N.Z. Angus cattle to Scotland

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33929, 23 August 1975, Page 2

N.Z. Angus cattle to Scotland

Angus cattle from one of New Zealand’s lead-

ing breeders are going to Scotland, the home of the breed. They will leave Christchurch byair for Biitain today.

The export of the cattle is regarded as a milestone in the history of cattle breeding in New Zealand.

The cattle — five rising yearling heifers, and a bull of the same age — belong to Mr F. F. Wilding, of Te Mania, Hundalee, who plans to retain a half interest in them in a partnership with a Scottish breeder. This follows the visit to New Zealand earlier in the year of Mr Roly Fraser, of the famous auctioneering firm of

Macdonald Fraser and Company, Ltd, of Perth, Scotland, which auctions the cattle at the internationally-known Perth Angus sales. Mr Fraser came to the South Island with Mr A. McGeoch, the proprietor of a stock agency and auctioneering business in Sydney. He judged at the national Angus show and sale at Palmerston North. They were taken to Te Mania bv D. B. Clarkson, the stud and bloodstock manager of Pyne, Gould. Guinness. Ltd. Mr Wilding said yesterday that Mr Fraser had returned home to organise the partnership. It was hoped to establish quite a large herd in Scotland with more animals being shipped, probably as calves.

There was a demand for “colonial” Angus cattle in Scotland, he said. Some breeders had been buying Canadian cattle, presumably for outcrossing. Mr Wilding said that he was going into this project in the hope that they might be able to take advantage of Argentinian and South American interest in Scottish Angus cattle, which did not seem to have been tapped yet in New Zealand. South Africa was also buying in Scotland.

Mr Wilding is also in partnership with a brother-in-law, Mr A. Gubbins, at Colac in Victoria. There, 150 females will be mated in the coming season in the herd which was established with Te Mania cattle. ‘1

The cattle for Scotland leave today on board a British Caledonian Airways aircraft. The bull is a son of Massive of Kaharau, which is now in Colorado in the United States. He was sold by Mr Wilding and Mr R. B. Johnson, of Springfield, to a syndicate for $lOO,OOO, including $50,000 in semen rights. Both men have retained a share in the syndicate. Three of the heifers going to Scotland are by a bull from the Anstev stud of Mr A. H. Page, of Parnassus. LEADING BREED Angus cattle were first introduced into New Zealand in 1863, and have become one of the two main beef breeds in the country.

New Zealand stud breeders have regularly replenished their bloodlines with imports from Scotland, but in the last 10 years there has been a swing away from the short, low-set Scottish beast as breeders have sought cattle with more size and length. Scottish breeders themselves are aware that their traditional beast is not quite meeting modern requirements, and for this reason the performance of Mr Wilding’s cattle in Scotland will be watched with interest. Negotiations for the cattle were made through the Farmers’ Stud Stock and Land Company (Palmerston North) and the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association (Christchurch).