A passion for breeding stud cattle has helped Simon Bayne adjust to life in a wheelchair.
The former Hidden Valley Angus stud manager was left a T12 paraplegic after a car accident, but a decade on, he is playing a major role in the establishment of an Angus stud for Mandayen and helping the stud reach its inaugural bull sale.
Simon’s enthusiasm for Angus cattle spans more than 25 years.
As a 13-year-old, he entered the SA Junior Heifer Expo in Adelaide with a heifer from Marg and Peter Slatter’s Geramy Park stud, Wistow.
He also has fond memories of winning grand champion heifer at the 1991 National Angus Heifer Show in Wodonga, Vic, and was a long-time Heifer Expo entrant with cattle from Shirley Barker’s Bokara Simmental stud, Mount Barker.
But winning Angus Youth’s Michigan State University scholarship in 2000 was a life-changing moment.
The qualified butcher was “bitten by the stud breeding bug” while in the United States for nine months, including a semester studying animal and meat science at Michigan Uni.
“The trip was sponsored by Artificial Breeding Services so I spent a lot of time on the road with the guys visiting Angus herds and built relationships with people such as Frank Hazelrigg from FHCC Angus Ranch and Woodhill Farms,” he said.
On his return from overseas he began managing Hidden Valley Angus stud, Lucindale, using these contacts to import top embryos.
But his promising career all changed when the ute he was in rolled, resulting in life changing injuries.
After six weeks in Royal Adelaide Hospital followed by four months in Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, he was given the devastating news he was unlikely to walk again.
He was at a “crossroads”.
“My world had revolved around cattle but it had always been at an able-bodied level,” he said.
“Then I couldn’t break in cows or work out in the paddock so I had to start thinking about what I could do.
“I had too much passion for the beef industry to do anything else.”
After becoming wheelchair-bound, Simon began inputting data for Breedplan and calf registrations for Damian and Mandy Gommers, Mandayen Limousin stud at Keith, gradually taking on more of their marketing and administration.
He moved to Mandayen’s Keith property with partner Lee 18 months ago and is the cow herd overseer for 300 Limousin stud females and 150 Angus breeders.
Damian says Simon’s genetic knowledge has been a major driver of selecting bloodlines in Mandayen Angus stud, established in 2010.
They saw an opportunity to breed cattle with great maternal and carcase qualities and widen their Limousin client base.
“We wanted functional females – cattle that calve easily and get back in calf every year,” Simon said.
“Some breeders have lost the doing ability of Angus cattle chasing carcase numbers.”
“We have always had commercial Angus cattle so we see the commercial viability of them and they complement our Limousin program,” Damian added.
Mandayen invested heavily in top females from NSW stud Millah Murrah.
The results have been impressive, with last year’s drop of sale bulls selling out quickly.
This year they have included 24 Angus bulls in their February 15 auction.
Three main sires are represented – EF Complement, Silveiras Conversion and Ascot Hallmark, whose sons sold to $70,000 at auction in 2016.
“The hardest thing is dealing with pain every day, but cattle keep my mind active,” Simon said.
