The Maynard family have been breeding adapted Bos Taurus cattle for the past 57 years. Pat Maynard first did trials with the CSIRO and the Queensland DPI, in 1969. Pat and Estelle Maynard were running a Brahman herd at Mount Eugene, Jambin in central QLD. The herd was achieving an average 75% pregnancy rate. He embarked on doing a research trial with 2 central QLD researchers, Tom Rudder and George Siefert, through a five-breed rotational crossbreeding project. They utilised the five breeds, Brahman, Hereford, Drought Master, Santa Gertrudis and Belmont Red. After eight years, the Belmont Red cattle proved to have a superior pregnancy rate each year. Pat Maynard then switched to Belmont Reds to maximise his pregnancy percentages. The Mount Eugene Belmont Red herd was formed in the late 1970s. The Maynard family took bulls to the annual Belmont Red sale in Gracemere, Rockhampton for the next 20 years.

Pat and Estelle Maynard gained multiple national successes in winning the 1994 and 1996 national Ausmeat trial as well as gaining a second place in the 1989 national Ausmeat trial. The Belmont Red breed excelled in all of the national Ausmeat trials conducted from 1988 to 1996.

In 1996 the Maynard family exported 50,000 straws of Belmont red semen to Brazil via the Leachman Cattle Company. It was in 1996 and 1998 that Geoff Maynard, Bruce Burrows and Ian McCauley all from the Australian Belmont Red Association, along with Don Nicol, toured properties in Brazil with the Leachman Cattle Company, to view the adapted Bos Taurus progeny being utilised in their programme. The Leachman’s were using various adapted Bos Taurus breeds such as the Belmont Red, the Senepol, Tuli and Bonsmara, as well as some local South American adapted Bos Taurus breeds such as the Caracu and Romo Sinuana. It was here that Geoff Maynard first saw the Senepol cattle. With the appeal of the polledness and tropical animals carrying a slick coat as well as being an excellent outcross to the Belmont reds, the Maynard’s decided to import 500 embryos from the United States to Australia. This was some of the first Senepol genetics to be imported in the country. It was believed that the Belmont Red in the mid to late 90s was needing an outcross of genetics, and the Senepol, being half African and half British composite, seemed like an ideal candidate. In 1993 unfortunately, Pat Maynard passed away. Where Estelle, his wife, and his son, Geoff , carried on the Mount Eugene stud.

In 1998, Estelle and Geoff entered the BIA or Beef Improvement Association Seedstock producer of the year competition. They were fortunate enough to win the central QLD region then moved on and won the state title in Queensland. Following this success, they went on to win the national title of Beef Improvement Associations national Seedstock producer of the year 1998. Something that Estelle Maynard was extremely proud of. In 2003, The Maynard’s conducted the first Senepol sale in Australia. The Five Star Senepol sale was conducted with great success having 100% clearance and averaging $12,000 back in 2003 with a top of 18,000. Since 2003 the Maynard’s have been conducting their Five Star Senepol sale with good results.

In 2012, the Maynard family embarked on getting a breedplan analysis done specifically for their Senepol herd. The breed society had not moved to start up a performance recording database. So the Maynard family decided to go on their own and have 1200 breeding female herd completely on the Tropical Composite register where they now have over 50,000 records on 15,000 head that have been analysed in that time. During this time, the Maynard family have exported Senepol genetics to Paraguay, Brazil, the United States of America, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, the Philippines, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and South Africa. In 2016, the Maynard family in a strong tradition of being involved in research, joined the Northern genomic project with Professor Ben Hayes and Shannon Speight (nee Landmark), where 35,000 females have been analysed for early puberty and quicker rebreeding. The Five Star Senepol operation and the Maynard family, are the only Senepol operation in Australia that offer comprehensive EBVs and GBVs, genomic breeding values on all their stock. The Maynard’s are proud to recognise many herds around the tropics and subtropics utilising their genetics. Many large pastoral companies today have Maynard family, adapted Bos Taurus genetics utilised in their genetic programmes. To name a few, the AA Company, NAPCO, Hancock Ag, Kidman, and Cunningham Cattle Company. There are multiple herds internationally also using the Five Star or Maynard family adapted Bos Taurus genetics. Namely, Leachman Cattle Company in Brazil, Paraguay, the New Britain palm oil company in PNG, multiple Senepol studs in South Africa and New Caledonia. Not to mention we had the Philippine government at Mount Eugene this week purchasing Senepol breeding females to start up a Senepol stud in the Philippines.

To benchmark the Maynard genetics, the Maynard family have been entering Australia’s largest carcass competition, namely the Callide Dawson carcass competition, for the past 18 years. The Five Star operation have successfully been competing during that time. Their entries have won the growth rate section in the feed lot for bullocks or for heifers or both, 16 out of the last 18 years. One other achievement the family is proud of is every year for those 18 years they have successfully won a blue ribbon, either in the classes or championship sections. This year in 2026 the Maynard family was awarded grand champion carcass, out of 872 carcasses entered, along with most successful exhibitor, best all-round entry and champion grain fed heifer carcass, as well as several class placings. In the Bullock section, the Maynard entries were awarded first, second and third in the growth rate section out of 164 Bullock entries. Also, in the domestic steer class, the Maynard entry won the growth rate section.

Since 2003, the Maynard’s have had their own bull sale at the Gracemere saleyards every September. To this day, the family is very lucky to have 4th generation family members working within the business. Daughters, Bonnie and Faith and son, Guthrie, all work within the Seedstock operation. Also, Geoff and Alison Maynard's nephew, Clayton and his partner, Sarah Maynard also breed Senepol and Senepol Angus cattle and the entire family market the progeny in unison. This year they will be presenting 55 Senepol bulls and 12 Senegus bulls at the CQLX Gracemere saleyards at 11 AM on Monday the 21st of September.

Three Sources of Bos Taurus genetics
British: eg: Angus, Hereford, Devon, Red Poll etc Renown for meat quality, fertility, and fat cover. No tropical adaptation.

European: Charolais, Limousin, Simmental, Gelveih Renown for muscle, leanness and yield.
No tropical adaptation.

African or African derived: eg: Senepol, Belmont, Bonsmara, Tuli, Africander.
Renown for meat quality, fertility, temperament &

How does hybrid vigour gains work?
Hybrid vigour is evident, when two unrelated genotypes meet. The amount of hybrid vigour is proportional to the un-relatedness of the genetics.

1. A Bos Taurus (Senepol) Cross A Bos Indicus (Brahman).
   Maximum hybrid vigour, yielding 10 to 12 % gain in both fertility and growth, from the mean of the parents.
   

2. A Bos Taurus [Senepol] Cross Bos Taurus [ Angus , Charolais ]
   Hybrid vigour effect of 5 to 6% gain in both fertility and Growth, from the mean of the parents.
   

3. A Bos Taurus [ Senepol] Cross A Bos Taurus / Bos Indicus mix [Charbray, Droughtmaster, Brangus]
   Hybrid Vigour effect , is 7 to 9% gain in fertility and growth rate, compared to the mean of the parents. Assume a 50/50 split in Taurus /Indicus make up. Hybrid Vigour is greater with more Indicus content.