BIG RIVER XAVIER 05 501 TAKES OUT COVETED SUPREME CHAMPION HEREFORD AT NATIONALBEEF EXPO 2007

Big River Xavier 05 501 was sired by Kairuru Xavier 02 11, an outstanding stud sire, whose semen has been sold into Europe via Ireland. His dam is the very good silver benchmark dam, Harbour Hills U674.

Big River Xavier 05 501 is a dark bull, with a quiet easy doing temperment, great length, thickness and carcus, with a great hind quarter and walking on terrific feet. He has 100% eye pigmentation. He has a scanned EMA of 117, and a positive IMF of 11 and 7.

His weight at Beef Expo was 950kg.

Big River Xavier 05 501 has been retained as a stud sire by Big River Polled Herefords. International semen rights are available.

CALVING AT BIG RIVER STARTED JUNE 10TH 2007

Our first calves for Spring of 2007 have arrived. We A.I'd some of our top cows to Allendale National, and we are excited about the calves. They are bright eyed, easy calving, dark, nicely coloured calves, nicely stamped by National, all with 100% eye pimentation. 80% of the calves are heifers.

Watchout for an outstanding bull, calf out of Awhea Amethyst 04 218, sired by Allendale National.

We have also had some cracking A.I. calves by Skymate out of some of our top cows at Kaiaua.

We also have 30 ET's due to start calving late in July 2007 and we anxiously await their arrival.

BIG RIVER POLLED HEREFORDS ANNUAL YEARLING BULL SALE

TUESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER 2007  12:00 NOON. THE SALE WILL BE HELDUNDER COVER, ON THE FARM, AT 44 WALLACE ROAD, DINSDALE, HAMILTON.

On offer will be 40  R1 bulls. Many of these bulls will be capable of serving both cows and heifers. The will be many Skymate, Xavier, and Revenge bull calves for sale with some of these R1 calves expected to tip the  scales in excess of 600kg as many of them were weaned at 350kg plus in March. Some of these bulls will definitely be STUD SIRE QUALITY, with many also being suitable as beef sires.

We are excited because all bulls on offer, are a result of our own breeding decisions, carrying the BIG RIVER PREFIX using only the sires we have chosen over the last 5 years. Some exciting genetics will be on offer so please come and share at least one sale day with us.

GRAYMAR POLLED HEREFORDS ANNUAL R18 MONTH  BULL SALE

TUESDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 2007  12:00 NOON AT 1843 EAST COAST ROAD, KAIAUA.

On offer will be 51 x rising 18 month bulls and two stud sires suitable for the dairy industry. Several of these bulls  on offer will possibly be suitable as STUD SIRES.  These bulls have been sired by Otapawa Skymate 2046(ET), Kairuru Xavier 02 11, Koanui Data 01 1118, Keelryn Revenge 00 19  

If you havent taken the opportunity of visiting us here at GRAYMAR previously, please slot this sale into your calender and spend a day or two with us. If you are lucky, you may end up going home with a nice bull and a boot full of fresh snapper and Coromandel green lip mussels.

  BIG RIVER PURCHASES FULL OWNERSHIP OF SKYMATE

Big River Polled Herefords successfully purchased full ownership of Otapawa Skymate 2046 (ET), previously co-owned by Keelryn Polled Herefords and Big River Polled Herefords, and regarded by many as one of New Zealands Premier Stud Sires.

Otapawa Skymate was the highest priced Hereford bull sold at National Beef Expo 2004.

At $32,000 this amazing sire has proved to be a bargain, such is the influence he has in studs in New Zealand, Europe and North America. Not only has he added the paper benefits of his enviable EBV's but he has given tremendous muscling, carcus and awesome conformation to his progeny.

Skymate semen has been licensed and sold around the world and is now on offer in New Zealand.

BEEF EXPO RESULTS 2006

Congratulations to John and Bernice Loveridge at winning Champion Hereford Bull and Champion of Champions at Beef Expo 2006. It was wonderful to see them get the top prize, a fitting reward for one of the most dedicated, hard working, generous and committed couples we have met in this industry.

