Alan Martin elected Vice President, Santa Gertrudis Southern Breeders Group

At the recent Santa Gertrudis Southern Breeders AGM - Alan Martin (Riverslea) was voted in as Vice President. Trevor Mason (Woodstock) remains as President and Carolyn Clarke (Beccarro) as Secretary / Treasurer. Peter Stevenson (Naringalook) has taken on the publicity role for the group.

Importantly Alan and Peter will work with Trevor Mason & Phillip Hague as representatives of Southern Breeders Group for the March 2009 Finley Santa Gertrudis sale. This will be the first time that the Southern Breeders Group will have had direct input into the running of this invitational sale.

Royal Melbourne Show 2008

Four Champions & Reserves from Four Entries

Pictured are Alan and young handler Lachlan who led Riverslea Delta at the Show. Our thanks to Fee Stirling for this photograph.

We have prepared a separate page devoted to this year's Show.
You can read all about our success by clicking on the link here.

We welcome the arrival of Damon Thomas Martin

Our latest edition – a very special fathers day arrival….

With special thanks to our wonderful midwives Michelle Popple and Mary Anne Richardson from Central Victorian Midwifery Group Practice

The recent purchase of a group of outstanding young Benetook heifers has given us the opportunity to add to the depth and strength of our genetics base.

It was a rare chance to purchase heifers from Norma Pratt at Benetook (stud 1216). These superb heifers are predominantly poll, well grown, quiet, soft skinned and dark in colour. We are thrilled to add them to our stud herd.

We are delighted that we have had the opportunity to strengthen the depth of our stud genetics with the purchase of two outstanding heifers Balgree Candy and Balgree Cindy – both in calf by proven sire, Yarrawonga Roberts.

Billed as the top quality heifers at the sale, easy doing types, strong yet feminine – they will be right at home with the Riverslea Santa Gertrudis stud herd.

We congratulate Chris and Russ Smyth on the outstanding presentation and result of their 2008 sale.

Riverslea Santa Gertrudis Stud joined a contingent of studs to put the first ever showing of Santa Gertrudis cattle into National Beef.

Riverslea took out Reserve Senior Cow and won the best Santa Gertrudis cow over 30 months with Yulgilbar Yolande and her 4 month old calf Riverslea Delta.

A big thank-you to fitters Marie and Phil Hampson for their excellent care and presentation of the Riverslea Stud cattle.

 

 

Riverslea Delta delighted all and sundry when she behaved impeccably with 6 year old handler Lachlan in the heifer calf classic.

 

 

We thank the many Santa Gertrudis Studs, association members and commercial breeders for their support at National Beef 2008.

Brothers Lee and Sam Beavis set an all time record tally when they shore side by side on the raised board in the Riverslea Shearing shed. Shearing mature, in-lamb merino ewes that were in full wool, they had a combined total of 344 ewes on day one. Lee started on a casual 42 in the first run and peaked at 48 in the third run, totalling 188 for the day. The ewes averaged over 7kg of wool and the heaviest fleece weighed individually topped at 10kg. Many thanks to a third brother - speedy Steve Beavis - who saved the day by providing the spare set of hands needed to cope with the extra fleeces.

The wool sold in a market that has been falling rapidly. However prices were acceptable with only two bales passed in at auction. Certainly the reduced demand from China is having a substantial impact on the price of wool. The fact that China buys from us in $AU and on-sells in $US, combined with the relative positioning of the Renminbi (Chinese Yuan) against the currencies, is adding about 26% (and rising) to the cost of the final products [source Mr Adrian Biesbroek – Director ISC Aust]. We believe it is these longer term and global financial pressures that are having a greater effect on China's demand for wool, rather than the short term ‘threatened’ factory closures during the course of the Olympics.

Photo courtesy of Yulgilbar Santa Gertrudis Stud

Champion Senior
and
Grand Champion Tropical all Breeds Bull Grafton 2008

Reserve Senior Champion Bull
Tamworth 2008

Champion Senior Bull
Glen Innes and Dubbo Beef Spectacular 2008

Champion Senior Bull
North Coast National at Lismore 2007