Waipukurau breeder Tony Thompson’s passion for Simmental cattle and fine china

By Maggie Tweedy of RNZ At 80 years old, Tony Thompson shows no sign of slowing down. With five decades of breeding behind him, Thompson’s passion for cattle, particularly the Simmental breed, remains as strong as ever. On a warm autumn afternoon in Central Hawke’s Bay , I made my way to Farm Road in Waipukurau to meet Thompson, one of Aotearoa’s oldest and most energetic stud breeders, and found more to the man than meets the eye, including a love of fine china.

Thompson’s journey into agriculture began in the back country of Whanganui ..