All the best to David Ellis, Te Akau on his recovery from serious surgery.

[Chief Stipe]

From the Te Akau Newsletter:

While the racing has been wonderful, it has been a more challenging time for me personally. In July, Karyn and I headed away for our winter holiday. The day before our return I began feeling unwell, and though I felt better by the time we flew home, within two days I was very sick and admitted to hospital.

 

The result was major surgery to remove a kidney. I spent almost two weeks in hospital before being discharged in recent days, and I am now slowly recovering. To be back in my own bed was the best feeling, and each day I am regaining a little more strength.

 

I want to thank everyone who has sent messages and well wishes – they have meant a lot to me and Karyn. I also want to acknowledge the excellent care I received at Auckland Hospital. At one point I had a drip in each arm, lines in my stomach and in my back, but the specialists and nursing professionals looked after me with great knowledge and compassion. And of course, I cannot thank Karyn enough for being by my side and taking such wonderful care of me during this time.

[Chief Stipe]

Knowing how much time David puts into the Te Akau farm/stud and his passion for buying and selling livestock the following must have lifted his spirits:

On the farm, it has been an interesting month as winter loosens its grip. We endured very wet conditions, followed by eight frosts in ten days, and right now the grass cover is as short as we’ve seen in August for many years. But the days are lengthening, we’ve applied fertiliser, and with some rain the pastures will soon respond.

 

We also had some excellent results with the cattle. This past week we sold a unit of 40 steers which fetched $3,257.10 each (plus GST), a figure that Greenlea Premier Meats told me was the highest they had ever paid for a line of cattle. Congratulations to Luke Copeland and Mick Morrison for their outstanding stockmanship – you don’t achieve those results unless animals are cared for to the highest standard.

 

I must also acknowledge Greenlea Premier Meats Ltd and its CEO Tony Egan. Greenlea is one of the best-operated companies in New Zealand, with exceptional staff, strong values, community and social responsibility, with a generous approach to community giving.

 

As a family-owned and operated business, Greenlea invests in so many important initiatives - over the years, it has established the Greenlea Foundation Trust, become the principal sponsor of the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter and supported New Zealand throughout the Covid-19https://bitofayarn.com pandemic with over 10 tonnes of beef mince in collaboration with The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul.

 

I am a proud to be a client of Greenlea, and my agent Alan Radford - who has been buying for me since 1979 and who bought these steers as yearlings – remains the finest fat stock buyer I have ever known. Alan’s skill, judgement and communication are world-class, and I greatly respect him.https://bitofayarn.com