New Year's Day celebrations will have a special meaning for Quirindi's Bruce Gunning this year when his Emu Holes Hereford stud notches up 100 years, a feat only a handful of beef cattle enterprises have achieved.
Now recognised as one of the country's oldest Hereford studs, January 1 in 2021 marks a century since Bruce's grandfather Bert Gunning began building his Hereford herd.
The stud was initially situated at Biggam on the Monaro before moving to Okeh at Cooma in 1926, Neringla at Braidwood in 1938, Bibbenluke at Bombala in 1946 and now on the Liverpool Plains.
Interestingly each time the property name was used as the stud prefix.
In 1921 Bert purchased the Sydney Royal Show prizewinner Harben Middy as a foundation sire with english bloodlines on both sides.
Tocal heifers from the Minerva, Last Day and Fancy families were bought in including five-year-old Fancy 194, the mother of a Sydney prizewinner.
Two top registered cows from Gunyan Station, Texas, Qld, also formed the basis.
"I think they were fairly popular then and he always had a little saying that if shorthorns can do well, Herefords can do better," Bruce said.
"Which was just his funny little joke because I think he liked Shorthorns too."
By 1941 Poll cattle were also introduced.
The herd was split in 1980 due to family reasons and further reduced in size in 2009 with the sale of any females under 10 years of age.
At one stage they were selling up to 250 bulls annually but their achievements in the Sydney show and sale ring still remain among the most treasured accolades.
Walk into Bruce's office and photo frames are competing with each other for the final wall space, all of top price bulls, show winners or key herd influencers.
In 1987 the stud achieved an all breeds record during the Sydney Show Sale at $46,000 for Emu Holes Dakota but the following day it was blown away with a $60,000 price.
There still semen in Bruce's AI tank of the top bull.
They have champion ribbons from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne shows and sold bulls to South Africa and females to Chile, Japan and Vanuatu over the years.
Recent drought meant the herd is back to about a third of its normal capacity with 60 stud cows and replacement heifers running alongside a commercial herd.
Bert passed the stud onto his son Jack and Bruce hopes one of his three daughters will continue the tradition on for their kids.
"It's a milestone and I'm quite appreciative of my proceeding family for leaving me the opportunity to carry it on," Bruce said.
"The first 97 years were easy, the last three have been a bit ordinary.
"I think a drought wiped my grandfather out too. He had 136 cows when he started in the one drought and had 13 at the end of it.
"It hasn't been easy all the way along that's for sure."