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It was while traveling through Europe in the late 1960’s that Tony and Glennis Thompson first sighted Simmental cattle in Switzerland, Austria and Bavaria.

On returning to New Zealand the Thompson’s settled initially in the Waikato where Tony began his professional career as a Veterinarian. There they farmed a small property and first registered the Glen Anthony Simmental herd No 299 in 1973 with a handful of crossbred cows and one imported purebred cow “Woolston’s Fasan”.

In 1974 Tony and Glennis relocated to Waipukurau in Central Hawke’s Bay where Tony joined a thriving Veterinary Practice and with Glennis set about replacing the crossbred herd with Purebred Simmental cows. These were mainly from the German Fleckvich breed of Simmentals. They included Glen Anthony Excel (by the great Hax) and Peastons Flora from the direct German importation of 1974 as well as cows such as Ballacosilley Gertrud, Glenturk Anna and Sundowner Raches Emmaline (to name a few) originally imported from the British Isles and acquired by Glen Anthony at dispersal sales here in New Zealand.

Initially the Glen Anthony stud was established on 230 acres (96ha) of rolling country eight kilometers east of Waipukurau. Here, the purebred herd had expanded to sixty cows by the late 1980’s. Excel’s son by Canadian Extra had topped the first North Island National sale at $2,500 and Gertrud’s son Newry topped the 1984 National at $17,000. It is amazing that it has taken a further 20 years for the stud to regain those “dizzy heights” with Glen Anthony Morven selling for the top auction price of $16,000 in 2004. Over those twenty years the stud has expanded to 500 acres and 120 to 140 breeding cows including 20 to 40 recipients carrying embryo transplant calves. Sires such as Dunmore Hansa, BBA Galant and Great Guns Ferdinand have played a significant role in the studs development along with the use of homebred bulls such as Aristocrat, Sargent Pepper and Guiness who have all been bred from the families originating from those foundation Fleckvich cows.

Glen Anthony has built up a reputation for breeding good framed cattle with plenty of fleshing. Low birth weights are not selected for. “Calving ease” is the main selection criteria. The stud aims to breed big females capable of easily calving up to 50kg calves if necessary. Sale bulls are scanned and ranked for overall muscle development by the Falkirk Index system.

Glen Anthony clients have built an enviable record in the commercial scene. Crossbred cattle from Glen Anthony bulls regularly top the weaner and yearling sales throughout New Zealand with Graham Williamson of Wairoa topping $1000 per head for weaner steers in 2002. Glen Anthony themselves topped the weaner market this year (2005) with cull stud weaner bulls selling for $755 or $2.35 per kilo.

Glen Anthony also has a reputation second to none in the show ring. They have been competing at A&P shows since 1978 and have built a tremendous record not only for their success but also for their willingness to support the A& P movement and promote the Simmental Breed by regularly showing a big team of up to 20 cattle. In New Zealand the major award for the supreme champion of all breeds is the Meat and Wool Cup. Glen Anthony over the last 15 years has probably won more of these awards at major shows than most other studs. For Glennis and Tony it is their weekend “pastime”.

“Sure beats the hell out of fishing!”

In April 2004 while on tour with the Simmental Society in Australia we saw a quality cow and calf at Rory and Patricia Murphy's Simmental Stud at Nundle just south of Tamworth N.S.W.

We thought a lot of the bull calf and indicated our interest to the Murphy's during the winter. He grew on very nicely and although November born reached 920kg liveweight by 16 months of age - Easter 2005. He went to the Sydney Royal Easter Show where he won Supreme Simmental Exhibit of the Show. Because of popular demand in Australia he was put up for sale. Tony traveled to Nundle in April that year and checked him out. He looked great. Plenty of width with muscularity. A great back line and well developed hind quarter. Plenty of softness, soundness and character.

The rest is history GlenAnthony purchased Yardstick and he arrived safely in New Zealand in July 2005 and quickly settled in to the Glen Anthony routine. He is so even tempered - nothing ruffles him. A lovely kind eye, a quiet nature, excellent confirmation and beef qualities to die for. At 2 1/2 years of age he weighed in excess of 1200kg and stood 60cm at the hips. He has uniform thickness right through, scanning 144 sqcm for EMA with great depth and width in his hind quarters. He has that special softness that is associated with carcass quality yet scans only 5mm of fat over the rib and rump area.

In the show ring he was unbeaten in 2005 and 2006 winning Meat & Wool Cups at the New Zealand Royal at Hamilton in November 05, the Best of Beef at Feilding in March 2006 the Auckland Royal Easter Show 2006 and the N Z Royal in Christchurch in Nov. 2006. As well as this he was judged supreme exhibit of all stock entered, including dairy, pigs, sheep, alpacas and horses at the N.Z. Royal 2005, the Auckland Royal Easter Show 2006, the N.Z.Royal 2006 and again at the Royal Easter Show 2007, an amazing achievement.

