Yearling Bull Sale and Selection - Thursday 17th September - Email Us!

Leading Beef
Improvement

Welcome to Rissington Cattle, a proud family owned and operated bull breeding business. Living off and caring for our people, our land, our animals and the environment we live and work in has been a passion for our family since 1882.

Who We Are

Rissington Cattle Company is a family owned and operated beef improvement business based in Rissington, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. For six generations we have lived and worked in this community taking a long-term approach to the land and environment where we operate.

We have a unique partnering programme with our contract beef and dairy customers, providing them with price and specification certainty up to 2 years out which also supports our ongoing investment in genetic gain. We take this same long-term approach to our beef breeding programmes dedicated to sustainable and profitable beef production for our farmer partners and customers.

We comprehensively measure the inputs and outputs of our cattle and utilise advanced genetic testing to identify and produce the very best natural service and artificial insemination (AI) bulls available for our beef and dairy farmer partners. Long term collaboration with local and international people and businesses is a critical part of who we are and how we remain competitive in a global beef supply chain. Many of these relationships span more than 20 years and some nearly 50 years, and often across generations.

This same thinking led us to establish the Better Beef Collective, a farmer-led group connecting breeding, dairy production, and meat processing across the beef supply chain. By linking carcass data back to genetics through Beef Central, the collective helps members lift consistency, yield, and eating quality, and rewards them for the value they deliver from farm to plate.

To have good partners, you need to be a good partner.

Beef on Dairy

Dairy farmers, get ready for a revolution in beef genetics! The latest breakthroughs in beef on dairy genetics with AI and natural service bulls are set to transform the NZ beef industry. With improved breeding techniques, farmers can now reliably produce high-quality beef from their dairy herds, competitive for land use, boosting profits and reducing waste. Don't miss this game-changing opportunity to take your dairy or beef finishing business to the next level.

Learn More

What We Do

Beef on Beef

We are a proud, passionate 5th generation family beef cattle business that respects tradition but doesn’t shy away from challenging status quo.

When it comes to beef program, we have simple goals we adhere too.

You cannot manage what you don’t measure.
Raise the best beef cattle possible.
Use the best technology to make them better.
Reduce our environmental footprint.
Build sustainable profitable systems for future generations.

Learn More

Better Beef Collective is a farmer-initiated collaboration connecting breeding, rearing, finishing and processing into a coordinated, data-backed beef system - enabled by the emergence of large-scale dairy operations entering the beef-on-dairy market, where reliable genetics and certainty of demand are essential.

Built on genetics, performance measurement and aligned incentives, the Collective shifts the focus from short-term price cycles to long-term system improvement - providing the structure and confidence required to support scale, consistency, and better outcomes across the supply chain.

Better Beef Collective

Consistency.
Trust.
Shared Success.

Those beef and dairy farmer partners who contract breeding bulls

Those dairy farmers who purchase semen from our bulls from us or through distribution partners

Those calf rearers and beef finishers who purchase verified calves from (1) and/or (2)

Benefits – Your Animal Information is an Asset When Stored and Maintained

By joining the Rissington Cattle Club, you’ll gain access to a range of valuable tools and services that enhance the traceability, performance, and marketability of your animals:

Branded Tag Sets

Order customised tags to clearly identify Rissington-sired calves. You also have the option to include Tissue Sampling Units (TSUs) if you're using Inherit Select on beef replacement females.

Animal Data Management

Upload and store animal records, including weights and treatments, in our Beef Central database. This data can be transferred along with the animal if sold to another Club member.

Herd Inventory Tracking

Maintain a full inventory of your herd’s sires and females in Beef Central, with monthly updates to sire $Profit scores and female Inherit Select genetic evaluations.

Beef Producer Group Access

Gain access to supply opportunities with Taylor Preston, including carcass data feedback that feeds directly into the Beef Central system.

Benchmarking and Validation (Coming Soon)

Over time, Beef Central will offer benchmarking against local and international herds, validation of carcass merit and yield, and support for verifying your beef footprint, all helping to build a robust, branded beef story.

What People Say

"We are proud to have our genetics represented in New Zealand by Rissington. You will not find better people or more passionate, dedicated breeders anywhere in the world."

Lee Leachman

Leachman Cattle

“Rissington Cattle Company has changed the game for us. Their advanced genetic testing has allowed us to produce more profitable cattle than ever before.”