Report from the 2008 Ward tour

After reading the report below, view the tour photo gallery.

The lower East Coast of the North Island, the Wairarapa region was the venue of the 2008 NZ Angus Ward Tour.

Having been in the grip of a two year drought it was expected to be a very dry and difficult visit but it was anything but. Full of variety, fun and great visits to Angus Studs made this a very enjoyable and memorable trip.

There were many highlights for everybody in an action packed three days. Based at the Copthorne Hotel at Solway in Masterton travelling to the various venues was relatively quick and late nights were few.

The Wairarapa has been in the grip of a difficult period with very little rain or growth so the condition of the stock we were shown by all breeders were a credit to them. Sunday night saw members register and attend the formal greeting cocktail party which gives everybody the opportunity to connect with many friends, many of them not having seen each other since the King Country/ Taranaki Tour last year.

Over dinner on this first night together, Stuart McLeod the tour leader for the three days introduced the tour and promised a full tour and lots of fun, starting promptly at 7.30am the next morning.

Travelling North from Masterton on State Highway we travelled through the Northern Wairarapa (affectionately known as the ‘BUSH’) to visit Joe & Lea Fouhy and family at their Glanworth property tucked under the Tararua Ranges in the Western edge from Pahiatua.

This gave us an indication of the severity of the dry as this area is known as strongly ‘summer safe’ and it was anything but. Joe is a founder member of the ‘Waigroup’ breeders group so people were keen to view their cattle and those at the other member’s properties as with further on in the tour, which were all on display - cows and calves and a line up of 2yr heifers and 2yr bulls for this year’s sale.

From here we headed back and North to John & Mary-Anne Jackson’s Totaranui property to view their MA cows, 2yr heifers and sale bulls for 2008. This is a very well established stud of some 70 years of breeding and featured a competition to guess the correct weight of cows. a very big framed female of 10 years.Not many got close but Alistair Sharpe collected the prize with 948kgs. Our first morning tea was had here before we moved to the Shalom Bull Unit at Mangatainoka before walking from here to the Mangatainoka Tui Brewery where we were hosted by the ‘Tui Girls!’

Firstly we were shown around the brewery and given the history of why this was established in what was then a very remote area. Water quality, Managtainoka water, right beside the brewery!! Which they suggested would see it grow rather then diminish in size in the future. Robyn How, Tararua Breeding Services, spoke to the gathering on Bull soundness and evaluation, a subject that has been given a high profile over the last two years in a drive to increase the national cow herd performance.

Following this and a free beer, the ‘Tui Girls’ escorted us to the beautiful AngusPure lunch put on for us by Alison & Graham Franklin of the Black Stump restaurant in Pahiatua. It was superb!

The Tui Brewery, Mangatainoka.

Then Stuart had us all back in the bus and away to visit the Shalom property in the Rangowai Valley at Tane where Bryan, Nicki and their staff had a good selection of their cattle assembled for breeders to look at. Bryan owns two studs here, one as a member of the Waigroup, so the cattle were spilt up into the various stud groups for viewing.

Run mainly in pretty steep hill country in this predominately wet area they calve later to meet the growth curve in October. From here we were to travel back toward Masterton to Ross & Julie McLachlan’s so to show some more of the Northern Wairarapa countryside off and to make the trip more interesting we went down through the Pahi Valley, Ihuraua and Morrinsville areas to showcase some of the typical countryside found in that area.

At Rangitum we visited Ross, Julie & their family at Tapiri where Ross showed off his Angus cattle in four groups. He like everybody; had experienced two difficult years but the Angus Cattle and their breeders here and throughout were showing their true colours and managing the situation well.

Away from Tapiri we headed back to headquarters for the night having enjoyed a great day in the ‘Bush’ areas of Northern Wairarapa. 5.30pm was the time allocated for the AGM so people hurried away to prepare for this and the Merial dinner following. A good attendance at the AGM saw John Turner honoured with an Honorary Life Membership for his contribution to the NZ Angus Association. Chris Biddles spoke for the Association in honouring John.

A presentation was also made to Linda Rule, Our Angus registry manger at PBB who has completed 20 years of services in her role at registry. Sir Brian Lochore was the guest speaker for the Merial dinner and as he always does, gave a very entertaining address to the guests. The dinner was also the occasion chosen to honour Moanaroa’s 100 years of breeding Angus Cattle.

Situated right in the coast at Akitio, Dan & Barbara Ramsden and their family have formed Stud Angus cattle here for 100 years to 2008. An Angus Bull figurine commemorating the occasion was presented to the family. Day two saw everybody up for breakfast around 7.00am before departing at 8.00am for the Maungaraki Cattle Company and Peter & Sue McWilliam’s at Gladstone.