From Glen Anthony's viewpoint success was enjoyable but the most satisfying aspect of showing was the way the beef experts accepted and commented on Yardstick's beef qualities and conformation. The complimentary comments of breed judges, breeders from other breeds and commercial people alike were encouraging and very much appreciated. Yardstick's progeny have proven to be all we expected. They have good temperaments, their fathers kind eye and facial markings and excellent carcass qualities. Already they have impressed our peers who have stood as cattle judges at the 2008 Autumn shows. Yardstick progeny from three different studs have dominated allbreeds calf and yearling classes at Feilding Best of Beef 2008 and 2009, and the Auckland Royal Easter Show
2008. Glen Anthony Tundra won both yearling bull classes and was runner-up in the Meat and Wool Cup at the Auckland Royal Easter Show, and this year another yearling bull Glen Anthony Utah won the Meat & Wool Cup at the Fielding Best of Beef Show.

Yardstick is still a Trans Tasman trait leader for 600-day weight and is definitely making his mark on the Simmental breed in Australia and New Zealand.

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2006 - 2007 SEASON

DRY DRY DRY
What a challenge. A poor spring with quality meadow hay proving very difficult to find. Then a moist early summer followed by the long dry that has gone on and on. No amazing recovery in the Autumn as happened in 2006! Thanks to Simon Reisma of Te Awa Road for taking on forty cows and calves at the end of January. Helped us to get through at home on the little rough feed we had left.

We have been feeding out now since March. We have used up all our own balage and that which we purchased from Norm Wiley and acquired through Steve McCutcheon back in the spring. From there on we have had to buy, buy, buy. Thanks to Hawkes Bay Farmers transport and Kesty Manning for helping with the many unit loads of hay and baylage that we have had to buy in from Feilding.

A special thanks to Don Foster for his enthusiasm and encouragement. Don helped us source baylage in the Waikato and has taken on half our herd of yearling bulls to graze on his farm at Huntly.

Congratulations once again to Graham and Denise Williamson for topping the weaner fair at Stortford Lodge. Graham is passionate about his Simmental cattle and ultra skilled in presenting his weaners in the best condition at the right time—Well done.

2006-2007 SHOWS

An amazing year. We thought we had done it all the previous year with the great success at the NZ Royal show in Hamilton (Nov 05) and again at the Easter Royal show in Auckland (April 06). Not so! Along comes October 2006 and the Hastings A& P show. It was great. Over seventy Simmental entries! A whole ring full of yearling bulls. A magnificent Simmental Display. Congratulations to all those breeders who went to the trouble to participate .

Next Up November 2006. With help of a truck leant to us by Kerry and Linda Nankervis and a truck driver in the person of Don Foster from Huntley we had our own ‘Convoy’. With two trucks and Sue Wyley’s ute with horse float in tow we set off to Christchurch for the NZ Royal Show.

We took Monried Yardstick, now just three years of age, a senior cow and calf, two two year old cows and calves, two yearling bulls and three yearling heifers together with Sue’s yearling bull and Don Foster’s yearling heifer—total of 14.

We drove down to Wellington through wind and rain that ripped our covers about. Across the strait on a lovely calm voyage and stayed at Blenheim for the night. The next day, the long haul to Christchurch where we bedded a tired lot of cattle down at Canterbury Park Sale Complex.

What a wonderful few days. In the breed section we won every event except the yearling bull class and then went on to win the Champion Royal Interbreed heifer class, and the Champion Interbreed pairs. The Timperley family’s Haylands Rupert won the interbreed yearling bull class and went on to win the Junior Meat & Wool Cup. Then Yardstick came through to successfully defend his title and won back to back NZ Royal Show Meat & Wool Cups. What a tremendous thrill.

The final day featured the all breed competitions with up to thirty five entries in each class and Bruce McKenzie standing as the senior judge.
We won every class except the yearling bull (Rupert first and Sue second) and yearling pairs class in which we couldn’t field a matching pair. Don Foster helped complete our sweep of first placings when Glennis paraded his yearling heifer to win the All breeds class against tough opposition. What a day! What a show! But wait—there is more.

The good weather finally broke and in the rain and gathering gloom I paraded Yardstick in the main arena in front of the Members stand to win the Supereme Champion Animal of the show. Over all the champions of the other sections including hunters, hacks, ponies, sheep, goats, pigs, dairy cattle, alpacas, and llamas. What an amazing achievement—just marvellous! To cap it all off we purchased Hayland’s Rupert and brought him home with us “If you cant beat him, you might as well buy him”.