80 | Living dream to run high country station The Heddell family. Photo: Ben Doubleday Photography. Karen Phelps ON FARM » Glen R Angus Glen R Angus is gearing up for its annual spring sale on September 30th at Sandown, the family’s Sheffield property. Peter and Helen Heddell, alongside their daughter Sarah, have spent decades refining their approach to Angus breeding. Their Angus journey began on the Heddells’ flat dryland property at Pendarves near Ashburton and has been guided by a singular vision: to produce bulls that excel in challenging high country environments. “We started on good fattening country but it wasn’t conducive to selling bulls. Who was going to buy them when most people wanted bulls for harder hill country?” says Peter. This realization led the family to purchase Glenrachney in Okains Bay on Banks Peninsula in 1990, marking the official start of the Angus stud after they purchased their first cows from Kaharau Angus in Gisborne. The 510-hectare property, with its 2,200 stock units, provided the steeper country they needed to test and improve their genetics. The family’s commitment to high country farming reached its pinnacle when they bought Eskhead Station, a sprawling 16,000-hectare property near Lake Sumner. “It was a dream of mine to run a high country station,” says Peter. While the venture temporarily set back plans to advance the stud operation it provided invaluable experience and insight into the demands placed on cattle in extreme conditions. They later sold it and in 2005 the family purchased 490 hectare Sandown near Sheffield, which has become the heart of their operation where their stud of 350 cows is run, alongside Glenrachney where they farm around 300 commercial cows. “The foothills country of Sandown has been regarded as store stock country and we felt the bulls would shift well,” says Helen. Sarah manages the bookwork side of the stud and works off-farm as the Principal Farm Systems Advisor for Environment Canterbury. “We progeny test both sheep and beef,” says Sarah emphasising the commercial focus of their operation. “They are not pampered at all; it’s a pretty tough system. We utilise natural mating with bulls with proven New Zealand sires.” This approach has paid dividends with the family saying that Glen R Angus bulls are renowned for their ability to thrive in challenging conditions, noted for their depth, fitness, constitution and longevity. “The cows that perform well at Glenrachney and also did so at Eskhead (600 cows) are moderate framed with depth and width. They tend to be more efficient, utilise higher country and score well from a carbon footprint point of view,” says Peter. Glen R Angus emphasises the maternal traits of strong positive fats, high scrotal measurements, less days to calving, moderate 600Day growth, lower mature cow weights and higher EMAs while cautiously increasing IMF. Visually heads, jaws, butts, structural mobility and temperament hold considerable value for the family. The upcoming sale will feature 30-35 two-yearold bulls all raised to perform with the most challenging of environments in mind. YOU NEED THE BEST. TO LOOK AFTER THE BEST. When it comes to the transport of stud livestock you can’t go past Downlands Deer and Studstock. During the past 30 years, we have pioneered the way in studstock transportation with purpose built trucks, calm expert livestock handlers, efficient nationwide transport routing and now with visual tracking from pick up to delivery. Talk to Downlands Deer and Studstock today to ensure your livestock arrives in the best condition possible. MOWING • TUBEWRAPPING • INDIVIDUALWRAPPING • CARTAGE LARGE SQUARES 4x3 • MEDIUM SQUARES • ROUND BALES Dean Jenkins 021 289 3489 Richard Perkins 027 437 6608 Proudly supporting Glen R Angus Director Sales/Ops Manager “We find our bulls are very affordable and many of our clients have had great results,” Peter says. “They’ve been getting cheaper bulls but topping the calf sales. Many of our clients are commanding these premiums due to the reputation of these calves to perform.” “We enjoy a great clientele at both our sales and it’s a real community event,” says Helen. As Peter and Helen look to the future Sarah represents the next generation of the Glen R Angus legacy carrying on the family’s commitment to produce bulls that perform and last in the toughest of environments. “We’re only as good as our team,” says Helen, “and we have a brilliant team working with us. We focus on positivity and all of us working together.” Spring Bull Sale Sheffield - Mon Sep 30, 1.30pm GlenRAngus 32 Rugged 2-year-old Bulls Call PeterHeddell on 027 436 1388 Video of bulls on
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