Black beauty the star of the show

Otago Daily Times

6 days ago

A black Simmental bull sold for $42,000 in North Taieri last week. Shawn McAvinue talks to Leafland Simental owner Everd Strauss about the big bull living up to the hype, the rise of the breed, balancing farming with his day job and his retirement plans.
A black Simmental bull is living up to his sale pitch as "the star of the show".
Rising 2-year-old black Simmental bull Leafland 230039 sold for $42,000 at the 24th Leafland Simmental bull sale in North Taieri last week.
The bull buyer was Tom Sanson, of Gold Creek Simmentals in Mātāwai, about 45km northwest of Gisborne.
In the sale catalogue, the bull was billed as "the star of the show" due to his exceptional growth, eye muscle area, intramuscular fat and docility.
The hererozygous polled bull is the progeny of sire Rissington Rocketman 200230 and dam Leafland 1614190110.
Vendors Everd and Marie Strauss, who have been married for 50 years, established the Leafland
Dr Strauss said $42,000 was the highest price paid for one of their bulls, eclipsing a previous best of $27,500.
He was expecting Leafland 230039 to fetch a good price.
"He is an exceptional bull."
The bull had positive estimated breeding values (EBV) for traits including carcass weight, marbling score, rib eye area, weaning and yearling weight.
The "phenomenal" bull had created a lot of interest in the industry.
"He was spoken about a lot nationally because of his figures — it is not often you have a perfect bull with EBVs like that."
The bull was very docile.
"He pretends to be a big boy but he is very quiet."
At the sale, 22 of 25 bulls sold for an average price of $9022.
Four of the bulls were sold to studs, Dr Strauss said.
All of four black Simmental bulls at the auction sold for an average of $15,250.
Black Simmental bulls accounted for about 15% of the stud and the rest were the traditional Simmental colour of red with white markings.
The breeding programme might be adjusted to make the mix 50% black and 50% traditional, Dr Strauss said.
Dr Strauss said the aim of the stud was to breed a moderate to large size cattle beast, maturing early and with "explosive" growth, producing a high carcass value at the works including premium for marbling at the meatworks, while maintaining calving ease.
Docility was an important trait in their breeding programme, he said.
"Anything that misbehaves is out."
A sign of the rise of the breed was all of the more than 80 bulls on offer at Kerrah Simmentals in Wairoa selling for an average price of more than $12,000 last week.
Dr Strauss was among the buyers at the Kerrah sale, paying $18,000 for a bull.
Leafland sheep and beef farm was 315ha of "mostly hills" in North Taieri.
Another 100ha was leased on Otago Peninsula.
When the grass stops growing in North Taieri late next month, the herd would be moved to the peninsula block and return home a fortnight before calving.
The sheep on Leafland were Wiltshires.
The latest lambs sent to the meatworks, averaged nearly 20kg and fetched $168.
Dr Strauss works as an anaesthetist five days a week in Dunedin.
Among the crowd of about 80 people at the sale was Dr Strauss' friend and colleague cardiac surgeon Richard Bunton.
"We worked together on the weekend doing a heart operation," Dr Strauss said.
Dr Strauss was raised on a cattle farm in South Africa and the couple moved to Leafland farm in 1993.
"We bought the first 40ha by fax machine."
The farm size had increased as they bought neighbouring properties.
After moving to Dunedin, they bought three heifers from Garry McCorkindale, of Glenside Simmentals in Waitahuna, and launched the Leafland stud the following year.
Leafland Simmental stud was his "retirement plan".
"I'm turning 72 and when I retire, probably in the next year or so, I want to carry on farming until I fall over."
The Simmental breed was "on the up" and many Angus breeders were buying genetics to use in their herds, he said. Southern bull sale results last week:
• Taiaroa Charolais, Paerau. Sold 20 of 22. Average $7775. Top $13,000.
• Glenhu Shorthorn, Heriot. Sold 13 of 16. Average $6958. Top $12,000.
• Delmont Angus, Clinton. Sold 33 of 33. Average $10,000. Top $18,000.
• Leafland Simmental, Taieri. Sold 22 of 25. Average $9022. Top $42,000.
• Beresford Simmental, Catlins. Sold 12 of 15. Average $7800. Top $14,000.
• Hill Valley Simmental, Teviot. Sold 10 of 10. Average $7750. Top $12,000.
• Locharburn Herefords, Cromwell. Sold 22 of 29. Average $6400. Top $13,500.
• Glenside Simmental, Waitahuna. Sold 11 of 15. Average $9409. Top $14,500.
• Stoneburn Hereford and Angus, Palmerston. Hereford: 16 of 16. Average $9812. Top $15,000. Angus: 24/24. Average $8250. Top $14,000.
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