Brahman Stud Owner Strives For Perfection

A dream to farm Brahman cattle saw Auldrich Spies switch from construction to farming. Ironically, it was his initial ignorance that led him to become a successful stud farmer today. Lindi Botha visited SS Brahmane in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.

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Auldrich Spies grew up attending shows where his grandfather exhibited his prized Brahmans and instilled a love for the breed in his grandson. But health reasons saw him selling his herd before Spies could farm himself.

Spies then followed a career in construction, which, five years ago, enabled him to buy land in the Barberton area. With a photograph of his grandfather’s prized Brahman bull in hand, he set out to stock his farm.

A FORTUNATE PHONE CALL

“I struggled to find cattle initially,” he recalls. “Some farmers wouldn’t sell to me or didn’t even return my phone calls. I eventually googled ‘heartwater Brahmans’, as the cattle needed to be heartwater-resistant for the Barberton area. I came across a farmer in Letsitele, phoned him and told him I wanted 10 cows and a bull. I asked if he could help me.

“There followed a long silence. I asked him if he’d heard me. He asked if I was planning on farming commercially or starting a stud farm. I said, well, my grandfather had stud cattle and I had a photo of what his bull looked like. Could he please help me with cattle that looked like the bull in the photo?

“Again, there was silence. Was I saying something wrong? The farmer then started peppering me with questions. Do you want older animals? Younger animals? From which bloodlines do you want to buy? “I said I didn’t know what he meant by ‘bloodlines’; I just wanted a bull that looked like my grandfather’s, and 10 cows. So he said I’d better pay him a visit.”

When Spies arrived on the farm in Letsitele, a whole new world opened up to him.