A huge thanks to John and Bernice and their daughter Keeley, who prepared our two bulls at Expo.

Melissa and I were thrilled with our first time results, although there is only one ribbon we both want really badly,  and we are extremely covetuous of those that already have one. (Teh Heh) We are already looking forward to exhibiting next year and another crack at the title.

Big River Blaster won his class and Big River Revenge came third in his class, with Big River Blaster placing fifth overall in the final line up.

Big River Blaster achieved 2nd highest price at beef expo of $13,000, failing to reach the reserve set of $15,000, and will be retained at BIG RIVER as a STUD SIRE.

Our Big River Revenge Entry was purchased co-jointly by GRASSMERE and TWYNHAM STUDS in the South Island for $8,500 the fifth highest price at Expo. Melissa and I wish them the best with REVENGE and thank them sincerely for their purchase.

BEEF EXPO 2007:  WHERE HAVE ALL THE COMMERCIAL BUYERS AT EXPO GONE AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PRICES?

Perhaps those that organise, run, and market Beef Expo and sell our Animals at Expo need to take a serious look at their performances to see what went wrong.

 Perhaps we as Breeders need to take back ownership and responsibility for the marketing of HEREFORDS at Beef Expo and invest the necesary time and money to market this event ourselves and make it something special again, rather than continuing to entrust this reponsibilty to others who dont have the same vested interest in BEEF EXPO'S success  as we ought to.

Beef Expo is supposed to the annual Showcase of the Beef Breeding Industry. The very best Beef Bulls available in New Zealand should be on show and for sale.

Buyers, both Breeders and Commercial Buyers alike should know that they can come to Beef Expo and be able to source the very best in Beef Genetics available, confidently!.....

...But where were the buyers?

I dont believe it was just the market!

Do the administrators and the agents marketing the sale believe that they can just send out a couple of books to potential clients and hope that the name of the event will just naturally attract the buyers on the day.

I believe that if those marketing and selling our Expo animals, wish to maintain their exclusive right to sell at Expo,  need to justify that right, by coming to the sale with full buyers books having marketed the event correctly.

Have we as a breed, or those administering our breed  made the right decision to ommit compulsary RAW DATA on the day?

It was interesting to note afterwards the comments of some prominentcommercial buyers and breeders attending the sale ...they said that they would not be interested in buying again from Beef Expo until RAW DATA was available again on the day, and that they were only there for a look to see where the market was likely to be sitting for the coming sale season.

If in fact comments like these are thoughts held by commercial buyers throughout the industry, then we need to seriously look at our marketing in future and the type of information on offer at Expo that will give complete confidence to buyers and satisfy the needs of those who hold the cheque books.

Beef Expo needs to be better marketed by all those responsible including the breeders and exhibitors. It needs to be the best sale of the year!, it should have the highest average sale price of all sales and if it is indeed to be seen as the benchmark of sales for the sale season to come, then it would be in the best interests of all those involved in this industry to ensure that the right work has been done prior to sale to ensure thatBeef Expo sets the right type of Benchmark.

Let us not point the finger, but let all of us involved  and look objectively at how we can each contribute to ensure that Beef Expo is in fact the Sale of the year, and lets work to bring the $8,000 - $10,000/BULL AVERAGE back to the sales arena it should be found in.

BIG RIVER WEANING MARCH 2006

20 SKYMATE and XAVIER bulls calves weaned in excess of 350kg and 20 more weaned in excess of 300kg with our top weaned bull calf being the progeny of Xavier and Harbour Hills U674 an outstanding silver benchmark dam weaning out at 450kg.

BIG RIVER XAVIER 05 501 weaned at 450kg goes on to take out Supreme Champion Hereford at National Beef Expo 2007.

All enquiries please contact Chris Gibbs on 0274 863 696 or email chris@bigriver.net.nz.