There had been a little bit of rain overnight so there was a happy feeling in the camp as we climbed the Admiral Rd to the McWilliams. Peter & Sue are a total stud operation running three different breeds of cattle, Angus being one of them.

All three were on show for us along with a group of Angus cows and were all looking very well. Defying the belief that they had been short on feed but that is because of the strong limestone country they farm.

From here we went over the Admiral Rd summit to where Dandaloo is situated and the Thomson family and staff waited to greet us.

A lovely morning tea was served in the wool shed before everybody spread out to look at the various groups of cattle on show, their National Sale entries, the next of their sale team, cows and young females, looking very good considering the pre-tour expectations. All aboard again from Stuart to head to KayJay and the Kjestrup family at Westmere to celebrate their 50 years of Angus breeding. Present were Neil’s Mother & Father who were the ones who started the Kayjay Angus Stud here which was very appropriate.

A beautiful lunch, sponsored by National Bank was served with AngusPure featuring on the menu while people moved about and looked at the selection of cattle on display including 2 yr bulls, MA cows, IC heifers and the group that an auction was held for to commemorate the 50 years of Angus breeding would pick from. This auction was held prior to departure and the successful bidders were John Turner & Chris Biddles 50% of the proceeds going to the NZAYCT. A very kind gesture from Neil & Joan and may we all wish them well for the next 50 years of breeding.

From KayJay we firstly travelled back towards town before heading for the East Coast and the property of Castlepoint - a large historic property now owned by the American couple Anders & Emily Crofoot. On our way to Castle Point we stopped into visit new Angus Breeders Craig & Catherine O’Connor at Rorokoko to view their progress with their breeding programme based on Kahika females purchased in 1999 and re-established in 2006.

We approached the Crofoots property though the Whareama Rd and the additional property of Otamone. Anders and Emily were introduced to the group here and gave a verbal background to their property and its management. Castle Point is a big block that they have developed and improved significantly. Well balanced but in a summer dry area their management is necessarily diverse, amongst it involved with groups that are improving the lot for farming. Following afternoon tea at the Otahome house everyone adjourned to the woolshed to hear an address on DNA from Carel Tesling, Development Manager with Australian Angus.

This is part of the NZ Angus Board Educational Programme and was run to highlight and explain the complexities surrounding DNA at this early stage of its development and just to caution members not to be wholly reliant on it at this early stage. Moving on we continued our trip through Castlepoint Station, taking in the beautiful landscape and views of the Pacific Ocean while listening to the commentary.

It would be a beautiful place to work on a fine day - but bitter in a southerly perhaps!! Our thanks must go to Emily and Anders for hosting us to their property. Leaving here around 6.00pm we headed to the Castlepoint lighthouse for a look and then to the Burley Pot for the Elders Happy Hour followed by the Rabobank dinner.

Following the dinner an Auction for the NZAYCT was held to raise funds on behalf of the Ward Tour for their projects. This was a hilarious event with Brian Diamond entertaining everybody with his wit, quickness and humour, raising a substantial sum for them. A band strung up after the auction but before long the last bus was calling so back to town we went following this enjoyable outing. Wednesday 9th, the last day of this Ward Tour started at Richard & Emma Lowes Fairburn Stud just a short distance from town. Just a selection of his MA cows and his full group of 2yr old bulls were on show with both groups looking well.

2 year old bulls at Fairburn

From here we moved onto the Falloon Family’s Pinebank Angus Stud at Homebush where we really evidenced the affects of the dry weather the Wairarapa region had had to endure. Subsequently Willie had the bulk of his cattle away grazing at this time, having a selection of his stock on hand to exhibit to the Tour party.

Now we headed down the valley to the final call on this Ward Tour, Te Whanga , the Borthwick’s Family property. Firstly we looked at their cattle: national bulls, 2yr bulls, cows, calves and heifers and then travelled up to the homestead for the final and farewell lunch. What a beautiful setting on a fabulous day - everybody took time to relax, have a bite of the beautiful lunch sponsored by Balance Agri Nutrients and have a drink or two before the farewell speeches - thanks were given.

Neil Kjestrup as Chairman of the Ward Tour thanked all those who came on the Ward Tour, his fellow Wairarapa breeders for hosting the event and Stuart McLeod for MCing for them.

It had been a wonderful occasion for them in the Wairarapa he said and asked John Cochrane on behalf of the Southern ward to invite breeders of all denominations to Southland next year for the 2009 NZ Angus Ward Tour With that individual farewells were made, and coaches departed, with fond memories fresh in the mind of a very enjoyable 2008 tour of Ward 6 - The Wairarapa.