Our SIMMENTAL
Breeders

Stud Focus

Our breeding programme is centred on producing sound Simmental sires suited to commercial beef herds, alongside high‑quality stud sires that deliver progeny with weight, doing ability, and long‑term herd value.

We sell around ten bulls annually to dairy clients, and each May we host our on‑farm bull sale, offering sixteen bulls to valued local and national buyers.

All calves not kept as heifer or bull replacements are sold through the annual Owaka/Clutha calf sale in April.

Background

We are a family‑owned and operated business, with Steph and Warren Burgess, their son Cameron, his partner Annabel, and their daughter Molly all involved on farm. The property is run alongside our two luxury farm accommodations — Beresford Heights and Beresford Rise.

Beresford Simmental Stud was established in 1981. Based in the heart of the Catlins at Puketiro, we are located 15 minutes south of Owaka and slightly inland from the Catlins Coast. The area’s high annual rainfall provides reliable, drought‑safe farming conditions.

Over the years, females have been sourced from a range of stud dispersal sales to strengthen and diversify the herd. The original focus was on breeding bulls to support the commercial operation — more than 400 females — while also supplying sires to local clients.

Following extensive development of the Catlins bush country, the structure and scale of the operation have evolved significantly, allowing the stud to expand and refine its breeding direction.

Number of Cows

Beresford Simmentals currently calves 240 stud Simmental cows and heifers.

Number of Sires used

We use eight sires each year: two Angus across the first‑calving heifers, with the balance made up of Simmental sires over the main herd.

Size and contour of farm

Beresford Farms comprises 1,250 hectares of rolling to steep Catlins bush country, spanning the main home block at Puketiro and an additional 78‑hectare hogget block on the north side of Owaka. Around 200 hectares remain in native Catlins bush and scrub, with the balance in pasture or regenerated bush burn.

Other Stock in farming operation

The farm currently runs 4,300 ewes — 800 Romtex and the balance Ngaputahi Romney — along with 1,100 hogget’s, 240 Simmental cows, 30 Simmental bull calves, 50 Simmental heifer calves, and 8 working sires.

As well as a recently acquired Southdown stud, which adds further depth to our sheep breeding programme.

Natural or AI mating