Gerard Brickley. One of the main Irish Hereford sponsors, Alltech, opened the program with a very informative presentation given by their marketing manager Noel Lynch. This was followed by summaries of the Hereford Prime enterprises in New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom. (I will cover those presentations under the Hereford prime tab). Mr Brian Wickham and Mr De C Grubb presented papers on their Performance Recording and Eating Quality Research. The country reports were very interesting and it was particularly pleasing to note the progress and increase in numbers of Herefords in most countries. I was very impressed with the Swiss report given in English by Franz Denzler. Although Mr Denzler does not speak English his enunciation was perfect. I thought it was a great effort.
The session concluded with the ‘Nordic Countries’ presentation and proposal for the 2008 World Hereford Conference. The planning meeting program is on this web site under the 15th World Conference tab. It should also be noted that the next European Conference may not be held until 2010 and it is likely to be in the United Kingdom.

The tour left Adare and traveled to Clonakilty where the local Hereford breeders had arranged a very impressive exhibition of cattle in the show grounds. It was a balmy afternoon and everyone enjoyed looking at the cattle and the afternoon tea provided by the ladies.

The next day we traveled South through the picturesque town of Youghal and on to Wexford to visit David & Mary Carroll’s Udel Poll Hereford Stud. The relatively new straw barn had been swept and decorated for the occasion and Mary and her band of helpers provided a lovely lunch in a festive atmosphere.

It was good to see the Tullamore Show Supreme Champion ‘Veteran’ in his own environment and looking impressive with the cows.
It was then time to move on to Kilkenny. Some tourists visited the castle and did some shopping at the design centre while others went on to the view the Balleen herd. The farm and surrounding country-side looked very beautiful in the late afternoon sunshine and of course the Hereford cattle just topped off a perfect scene.

Tom Brennan and Stan Quan at Balleen

The conference concluded with the gala dinner at the Newport Hotel and next morning it was time to say farewell until the next Hereford occasion. Thanks to everyone in Ireland who made the 12th European Conference a memorable event and one I am glad I did not miss.

On my way to and from Ireland I visited Hungary, the Netherlands, England, and Germany. Reports on my visit to these countries will be on the web shortly.

Jan