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Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers

Tony Thompson and Glen Anthony: A Veterinarian's Simmental Stud in Hawke's Bay

A Massey-trained veterinarian who helped bring Simmental cattle to New Zealand.

Who is Tony Thompson?

Tony Thompson is a stud breeder and veterinarian in Waipukurau, Central Hawke's Bay. A Radio New Zealand Country Life profile says he grew up farming in the Whanganui back country and then trained in veterinary medicine as the first graduate of Massey University's veterinary school. Shearing helped pay for his studies, and he later went to Cambridge to specialize in embryology.

That mix of practical farm experience and reproductive science shaped the stud he went on to build.

How did Glen Anthony begin?

The Radio New Zealand profile says a trip to Switzerland's Simmental Valley in the late 1960s inspired Thompson to start a Simmental stud in New Zealand. According to the New Zealand Simmental society's 50-year milestone page, he joined the society in 1971 and registered the Glen Anthony stud in 1973. It was initially based at Matamata and later moved to Waipukurau.

The timing placed him among the first New Zealand breeders of the breed.

How did Simmental arrive in New Zealand?

The society's history says the breed came in the early 1970s in a wave of exotic breed imports. An early consignment of 36 purebred Simmental females arrived from Germany. The Lands and Survey department received half, the rest went to breeders by ballot, and the cattle finished quarantine on Soames Island in Wellington Harbour.

Demand was strong and the society once had more than 1,500 members. Today it has 45 active registered studs, and Simmental ranks third for registered stud females in New Zealand. Breeders valued the breed for crossing with British-breed cows.

What did Thompson contribute to breeding methods?

Thompson took up embryo transfer in the 1980s after a course in Australia. He applied non-surgical techniques to improve beef genetics in New Zealand, working with Simmental as well as Charolais and Wagyu. Embryo transfer lets a breeder take multiple calves from a superior cow in a season, spreading her genetics faster than natural breeding.

He also stresses easy calving and calves heifers at three years old, not two, saying "You've got to think of the animal."

The Key to Thompson's Success

Thompson combined veterinary training with a breed that was new to his country. He did not simply import cattle: he used reproductive science to multiply them and focused on traits that affect farm workload.

The documented record shows steady, small-scale work rather than large numbers.

  • He trained as a veterinarian and studied embryology at Cambridge.
  • He joined the Simmental society in 1971 and registered his stud in 1973.
  • He adopted non-surgical embryo transfer in the 1980s.
  • He prioritizes easy calving and calves heifers at three years old.
  • He keeps a manageable herd of about 70 cows and sells around 20 bulls a year.

Mentoring and the stud today

The farm covers 230 acres, down from 500 acres at Ongaonga, and the annual bull sale has been moved forward to May. Thompson has mentored young people through Future Beef and national cattle shows, and many became vets, farmers or breeders.

For more breed histories visit farm.FM's ranching section or read a farm.FM story about Simmental cattle.

Timeline

  1. Late 1960sVisits Switzerland's Simmental Valley and decides to start a stud
  2. 1971Joins the New Zealand Simmental society
  3. 1973Registers the Glen Anthony stud
  4. 1980sTakes up embryo transfer after a course in Australia
  5. LaterMoves the stud from Matamata to Waipukurau
  6. RecentProfiled with about 70 cows and 20 bulls sold yearly

Frequently asked questions

Who is Tony Thompson?

Tony Thompson is a veterinarian and Simmental breeder at Waipukurau in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. He registered the Glen Anthony stud in 1973 and applied embryo transfer to beef breeding.

When did Simmental cattle arrive in New Zealand?

Simmentals arrived in the early 1970s in a wave of exotic breed imports. An early consignment of 36 purebred females came from Germany and finished quarantine on Soames Island.

What is Glen Anthony?

Glen Anthony is Tony Thompson's Simmental stud, registered in 1973 and now in Waipukurau. It runs about 70 cows and sells around 20 bulls a year.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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